Best of Luxury Vietnam Travel
Photos
Best Time to Visit Vietnam
Vietnam has roughly three regions - north, central, and south. Different regions have their own climatic patterns. So, when one region is wet, cold, or hot, some other regions might be at its most pleasant time to visit, so one can find a region to visit year round.
South – It is hot all year round. There are two seasons in the south – the wet season (May to November), and the dry season (December to April). Try to avoid late February to May – it is very hot and humid there!
Central coastal region – This region is also hot and warm all year round. The dry season is from May to October, and the wet season is from December to February. Avoid the typhoon season from July to November, which also would also avoid the hottest summer months. The heat wave coming from the central Southeast Asia region (e.g., Laos) can be unbearable.
North – the highland areas are much cooler than the south and central. In the summer months (July & August), even Vietnamese flock to the northern highland areas for a cooling vacation. The winter here can get down to freezing point.
Travel can be a difficult during the Tet Festival (usually in January or early to mid February, depending on lunar calendar.) It is a national holiday, so hotels are fully occupied by domestic travelers, and many shops and services can be closed for a week or two.
Vietnam Highlights
Vietnam, officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (Vietnamese: Cộng hòa xã hội chủ nghĩa Việt Nam), is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea to the east. With a population of over 86 million, Vietnam is the 13th most populous country in the world.
Vietnam was under Chinese control for a thousand years before becoming a nation-state in the 10th century. Successive dynasties flourished along with geographic and political expansion deeper into Southeast Asia, until it was colonized by the French in the mid-19th century. Efforts to resist the French eventually led to their expulsion from the country in the mid-20th century, leaving a nation divided politically into two countries. Bitter fighting between the two sides continued during the Vietnam War, ending with a communist victory in 1975.
Emerging from a long and bitter war, the war-ravaged nation was politically isolated. The government’s centrally-planned economic decisions hindered post-war reconstruction and its treatment of the losing side engendered more resentment than reconciliation. In 1986, it instituted economic and political reforms and began a path towards international reintegration. By 2000, it had established diplomatic relations with most nations. Its economic growth had been among the highest in the world in the past decade. These efforts culminated in Vietnam joining the World Trade Organization in 2007 and its successful bid to become a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council in 2008.
