Returning to Vietnam: The Moments That Stayed With Me
- Jennie Brand
- Dec 9, 2025
- 4 min read
Embracing a Slower Pace of Travel
Slower travel is something I didn’t fully understand until the last few years. I used to be the traveler who crammed three or four countries into a three or four week holiday. I thought that seeing more meant experiencing more. The logic made sense at the time, especially when you only have a few precious weeks of PTO and a long bucket list whispering at you to keep moving.
These days I travel differently. I travel slower. Not only for my mental health but to avoid that feeling of needing a vacation from my vacation when I get home aka travel burnout. Slowing down has allowed me to embrace the culture of a place instead of simply passing through it. When I travel slowly, I have the space to absorb the rhythm of daily life, sit with people longer, drink my coffee without rushing, and let the unexpected shape my days.
We live in a digital world where staying connected with friends and meeting locals is easier than ever. WhatsApp, Instagram, and messaging apps make long distance conversations feel effortless. If you allow it, that connection can turn your travels into something richer. Slower travel creates opportunities for real relationships, the kind that change the course of your trip and sometimes even your life.
Seven Weeks in Vietnam and the Lessons I Didn’t Expect
In 2024 I spent seven weeks traveling through Vietnam. I went north toward Cao Bang, past the limestone mountains and rice terraces, and all the way down south toward Ho Chi Minh City and the Mekong Delta. I thought I had exhausted it all. I thought I had photographed the landscapes and the people and the moments that opened my heart to the country for the first time.
I hiked into the largest cave in the world. I swerved in and out of heavy traffic on Grab motorbikes. I wandered quiet city streets at sunrise and watched the nights fill with lanterns. I walked on sand dunes that I never knew existed in Vietnam. I felt like I had checked every box a photographer could dream of.
So why did I return in March 2025 for another four weeks? Why did I find myself booking a flight back so soon that even I was caught off guard? Because traveling slowly gave me something that fast travel never did. It gave me connection.
During those first seven weeks, I built relationships with local photographers and families. We shared meals, stories, and long drives. By the time I left, they felt like friends I would return to, not strangers I had passed in transit.
The Ceremony I Was Never Supposed to See
On my return trip I was invited to witness a ceremony that outsiders were not previously allowed to attend. It was a once in a lifetime ritual performed by a small ethnic community in a remote region. Had I rushed through Vietnam the first time, had I not taken the time to slow down, listen, and connect, this opportunity would have never found me.
I photographed and filmed traditions passed down through generations. I met three interconnected groups:
The Elders
The ones who practice ancient rituals, honoring ancestors and carrying their belief systems forward.
The Instrument Maker
A man widely respected by both his community and public music figures. He builds every instrument used in these ceremonies.
The Children
Learning from their elders, carrying on stories through movement and sound, reminding me that culture is alive and still growing.
Traveling slowly unlocked an entire world that fast travel would have blurred past. My documentary video on YouTube you can find here.
A Lesson for Anyone Planning a Two Week Holiday
If you only have two weeks off work and you want to make the most of it, choose one country. Better yet, choose one region of that country. You will experience more by going deeper instead of wider.
This is the part of travel journaling I wish someone had told me years ago. Slowing down does not mean doing less. It means noticing more. Recently in a previous journal entry I write about how one photograph I took earned me recognition within the Sony Alpha Female community and awarded me a micro-grant. This second trip to Vietnam is when I scored that photo.
What Slower Travel Has Taught Me
Book the ticket.
Find photos that inspire you.
Reach out to the creators who took them.
Make friends in this digital world.
Stay longer in one region.
Plan a rest day each week for laundry, organizing files, and simply catching your breath.
Leave room in your agenda for surprises.
Because if travel has taught me anything, it is that the unexpected becomes the story you carry forever.
Want to Explore More of My Travel Journals
If you enjoy reflective entries like this, you can read more on my Travel Journals page:
If you want to know more about me, my photography, and how these journeys have shaped the work I create, you can visit my About page:
And if you are curious about beginner friendly travel photography:
xo,
Jennie
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