Vietnam weather:
The
country has a long coastline, varied complex climatic zones and
generally a fair amount of rain.
The best beaches are mostly in the southern half and that region is driest between
December - May, though hot and humid. However, in the south it doesn't
usually rain for long periods at any time of the year, only showers (unless
an infrequent typhoon hits the coast) so the beaches are basically
OK all year round.
The worst season is probably July - October, with heavy humidity, occasional rain and
typhoons; in addition July-August is the busy holiday period.
October - December has the best weather throughout the country for sightseeing,
with clear skies and temperatures in the mid 20Cs.
Plan ahead if you wish to travel during the Tet New Year festival,
sometime late January to early February - it can be a problem getting accommodation
and transport.
Best Beaches
China
Beach, between Da Nang and Hoi An
(Central) Best May-October
The most unspoilt Vietnam beach is the endless
white sand of China Beach where
US troops landed during the 70's unpleasantness.
The main beach is officially around the Non Nuoc Resort hotel but
some locals argue that the real China Beach is at My Khe Beach about
5 km north of the hotel. Both are near the tourist attraction of
Marble Mountains. Development is in on the way! See
China
Beach Pictures.
Nha
Trang, Vietnam
(Central) Best May-October
Nha Trang on the 'Vietnamese Riviera' is a delightful little town
of tranquil, friendly locals. It has 6 miles of splendid white sandy
beach with azure water, backed by green hills and palm trees. The
town has little noise or pollution because locals prefer walking
or biking to motorbiking.
You can find good Indian restaurants there and some of the best
seafood restaurants in the country.
Tran Phu (public beach) is inviting but beaches north of
the town and on islands in the bay are a better option. For instance,
Doc Let Beach (34 km north of Nha Trang), Dai Lanh Beach (37 km
north), Bai Tru Beach in Bamboo Island are worth the trip for peace
and quiet.
Mui
Ne Beach, Mui Ne Bay, near Phan Thiet (South) Best
December - May
Mui
Ne Bay is about 20mins (by bus) from Phan Thiet, which is 120 miles/198
km (a 3 hour drive) from Ho Chi Minh City. It has fabulous stretches
of white sand, a scenic landscape and lovely locals. The climate
is hot and dry almost all year with an average temperature of about
27C.
The good bits
(e.g. Rang Beach)
are the outlying beaches to the north, but the best is Mui Ne Beach,
an upcoming resort area known for its
spectacular sand dunes. This is regarded as one
of Vietnam's most beautiful beaches, but locals still needs to develop
an attitude to cleanness as rubbish piles up between resorts.
The beach is also known for world-class wind/kite surfing (good
wind almost guaranteed - though the sea-breeze can be over-the-top
for sun bathing sometimes. See Mui
Ne Beach Pictures and Information. No hustlers/sellers. Lots of comfortable,
reasonably priced hotels are available.
Hon
Chong Beach, Ha Tien (South) Best Dec-
May
The coastline of Ha Tien is
on the border with Cambodia (5m/9 km) and has some superb beaches,
including the site of the French film L'amant (The Lover,
1995).
Hon Chong Beach is a very seductive beach with soft
white sand and calm tropical water, while nearby Tien Cave
has interesting rock formations. White sandy
Duong Beach is also worth a try.
The Hai Tac islets accessible by boat from Ha Tien offer some great
diving for scuba freaks. The biggest of these islands, Hon Doc,
has also some splendid white beaches. Or try Nghe Island (1 hour
one way)
Bai
Tam (Long Beach), Phu Quoc Island (South)
Best
Dec- May
Phu
Quoc Island in the Gulf of Thailand is Vietnam's largest island.
Off Ha Tien, it's a hidden gem of Southeast Asia. The island has
mountains, forests and superb sandy beaches perfect for nature lovers
as well as sun-seekers.
Some of the beaches can only be reached by hiking sandy paths -
Bai Truong (Long Beach) on
the west coast is apparently the best, where you can see sunset
over the water.
Bai Thom in the north and Bai Khem in the south are also popular.
Major development plans are afoot.
Vietnam
Pictures | Vietnam
Map | Asia Map | Vietnam
Guide
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