Best time to travel

We would like to do Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand next winter...2018. Any opinions as to the best month to travel...January, February, or March. We will probably do a Hong Kong add on at the end so we are curious as to the weather and crowds that time of year.
Thanks so much for any feedback!!

Comments

  • edited April 2017
    Tauck provides temperatures on the tour page and it is very easy to find this information on line. Also, you can find information about any 'Holidays' on line you might want to avoid. As far as Vietnam is concerned, when ever I talk to the many Vietnamese people I know, they always say December is a great time to visit. We take the Vietnam Cambodia and Loas tour in 2018 but we had to choose February to allow time to get our visas when we get back from a tour elsewhere in December.
  • You should come to Vietnam in January. Vietnam's national holidays often take place in February depending on their lunar calendar, so if u come to Vn during their holidays, u will be surcharged. I luckily visited vietnam last January, I love the hectic atmosphere in hanoi city when all the local citizens preparing for their Tet holidays. Many sparkling decorations stored in the street and u can see red colour everywhere.

    I spent 5 days in vietnam, 3 days in hanoi city and 2 days in Halong Bay city. Dont miss Halong bay city, this wonder is amazing. If u need support for your itinerary, contact this local agency. My family booked services from bestprice travel: https://www.bestpricevn.com/tours/
  • We are taking this trip January 12, 2018. Arriving in Hanoi 2 days prior and continuing on to Singapore afterwards.
    We've done several Tauck tours before. Anyone else booked on this tour yet?
  • Our Tauck trip starts in Hanoi on January 15th....is it not the same trip as yours??? Is Jan 12 the day you take off for Hanoi arrive the 13th which is 2 days before our trip on the 15th? Probably right ? We take off to Singapore and then Australia after Tauck tour. My email is John_Contini@hotmail.com
  • I took the last one in March; it was hot as hell in Thailand. Go earlier, but then you risk possible inclement winter weather if you're from the east coast.
  • We did a Halong Bay pre-trip beginning on January 21 (we left CA on January 19), and our tour began on January 23, 2012. We extended for about 5 days in Hong Kong returning home on February 11. As I have previously posted, the weather in North Vietnam (and Hong Kong upon our return) was gray and very chilly, and by the time we got to Thailand, the weather was hot and muggy. I am not sure if the Vietnam weather was unusual for that time period, and I would suggest doing a bit of online research on weather patterns for the various available time periods. We had one rainy day, on January 21, and that was it. As we continued south after Hanoi, the weather got warmer and warmer. The weekend of January 21 was New Year's and seeing the celebrations (that weekend and the following week) added so much to the experience. I think the bottom line is that you need to do a bit of research about weather and holidays on online sites as well as previous posts on this forum to see what best suits your preferences. It is a great trip!!
  • The best time for visiting Vietnam is March or April. You should travel from South to North of VN because the weather in North of VN is warmer.
  • Totally agree with SHG about Thailand. We were there at the end of March years ago (chosen because it was a birthday trip) and it was the hottest we have ever been -- before or since.
  • edited July 2017
    David E wrote:
    We are taking this trip January 12, 2018. Arriving in Hanoi 2 days prior and continuing on to Singapore afterwards.
    We've done several Tauck tours before. Anyone else booked on this tour yet?

    We are on that trip as well. We are arriving on the 8th and have booked a Ha Long Bay trip. We are staying 2 days and 1 night on Ha Long Bay. We have also made some arrangements for other tours in Hanoi including street food, market visit and tours of Ngoc Ha Village's imperial gardens.

    We are from NC and we have done many Tauck tours including NZ, Italy (Rome and Amalfi Coast), Canyonlands, and Loire Valley and Normandy.

    Note you are arriving 2 days prior. It may be difficult, but you should try to see Ha Long Bay. UNESCO site and from everything I have heard it is exceptional (best to stay overnight; however good to go even if you can't). Roughly a 4 hour journey from Hanoi each way so it may be a little tight for your itinerary.

    We are continuing to Hong Kong to see friends. Look forward to meeting you in Hanoi.

    Glenn
  • Kms0605 wrote:
    We would like to do Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand next winter...2018. Any opinions as to the best month to travel...January, February, or March. We will probably do a Hong Kong add on at the end so we are curious as to the weather and crowds that time of year.
    Thanks so much for any feedback!!

    We chose January for 2018, mainly because it fit our schedule. Everything I have read says Hanoi is almost always overcast that time of year, but generally dry and the further south you go the warmer every place gets. I have travelled to SE Asia many times, but I prefer January as it tends to be pretty dry (but no guarantees).
  • I've spent a few months in Hanoi teaching English and travelling around, and January is my favourite month. If you are into coffee, it's the right time to visit plantations and see how it's harvested. You can check for some other seasonal experiences in Vietnam on rove.me


    March-May are unbearably hot in Thailand. May–October is the rainy season, so I would go for November–February. Keep the Christmas and New Years in mind, as it's the time when it gets too crowded.

    Well, and Cambodia..I haven't been there, but my friends visited it last summer, and they said it was a good choice: rainy season offers lower prices, and fewer tourists. And it didn't actually rain every day, so they still did all the things they wanted. Check some sources like InsiderJourneys for extra seasonal tips.

    Enjoy the trip!
  • I can tell you about Vietnam weather. It spend on destinatiorns you want to visit.
    Sapa: Sapa is also one of very few areas in Vietnam where you may watch snow falling in winter. Sometimes, the temperature during winter falls to under zero degree Celsius, and many trees in the town are covered in ice. If you can make Sapa tours in this time, it's great.
    Hanoi: The temperature in this time of the year dramatically drops to 18-19o C with dry climate. Sun light hours shortens and it gets dark as early as 5:30 PM. Of course the relative definition of being cold may vary - if you are from cold country like Northern Europe or America, it will be cool like mid-fall weather. If you are from Southeast Asia, however, bring warm clothes!
    Hue: Temperature can be as low as 18o C. It is also the wettest month in the year with almost rain every day.
    Ho Chi Minh: While the north of Vietnam is experiencing the coldness of winter, this southern metropolis is still soaking in warm sunshine.
  • February to April and August to October, both are the best times to visit Vietnam because this is the time when rainfall is lighter and temperatures is moderate.

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