1

You can take photos, grab a beer, find some atmosphere and other travellers in all of those places....now just toss a coin...

2

I've heard that in one of those places a few people carry guns and whenever someone points one of them new-fangled digital SLRs with the BIG lens at them, they'll pull out that gun and (as we say in Texas), make that old boy dance.

Hanoi is good choice.

3

I tend to agree with #2 bun_cha, with four nights to spend, you may not have the variety in Luang Prabang, and I prefer Hanoi over HCMC. Yep my vote for four nights in Hanoi.

4

I prefer Hanoit to HCMC, but as a photographer, I loved Luang Prabang and spent three nights there in December. It is extremely pretty, with two rivers on either side of the old town, plus loads of architecturally interesting houses. When we were there it was very atmospheric with low cloud hanging around till about 10am, which then lifted and then sun for most of the day, until the low cloud again early evening - wonderful for arty photographs. You can take boat trips there, visit elephant sanctuaries, if you're so inclined, the several temples and museum but it was also buzzy with people of all ages. Every moring at about firstlight, all the monks walk along the street to collect food donations and we got some fabulous photos of them too.

We stayed in a guesthouse on the Mekong for roughly $35 a night, which I can recommend, but would have to look up what it was called.

5

All we need now is someone to recommend HCMC and then it's back to Nijkerk's (#1) suggestion of tossing a coin.

6

I'd choose HCMC...

7

Depends whether you like big cities or small towns!

8

Belart1: Thank you for your insight. I was looking for it form a photographic stand point and I figured LP would probably be the most picturesque.

9

You're welcome and I remembered where we stayed - it was the Khongsavath Guest House, run by a lovely family and in a great position to walk everywhere in town.