I spent much of March and early April traveling from Vietnam's northernmost point in Lung Cu to the mangrove swamps in and around Dong Hoa Hiep Island and the Mekong delta town of Cai Be in the south. There were quick visits between those two points, to Ha Long Bay, Hanoi, Dalat (including a half day at a nearby Buddhist orphanage for girls) and Saigon.

If you viewed my Ethnic Minorities gallery, almost all of the first several photos will be familiar but a north to south travelogue needs to start with photos from the distinctive people and land in the far northern provinces.