Vietnamese tourists visit the 'world's largest island' to watch whales and the midnight sun.

During a three-day exploration of the "world's largest island," located about 45 hours' flight from Vietnam (including layover time), the photographer from Dong Nai province went from one surprise to another.

In late summer 2025, Bui Xuan Viet, a photographer from Dong Nai province, set foot in Greenland for the first time, eagerly awaiting the moment to see icebergs and whales.

This is the world's largest island located in the Arctic, under Danish sovereignty , and covers an area of ​​approximately 2.16 million square kilometers.

This was Anh Viet's first visit to Greenland, and he was impressed by the magnificent scenery that nature has bestowed upon this land.

Vietnamese citizens can now use a Schengen visa to enter Greenland, provided the flight originates from Denmark (considered a domestic flight).

If departing from Vietnam, travelers must endure a long flight, with layovers in Türkiye, Denmark, the Faroe Islands, Iceland, before finally arriving in Greenland.

"The flight from Vietnam to here takes about 45 hours, almost two days, so it's hard for tourists to avoid feeling tired. Not to mention, some flights may be delayed, making the travel time even longer."

"Therefore, during my trip to Europe, I combined it with a visit to Greenland, which shortened travel time and saved costs," Viet explained.

The pristine white icebergs, as tall as dozens of stories, combined with the mirror-like surface of the water, create an incredibly magical scene.

On his first day in Greenland, Viet visited the town of Ilulissat and took a boat tour of Disko Bay – a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2004 – to admire the giant icebergs there.

He also visited the fishing village of Oqaatsut, which has only about 30 residents and colorful wooden houses.

The stunning scenery of Disko Bay, Greenland, was captured by a Vietnamese photographer.

The photographer, originally from Dong Nai province, revealed that the first thing that impressed him upon arriving in Greenland was that the houses there were painted in colors according to their specific functions.

For example, hospitals are painted yellow, schools are painted green… and there are even buildings in various other colors like red, black, yellow, blue…

Tourists take a boat tour of Disko Bay.

Vietnamese tourists were stunned by the sight of small waterfalls flowing from a giant iceberg.

For the remaining two days, Viet mainly spent his time "hunting" humpback whales and admiring the fascinating natural phenomenon - the "midnight sun".

During the summer, the humpback whale hunting grounds are quite far from the town of Ilulissat. To see these giant creatures, the young photographer had to travel by boat for more than an hour to get there.

Although there are no icebergs here, a considerable number of whales from all over the ocean gather here to hunt for prey.

"It wasn't until the third day, when I returned to the ice bay for the second time, that I was lucky enough to capture some impressive photos of icebergs and whales."

"This was the moment I had been looking forward to when I set foot in Greenland. I thought it was impossible, but I finally did it, like hitting the jackpot. The emotions were overwhelming, indescribable," he shared.

Viet captured the moment the pair of whales were swimming close to the iceberg.

This photo by Viet won second prize at the ColorPro Awards 2025.

The Vietnamese photographer also revealed that even though he only watched and admired the whales for about 5 minutes, it was enough for him to capture many "once-in-a-lifetime" photos.

One of those photos even helped him become the first Vietnamese person to win second prize in the photography category at the ColorPro Awards 2025.

This is a global visual arts competition for photographers, filmmakers, and digital artists, focusing on the theme "FLOW" to showcase creativity and aesthetics across genres such as photography, filmmaking, digital art, and AI art.

Scenery in Greenland during the day (right) and at night (left).

Besides successfully "hunting" humpback whales, Viet was also amazed by the sight of the sun still shining brightly at midnight in Greenland.

"Even at midnight, it was as bright as day. And I boarded the boat at 9 PM, heading to Disko Bay to watch the sunset at midnight," Viet recalled.

During their exploration of the world's largest island, the Vietnamese visitor was also surprised to learn that Greenland doesn't have many road connections between cities.

The primary modes of transportation are airplanes, trains, boats, and especially dog ​​sleds. Therefore, when touring the town, visitors often encounter large, strong, thick-haired dogs capable of pulling heavy sleds through the freezing snow and ice of winter.

Photo: Bui Xuan Viet

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Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/khach-viet-ghe-hon-dao-lon-nhat-the-gioi-ngam-ca-voi-va-mat-troi-luc-nua-dem-2482701.html