I am going to Vietnam this August with my husband - we arrive 17th and leave 31st. I would value any advice as to how to spend the time we have. in particular, where are good places to flop on a nice beach at this time of year? And should we bust a gut/fork out for an internal flight to make sure we get up to hanoi, or would we do better to take things more slowly and travel only as far as Hue, say? We have such a limited time that I am really keen to plan wisely. We are quite prepared to go off the beaten track a bit if that is what you experts out there recommend as the best places to go and see.
Oh, yes. What should we expect from the weather in different parts of the country??
[There are 4 posts - the latest was added on Mon 24 May, 2:13]
Use the form at the end of this page to add your own post.
Topics
| Thorn Tree
| Home
1. As for to get a grip about your destination, go to Lonely Planets (this site) "Subway" and cruise
for a while.
2. Perhaps the most important question, you asked in the last sentence. Down south (Saigon & the
Mekong delta), August is the middle of the rainy season. Farther north and at the coast, about Nha
Trang, it's better. Central coast OK. Up north, the weather is perfect. If I were you, I'd take a rain
check (hehe) on Saigon and go straight to Ha Noi.
-----------------------------
Two weeks is enough to see the most popular sites in Vietnam
IF you spend only 1 - 2 days in each place. Here's a sample
itinerary:
Day 1 - Saigon
Day 2 - Cu Chi Tunnels and Cao Dai Temple
Day 3 - Travel to Dalat
Day 4 - Dalat
Day 5 - Travel to Nha Trang
Day 6 - Nha Trang
Night of Day 6 - Travel to Hoi An
Day 7 - Hoi An
Day 8 - Travel to Hue
Day 9 - Hue
Night of Day 9 - Hue to Hanoi
Day 10 - Hanoi
Day 11 & 12 - HaLong Bay
Day 13 - More Hanoi or Perfume pagoda trip
Day 14 - Home
This is a VERY beaten track - most backpackers seem tofollow
something like this route. Why? Because it's where the
tourist cafes "open tour" buses run and maybe also these
places are the best places to visit in a limited time.
How to get around? As I said, the tourist cafes sell very
reasonably priced bus tickets for the Saigon - Hue (or all
the way to Hanoi)leg. From Hue to Hanoi most people catch
the train but more about $15 more than the price of a soft
train berth you can fly and save yourself some time.
Weather? Like the last writer said it SHOULD be wet season
in Saigon, hot and dry in the central area. I wouldn't call
Hanoi in August perfect but maybe I have a lower heat
tolerance.... However this year VN's weather is completely
a about f. At the moment in Danang it's raining every
afternoon and in Hanoi the same. It NEVER rains in Danang
in May - must be this climatic change or La Nina effect.
Happy trails!!
I'm with #1. #2 is possible, but your butt will be shaped
like a car seat at the end of it. I'd kiss off the south,
especially the unremarkable Dalat, and go quickly up to Nha
Trang. Book a few days on the nice beach, go out on the
excellent snorkel-buffet cruises, and then fly or train to
Hue. Spend three days there, and a couple of days down in
Hoi An. Then take a soft sleeper on the night train to
Hanoi, and spend the rest of your time there. It still won't
be enough time for Halong Bay, Sapa, etc.
-
Look into the cost of van and driver for HCM-Nha Trang. The
tourist cafe deal is a Eurosardine show, although it is
cheap. Between 4 travellers, your own van and driver is an
excellent deal.
If you want to flop on a gorgeous beach without getting
pestered to death by the vendor, Phu Quoc is by far the
best, but it is indeed in the south. I am not sure how
rainy it gets in August. It is an island of the southwest
coast of the Mekong Delta and usually seems to be sunny
when it rains in Saigon, but I can't promise anything with
the weather. During the rainy season in southern Saigon it
rains for about an hour almost every day in the afternoon,
the mornings are usually fine. It may be worth checking
the island out for a couple of days.
You can check out my homepage at
http://www.angelfire.com/ms/saigon to see photos of Phu
Quoc as well as travel information. If anybody else has
more detailed info on Phu Quoc weather in August, please
get back to me.