The dry season
The dry season, from October to May, is divided into three periods. From October to November, it is warm and dry. From December to February, it is considerably cooler, and can sometimes be bitingly cold with persistent light drizzle, locally known as ‘mua bui’ – ‘rain dust’. Skies are grey for much of the time, but warm bright spells do occur. The average temperature is about 20°C but can fall to 6°C or 7°C at night. From March to May, it is much warmer and drier, and can sometimes be very hot.

The wet season
The rainy season is from June to September - the wettest months are July and August. In the past, violent typhoons were a regular occurrence – indeed, many tourist guide books still warn against them. In reality, there has been a marked climate change in recent years – the last serious typhoon occurred in 1999. Spectacular thunderstorms are common, but are not too much of a problem if you can avoid the deluge that comes with them.

Different weather in the northwest
In the northwest Sapa area, January and February are the coldest months. It has significant amounts of fog at that time, and even an occasional flurry of snow. Sapa is one of the few places in Viet Nam where hotels have fireplaces! From March to early May, and from September to December, the weather is excellent but from June to August heavy rain makes climbing Fan Si Pan hazardous and long trekking very strenuous and uncomfortable for most visitors.

Safety precautions
We always work with the best local operators and guides in the northern mountains, as they have detailed knowledge of the area, and particularly of the weather patterns. For example, although the weather is warm and sunny, earlier heavy rain higher in the mountains can cause sudden flash flooding of the streams and rivers in the valleys. A skilled local guide is able to anticipate such dangers and either use a contingency plan, or if necessary, abort the activity if there is any possibility of danger.

The same principle applies in Ha Long. Although Ha Long Bay is sheltered by its many islands, sometimes an abrupt localised squall can overturn boats. We use only licensed boats with full safety certificates and ship-to-shore communication, crewed by people who know the bay inside out.