Traveling to Vietnam is not complex at all, it does, however, require proper planning and organization of the itinerary. There are so many things to evaluate and I would say not to underestimate: among them is definitely the weather. Among others in every sense of the word, both weather-wise and permanence-wise.
Vietnam seems small. In reality, although it is a “strip” in the far east of Indochina, it is extremely long. You will need to estimate travel time well because transportation will be a key component in this trip. I told you more about this in the article on the 10 tips for a do-it-yourself trip to Vietnam.
Why was I just now telling you about time as a key variable?
Because weather in the sense of climate will have to be taken into consideration when choosing your itinerary. Weather in the sense of permanence, on the other hand, will not only affect the type of trip you take but also the type of visa you will need to apply for.
Let us look at these two issues in more detail.
You might also be interested in: Travel to Vietnam, my itinerary.
The Vietnam Visa
In addition to a passport (with remaining validity of more than 6 months), a visa is required to visit Vietnam unless your trip is less than 15 days and you stay within Vietnamese territory.
Otherwise, if your stay will be between 15 and 30 days you will need to apply for an electronic visa for Vietnam (eVisa). This type of visa does not provide for multiple entries, i.e., if you want to enter and leave Vietnam you will need to apply for a different visa: the “consular multiple entry visa” (also required for multiple entries within 15 days of travel).
The electronic visa for Vietnam
Thus, the electronic visa allows an entry and exit from Vietnam on only one occasion (arrival and departure), previously entered in the visa application form.
The day of arrival and departure from Vietnam are to be considered included in the 30-day count, and when applying for the visa, it is necessary to have established the first overnight stay, as it must be transcribed on the form.
How to apply for the Vietnam Visa?
It is strongly recommended to apply for the visa online (eVisa) so as to avoid any queues/impediments upon arrival. In addition to being more convenient with regard to timing, it is also more cost-effective.
In fact, applying for a visa on arrival, also called Visa on Arrival, requires an approval letter costing about €20 in addition to payment of stamp fees that can range from $25 to $50.
For this reason, if your next trip is to Vietnam and you are in the event of applying for a Vietnam visa, I definitely recommend applying for the electronic Vietnam visa online as the cost is only €49.95.
Why apply for it online?
The bureaucratic aspects are always something particularly tedious when traveling, moreover (at least to me) they generate anxiety.
Will I have everything filled out? Will there be any problems or will everything go smoothly? With the visa everything these worries are always present. Having the ability to fill everything out even before I leave and being sure that when I enter the country I will not have any problems is something that makes me much more serene.
It can be applied for in this way:
- by filling out an online application form where you will also have to upload a scan of your passport, which, I remind you, must have at least 6 months remaining validity.
- by subsequently paying via common payment methods (Credit Card, Paypal, etc.).
The visa arrives to you directly by e-mail within a few days of filling out the form, about a week in case of an ordinary application, in 3 days for an urgent application.
The Climate in Vietnam
Given the experience, I wanted to tell you about the other weather component: the weather. My travels are definitely not complicated, and this trip to Vietnam had been no different. On the very days when I was to visit Halong Bay a typhoon developed and I had to completely change my plans. Not to mention the torrential rains in the sapa trekking area, which resulted in a mud trek.
In short, the weather in Vietnam is serious business. Each month has different characteristics, further different even between the south and the north of the country.
Climate in Vietnam in August
If like me you can only travel in August and have chosen beautiful Vietnam as your destination, be aware that this is a special time because a trip to Vietnam in August is a jackpot. You might find good weather or as I mentioned earlier a typhoon, or both as happened to me. I have to say that I was quite lucky, I did not find days of persistent rain (apart from Sapa and the typhoon). By changing the itinerary I was able to escape the rains but they are still always lurking.
If it is possible to escape from the rains, it is not possible to escape from thehumidity. A trip to Vietnam in August means living with a great deal of humidity, which, combined with the heat, must be judged well. It will often be necessary to stop in the shade and hydrate continuously.
The best time to visit Vietnam?
To give an answer, it is necessary to divide the country into North, Central and South. The best weather for North Vietnam is in April, October and November. In southern Vietnam it is best to go between December and mid-February, although it is possible to extend into April. Finally, the center of the country is best between January and March.
As you can see August is not mentioned, and I obviously went in August. No harm done, because Vietnam is fantastic and you will love it no matter what time of year you visit!