I went to Northern Vietnam during the last two weeks of December 2022. In this article I am going to walk you through:

• Why northern Vietnam?
• Itinerary
• Northern Vietnam weather in December
• Costs
• Vegan and Vegetarian Food
• Halong Bay
• Ninh Binh
• Packing list
• Places not visited and why
• How I did trip research

Why Vietnam?

Actually I wanted to go to Laos — especially for the waterfalls. I’ve been wanting to go there for years. But it takes about 10 hours longer to reach and with a limited amount of time, Vietnam makes more sense. Also, recently (summer 2022) Laos has wavered between level 2-3 in the US State Department’s travel warnings. Level 2 means, “travel with caution” and level 3 is “reconsider travel”. And unfortunately, Laos’ economy is in a very poor state, so because of all of this, I didn’t think it a good time to visit Laos.

So I started looking into Vietnam – another place on my bucket list.

As I mentioned, I am excited about waterfalls, so I Googled “waterfalls in Vietnam” and when I saw the Ban Gioc (pronounced Bon Zock) waterfall, I had a jaw drop, “yes, please” moment. It is one of the largest waterfalls in Southeast Asia and the 4th largest border waterfall in the world. So, I officially decided to go to Vietnam…and then began the fun part – learning about the country.

Why Northern Vietnam?

I think some basic geography about Vietnam would be helpful. Vietnam is a long, S-shaped country which, for travel and tourism purposes, is divided into 3 main regions – Northern, Central, and Southern.

Hanoi, the Capital, is in northern Vietnam and Ho Chi Minh City (aka Saigon) is in southern Vietnam. To give you a sense – it’s a 2h 10m flight from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City.

In general, northern Vietnam is where you’ll find more nature, lakes, rice fields, waterfalls and Vietnam’s ethnic groups. Central Vietnam is a combo of nature (the central highlands are supposed to be very beautiful) and city life and southern Vietnam is the place to go for those seeking city life, beaches and islands.

Again, these are generalizations. I don’t mean that you won’t find beautiful nature, hiking, and trekking opportunities in the central and southern parts of the country – just not as much, nor considered as fantastic, compared to the northern regions. This also highly depends on the time of year.

Number of Days for Holiday. For this holiday I sought a nature-oriented, trekking, and hiking holiday – hence northern Vietnam. I only have two weeks, including travel to and from the country. Ban Gioc Waterfall is in the far northeast, on the border with China and it takes a minute to get there so the trip centered around Ban Gioc. Halong Bay is also in northern Vietnam so that was another reason to focus on the north.

Most people travel north-to-south or vice vera; and generally fly into Ho Chi Minh City and depart from Hanoi or vice versa. But I felt that would have been rushed. So we focused on the north and will have to visit again to see the other incredible areas of this beautiful country.

Long Travel Days In Northern Vietnam.Within the northern region there are long distances between destinations and there aren’t options to fly. So that meant a lot of long drives (2-7 hours) which was another reason that we focused on the northern region. The good news is the roads are pretty good.

Hanoi to Halong Bay. Other destinations in northern Vietnam, are of course, the famous Halong Bay. It can take anywhere from 2.5-4 hours from Hanoi by car or 45 minutes by seaplane. Most people do a Halong Bay cruise for 1-2 nights. We did 1 night. It’s possible to do a day trip from Hanoi but, in my opinion, that would be rushed and the sunrise in Halong Bay, alone, made it worth staying overnight.

Hanoi to Sa Pa is approximately 5 hours driving.

So, there’s a lot to see in northern Vietnam alone and that involves a fair bit of driving.

Public Transportation in Vietnam is excellent. There are really good buses, trains and domestic airports with inexpensive flights, throughout the country. We chose to hire a private driver and guide.

Many people rent or buy a motorbike. That is one of the most popular means to get around. And it’s a great way to feel the wind in your hair as you drive along Vietnam’s beautiful countryside. If that’s not your speed, download the Grab app for shorter distances such as within Hanoi. Grab is the Uber for Vietnam. Be prepared to select from a proper car to a motorbike to get you from A to B.

For longer drives Vietnam has a network of public buses. We did not use these but ran into travelers that did and said all the things you’d expect – inexpensive, not the most comfortable but not so bad either. The bus drops off at a central location and you have to arrange transport to your final destination. Your accommodation can generally help with that. We booked a private car for the entire two weeks as we had lots of very long drives. We enjoyed that experience.

Vietnam Weather in December

From a weather perspective, visiting southern Vietnam in December makes the most sense in as it is a tropical climate so it’s warm and dry compared to cold (or very cold) and dry in northern Vietnam.

Central Vietnam is cooler and humid in December with temperatures ranging from 66F-71F (16-22C). In the far north (Sa Pa and Ban Gioc) it ranges from 46F-60F (9C-16C).

In the far north:

5am-8am 44-49 and mostly sunny
9am starts warming up to mid 50s
9am-3pm mid 50s to mid 60s
4pm starts cooling down
it was mostly sunny; no rain

In the north:

5am-9am mid-to-high 40’s to low 50s
9am-1pm: 60s and even up to 70 a couple days (but it only got to 70 1-2 days; mostly mid 60s)
1pm-4pm: high 60s-70
4pm-the next day gradually dropped
it was a combo of sunny and overcast, no rain

If the sun was out coupled with hiking and being active all I needed was a light jacket from 10am-4pm, while we were out and about. But I had my down puffer for the mornings and nights

In Halong Bay:
6am-9am low 50s
9am starts warming up9am-4pm 56-70ish (if you’re lucky and we were and it was awesome; it felt a sunny SoCal day!)
5pm starts cooling down again to low 60s or high 50s
It was a combo of sunny and overcast; no rain

December means more foggy days and nights. If you’re expecting to see the stunning rice fields and full of greenery in Sa Pa…

what you are more likely to see in December is this:

or this…

December is not the harvest season. The rice paddies are brown with lower visibility due to fog and may even be covered in snow. This is why I decided not to visit Sa Pa. But if you find that weather charming then December is a great time to visit.

At Homestays we had breakfast and all meals outdoors in the Homestay’s common area – it was cold. They had the fire going which made a huge difference and made it feel like we were at camp – we really liked that. The only time I wasn’t wearing a jacket at the Homestays was when I sat next to the fire.

Clothing ProTips for Northern Vietnam in December. Bring a proper warm jacket. I brought two. A lighter puffer is good to wear for hiking and a heavier one to wear the rest of the time. Even though I got hot while hiking it was still cool enough to not remove my jacket. Again this applies for the far northern regions.

I brought an Athleta Triumph sweat suit (joggers and hoodie pictured above) for traveling to/from Vietnam as I thought it would be cozy and keep me warm on the plane. I ended up wearing it as my pajamas and so glad I had it!

Halong Bay and Ninh Binh were warmer compared to the far north. It ranged from chilly and even warm 64-72 and sunny! We lucked out on the weather. I read that it can be foggy in December but we had bright blue skies and sun in Halong Bay and Ninh Binh. I was even in a tank top during the day! In the evening I had a jacket on outdoors and a sweatshirt indoors. While hiking up to Hung Mua viewpoint you’ll get hot so layers are key. While sailing through Trang An I was cold so I wore my light puffer jacket. In the evening in Ninh Binh, a sweatshirt was fine.

Costs (USD) in December

Part of the reason Vietnam is a popular country to visit is how inexpensive things are. At the moment, the USD is pretty strong and it went really far.

Dorm room at a hostel: as low as $3 per night

Homestay: ranges from $10USD – $30USD per night

4-star hotel in Hanoi’s old Quarter: $40-$60 per night, includes breakfast, soap, shampoo, toothbrushes

Ninh Binh 4-star hotel: $50 per night

Vegan and Vegetarian Food in Vietnam

You can get good, delicious vegan and vegetarian in all the major tourist cities. I did not eat any street food…I know I know, blasphemy but I had a REALLY bad street food experience in India once and I’m ruined on street food for life.

Plus, vegan and vegetarian street food is very limited so restaurants are a better option. In the far north, vegetarian food and vegan was accessible because we had our guide with us. We were in very remote areas where we were often the only tourists and there were hardly any English-speaking people. Our guide communicated with the staff at the restaurants we’d stop at. Without him food would have been a big problem. The food was really tasty and plentiful – everywhere we ate could have fed four instead of just us two.

The most we paid for a meal was around $20-$25USD for two entrees and two sodas.

Homemade vegan ice cream: $1.40

Vegan Dessert: $2.70 at a cafe

In Hanoi and Ninh Binh there are Indian restaurants as well as fully vegan restaurants. One of our favorite restaurants in Hanoi was Chay Food. Chay means vegetarian in Vietnamese (and Chinese). It was actually a vegan restaurant. The first time we went there, ALL the clientele was Indian…so we knew we were in the right place. Their pho and Bunh Rieu were delicious and really hit the spot on a chilly evening.

Maazi and Namaste in Hanoi were the two Indian restaurants we went to in Hanoi. We liked both but we liked Maazi more as the food was more flavorful.

New Day Patisserie in Hanoi is a cute French-inspired Cafe where we had vegan chocolate cake.

2Cream in Hanoi was the best vegan ice cream I have had…ever. I loved indulging in the Vietnamese practice of sitting on a little plastic stool and people watching.

All of these are in the Old Quarter/downtown area and easily walkable.

In Ninh Binh we ate at Aroma Indian Restaurant and the food was really good. There are vegan restaurants in Ninh Binh, but we didn’t eat at any of them. We went to Aroma twice.

There’s a Loving Hut (the same one as the vegan Vietnamese chain in California) in the Ninh Binh area but it was a good 25 minutes outside of the Tam Coc, where we stayed, so we didn’t go.

Our Itinerary

We went to:

• Ba Be Lake
• Ban Gioc waterfall
• Binh Lieu
• Halong Bay
• Ninh Binh
• Cuc Phuong National Park
• Hanoi

We started our adventure in Hanoi. We arrived pretty late at night and left early the next morning to drive to Ba Be Lake. It took about 5 hours to drive from Hanoi to Ba Be Lake.

Ba Be Lake is a serene area that’s known amongst Vietnamese people…in northern Vietnam – very few tourists go there. The only reason we heard about it is because it’s an excursion offered by Mr. Linh’s Adventures, the agency we booked the trip with, and highly recommend. Ba Be Lake is more of a local weekend, getaway spot for northern Vietnamese people. It’s like southern California’s Big Bear – a local getaway destination that few international tourists would go out of their way to visit. But that was something we liked about it.

Ba means 3 in Vietnamese and Be is lake…therefore 3 lakes. Things to do in Ba Be Lake:

• boat ride on the lake
• hiking
• visit waterfalls
• caving
• walk around the village to interact with and see the lifestyle of the Tay people
• ride bicycles around the village

The day we arrived it was late afternoon so we had time to go for the boat ride on the lake and walk around the village. The lake is beautiful but I’ll be honest, the boat ride itself didn’t feel like something worth flying across the globe for. There were at least 15 plastic water bottles floating around so that detracted from the charm. We went in the late afternoon as the temps were decreasing, and I wished I had worn my heavier jacket instead of this one. Luckily I had my gloves in my pocket so that helped.

After the boat ride, we walked around the village. Again a little underwhelming at first, but then I started appreciating the peaceful country life, meeting the Tay people and seeing a few of their homes and learning about their farming techniques. Also, I think a big part of my enjoyment was that it was just nice to go for a nice long walk after a 20 hour plane journey and so much driving.

The first night we were at Mr. Linh’s Homestay there was only 1 other guest. The 2nd night there were 3-4 other groups. Even though it was peak tourist season the tourism seemed to be pretty low. We assumed a big part of that was that China was still closed.

Tham Phay (wet) Cave. On our full day at Ba Be Lake, we hiked to the Tham Phay cave. That was one of the coolest travel experiences I’ve ever had. I came to appreciate Ba Be Lake’s off-the-beaten-path”ness” more and more throughout the day as the hike through the forest was not only beautiful but we were the only ones there (well us our private guide and the local hike guide)! So cool! After hiking for about an hour we put on our waterproof gear, that they provided, to trek through the wet cave. I absolutely loved this intrepid adventure with stunning stalactites and stalagmites. It was pitch black inside save for our headlights and flashlights. There was NO ONE else there.

Ba Be Lake to Ban Gioc Waterfall. It took about 6 hours to drive from Ba Be Lake to Ban Gioc waterfall. It’s about 5 hours from Ba Be Lake to Cao (pronounced “cow”) Bang which is the largest town near the waterfall. We stopped there for about an hour to have lunch. And from Cao Bang to the waterfall is about 40 minutes to an hour.

When we were there in mid-December 2022 there were very few tourists. The lack of tourists made visiting Ban Gioc really awesome for taking photos and in general to just enjoy it. December is dry season which means less water flow. But it was still spectacular.

Our guide kept telling us that the water flow at Ban Gioc wouldn’t be as spectacular as during wet season. Below you can see the difference. Left = dry season. Right = wet season. There’s an obvious difference, but it was still worth visiting.

When visiting Ban Gioc it’s worthwhile to go to the Nguom Ngao Cave (Tiger Cave) as well as the nearby Phat Tich Truc Lam Ban Gioc Pagoda. We visited several pagodas in Vietnam and this one was by far my favorite. The Tiger Cave is only about a 10 minute drive from the waterfall and it’s a large and beautiful cave with incredible stalactites and stalagmites. This is definitely a tourist attraction – not rustic as you can see below with the pathways and lights inside.

The Phat Tich Truc Lam Ban Gioc Pagoda is on a hill with views of Ban Gioc waterfall and as you can see from the surrounding panoramic views – it was stunning. We were very lucky, as we went in the evening, as the sun set and the lights of the pagoda went on.

After Ban Gioc waterfall, we went to another place right on the border with China, called Binh Liu, a border town in the far north of Vietnam. This is a very off-the-beaten-path destination that even many Vietnamese people have never heard of. It was a very long drive to get there, approximately 5 hours. It was beautiful to drive through the countryside. As we got closer it felt very Road to Hana-ish (sans the coastline) with the winding two lane roads overlooking valleys. The surrounding hills and mountains are reminiscent of dinosaur humps.

The final destination was stairs leading to a hilltop with supposedly sweeping, beautiful views at the top. Supposedly because, as I mentioned this is literally on the border with China. As such it is guarded. The day we went, they were not allowing foreigners up the stairs, so we drove all that way and left. I was not disappointed though. To be honest, the drive there was long and monotonous and by the time we got there I wasn’t even up for a steep climb up stairs.

But I was a bit disappointed in Binh Lieu in general. I was under the impression that we were going to be hiking. If I had known that we were drove all that way, to get to a set of stairs to see a viewpoint, I would not have agreed to put Binh Lieu in the itinerary. The silver lining was the beautiful drive and meeting people from local ethnic tribes. I can’t blame the tour company entirely. I should have asked more questions about what it was – lesson learned.

So we piled back into the van and drove another 4.5 hours to Ha Long Bay. It was a long day.

To Go or Not To Go To Halong Bay?

While I was planning our trip I had mixed feelings about visiting this iconic World Heritage site, especially during heavy tourist season of December. I had reservations about going because:

• it seemed similar, in many ways, to Koh Phi Phi in Thailand (which I have visited).
• activities on the overnight cruises seemed so-so interesting
• very very touristy especially the last two weeks of December
• uncertainty about options for vegans and vegetarians

It turns out that my preconceived notions about Halong Bay were wrong. The overnight experience is truly wonderful and unique. There’s a reason it’s the crown jewel of Vietnam. The activities on the yacht were very well organized, fun, and relaxing. And Orchid Cruises, did a fabulous job with vegetarian and vegan cuisine.

About Halong City

Halong City. The night before our cruise we stayed one night in Halong City. I did not like Halong City at all. It is a giant tourist trap and the amount of development that’s going on means it’s only going to become an even bigger tourist trap.

Halong City reminded me of 90s Vegas. There’s a huge cable car. The pillars for that thing are a major eye sore. Couldn’t they have made pillars that light up or add to the skyline rather than detracting from it? There are kid zones, endless shops, and restaurants. Before our cruise, we walked around the town and a random guy on his motorbike stopped in front of us and motioned for us to get on his bike. Seriously? And another guy in a car, stopped and started yelling at us asking where we’re from. The entire beach is occupied by bars and beach clubs – it felt very Vegas pool party’ish. It was all closed when we walked by as it was early morning.

For families with little kids and those looking for a great party, I can see how Halong City would be appealing. Halong City felt like a great place for a bachelorette party. I was there right before Christmas 2022 and was expecting it to be all bustling with tourists. The reality was the opposite. The city felt dead. There’s this long avenue lined with bars, restaurants, nightlife, and shops and the whole thing was practically shut down.

We stayed at a large 4-star hotel with a few hundred rooms and there were maybe 5 occupied rooms. So it actually felt a little eerie.

Halong City Weather. It was warm and sunny on the days we were there. The temperature ranged from mid-60s in the morning up to 70 degrees during the late morning thru the afternoon and then temperatures dropped again in the evening to the low 60s. I was wearing a jacket and a light athletic jacket walking around Halong city and I quickly shed both layers.

Everything To Know About Cruising Halong Bay

Getting To Your Yacht: Process

When we drove to the docks I said to myself, “ok so this is where everyone in Halong Bay is.” The traffic was bananas. It’s like an airport…but for yachts. Each company has its own gate. We drove around until we found Orchid Cruises.

The check-in process is a bit chaotic as it’s totally manual. There was a line of people – sort of – and a representative from the company checked our name off a sheet of paper. They put luggage tags on your bags and whisked them away, handed us a boarding pass and directed us the waiting area.

I observed other people getting checked in and reviewing their dietary preferences and providing more explanation about where their bags were going, so when our agent didn’t do that and given how chaotic it was, I got a little worried that our bag would end up in the wrong place and our vegetarian meals wouldn’t be there. So I went back and verified all of this and then sat outside enjoying the harbor and all the lovely boats and yachts.

About 30 minutes later they called our boarding group and everyone boarded a covered vessel that seated about 120 people. Orchid Cruises operates 3 vessels. Passengers from all 3 vessels were on-board and the boat made stops at each one. This process took approximately 25 minutes.

The staff at the dock loaded all the bags onto the top deck of this vessel (uncovered). They also unloaded the bags at each stop. By the time we arrived on the Orchid Classic yacht it was approximately 1:30pm’ish.

Cruising Halong Bay

From the moment you get on the yacht until you leave, the visit runs like a well-oiled machine. When we arrived we were handed a welcome drink and damp hand towel. Everyone went to the dining area for a welcome and introduction. That was about 5-7 minutes. Then we were handed our room key. We went to our room which was on the 2nd floor – an executive suite which was just stunning. We were surrounded by windows with 180 degree views of the bay, a luxurious, circular bed, luxurious bathroom and so many amenities.

After checking out the room, lunch was served. Breakfast, lunch and brunch were served buffet style and dinner was sit down. For us, as vegetarians, all of the meals were served sit down as they prepared different items for us. It was a lovely fine dining experience. The servers were all young Vietnamese men and women and they were all cheerful and eager to help guests.

After lunch there were optional activities:

• visit the inner bay via bamboo boat (dry option)
• kayaking
• stay on the yacht

Pretty much everyone opted to do the bamboo boats as it was pretty chilly. That was really fun and beautiful. We went through caves and smaller bays where the large yachts can’t go through. The only thing was the area was pretty crowded with kayakers and loads of other boats. But I still enjoyed it.

The whole experience – activities, crew on the yacht, the yacht itself, the scenery, the vegan cuisine – it was all so beautiful! The sunrise! THAT in itself was a reason to go. Falling asleep in our suite surrounded by the karsts and to have that be what we woke up to = magic. We did a 1 night, 2 day trip and I found myself reluctant to leave. I wish we had booked 2 nights.

After Halong Bay, we went to visit Ninh Binh and Tam Coc.

Where to do the the River Tour: Tam Coc vs. Trang An

Ninh Binh, in northern Vietnam, is the former capital of Vietnam. The tall hills and mountains created natural barriers to potential invaders. Ninh Binh is often referred to as Halong Bay on land. What that means is the area is surrounded by tall mountains that are all on land vs. water in-between them. One of the most popular activities is to take a relaxing boat tour to see the mountains and hills. There are two places to do this: Tam Coc and Trang An. The Tam Coc launching point is in the heart of the town and an easy, flat walk from all the restaurants, homestays and backpackers.

Trang An is further away and you need a car/motorbike to get there. We went to Trang An as that one is considered more beautiful. We went through caves, some where we had to duck. Additionally Trang An is organized. The boat rowers are mostly Vietnamese women that wear uniforms and are not allowed to ask for tips. When I read about this adventure online I read accounts of aggressive rowers that made it very unpleasant. I think they were talking about Tam Coc because Trang An wasn’t like that at all. At the end of the tour we were asked to fill out a survey and one of the questions was, “did the rower ask you for a tip?”.

We were required to wear life jackets. We did not get wet. We did not take a dry bag and didn’t feel the need for one either. Along the way there are several stops to see pagodas and the lifestyle of the people who lived there. It was a pretty warm day and I wore Keens. You could also wear sneakers – no need for hiking shoes but I do recommend closed toe shoes vs. sandals.

Hung Mua Cave

Another popular and totally worth it activity in Ninh Binh is climbing the stairs to Hang Mua Lookout. The stairs are steep and large (see photo below). Wear sneakers or Keens. I don’t recommend wearing slippers nor hiking shoes (too heavy). I saw some ladies wearing heels and I thought they were crazy. If you’re carrying a backpack or sling of some sort make it as light as possible. I saw a woman struggle as she was wearing a daypack that was full. Definitely take your camera, water and maybe a warm layer. If you have a DSLR, I recommend a wide angle lens. The warm layer is for when you’re at the top, as you will cool down after climbing.

In my opinion, climbing looked harder than it was. We got to the top faster than I anticipated. When you get to the top of the stairs if you want to get close to the dragon you have to hike on uneven, steep rocks. I went as far as I could but didn’t make it as far as one could go.

We stayed at the Hidden Charm Hotel in Ninh Binh. It’s a 4-star hotel within a few minutes walk along the main road to the restaurants and shops in Tam Coc. It’s a nice hotel with a good restaurant. The room was large with plenty of outlets that did not require an international adapter. The hair dryer was good and shampoo, bath gel, toothpaste and toothbrushes were provided. The only thing I didn’t like was the super weird shower which flooded the bathroom with every use. If you’re traveling with anyone with mobility issues or elderly, I recommend going somewhere else.

After we left Ninh Binh we went to the Cuc Phuong National Park which was brilliant. It’s the oldest national park in Vietnam and where you’ll find the Endangered Primates Rescue Center. We saw endangered primates and turtles – like 2-3 left in the world.

After the Ninh Binh area, we went back to Hanoi. We arrived there on Christmas Eve. Vietnam is primarily a Buddhist country so Christmas is not a thing there, except in the cities. So Hanoi was all abuzz on Christmas Eve. Plus it was Saturday which is when Hanoi really shines anyway. There were concerts in the city center, setup with stages. There were young men performing and we saw young Vietnamese teenagers and young people dressed up and super excited about the performers. It was packed and definitely a time to watch your belongings. I kept my phone and credit card in my jacket pocket and opted not to wear my sling bag given how crowded it was.

Don’t get me wrong, I felt safe and had a lot of fun. But, unfortunately Hanoi and Saigon have reputations for a lot of pick pocketing so I just minimized the chances of it happening to me.

As you probably know Vietnam used to be a French Colony. One aspect of French culture which has left its mark on Vietnam is outdoor, street-side dining and people watching. All of the restaurants set up little plastic stools and tables along the roads – there are effectively no sidewalks. All of the space is taken for outdoor dining where you’ll find people doing karaoke and vendors selling wares.

We did a free walking tour of Hanoi which was about 3 hours and I definitely recommend. They took us to several sites and shared history and info we would not have otherwise known. One of the most famous sites in Hanoi is Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum. You have to go through security and may have to check in your bag/backpack.

It’s closed on Mondays. On Tuesdays it’s open from 8am-4:30pm and the rest of the days 8am-11:30am. Get there by 7am as the line gets very long.

Passports, Logistics, and Medicine

US Nationals are required to get a visa to visit Vietnam. Make sure your passport is valid for at least 6 months after arrival date. You need at least one blank page inside your passport. Tourist visas are valid for 30 days and cost about $35USD (as of December 2022). It was all electronic and overall took about a week. Refer to travel.gov for the latest requirements. Refer to the CDC for vaccinations, medications, and recommended preventative measures.

The Hanoi Airport was easy to navigate and clean. There are a lot of restaurants but vegan and vegetarian choices are limited. We got french fries from Burger King. We pre-arranged transport from the airport to downtown Hanoi as we arrived pretty late at night. I’ve been to some major cities where the airport was pretty quiet late at night. That was not the case at Hanoi Airport.Getting transport to the city, on the spot, would have been easy.

Places in Northern Vietnam Decided Not To Go and Why

Popular destination in Northern Vietnam we didn’t go:

• Ha Giang Province
• Sa Pa
• Mai Chau
• Moc Chau

As mentioned above, we decided not to go to Sa Pa because December is not the harvest season and because of the higher potential for fog. If we do go at some point, we’ll try to minimize the time in town and spend more time trekking and hiking. From the vlogs I saw, Sa Pa town seemed very touristy.

The Ha Giang Loop is a very scenic drive. It has winding roads and you’re just completely immersed in nature.

Mai Chau and Moc Chau, especially the latter, are off the beaten path; southeast of Hanoi. Mai Chau is a quiet town that is known for the White Thai ethnic group. You can learn about their culture, music and textiles. Moc Chau is also a scenic town with ethnic minorities, lots of hiking, and waterfalls.

Other Places Throughout Vietnam
Decided Not To Go (on this trip)

Phong Nha National Park. Because flying domestically is so accessible I did consider flying to Phong Nha National Park, in north-central Vietnam. And I’d say out of all the places I researched, this is the one place I’m bummed that we missed. I decided not to go because of weather – mainly potential for rain and cold, which didn’t sound fun for wet cave expeditions. There are several caves – not all are wet – but those are the ones I want to see.

Da Nang in Central Vietnam. This is another place I will have to consider for my “next time I’m in Vietnam list. To be honest, it seemed pretty touristy and being from southern California I have access to beautiful beaches. I see the appeal though. Da Nang has a little bit of everything – nature and hiking, snorkeling, beaches and city life. It’s great for couples and families.

I decided not to go due to higher chances of rainy days and cooler weather in December – approx. 1/2 of the month. The beaches, the Golden Bridge (Ba Na Hills), the Dragon Bridge, the Hai Van Pass, and the Marble Mountains are some of the most popular attractions here. At first glance, I thought the Golden Bridge was a “must-see”. But when I researched, I found it’s inside a theme park – just not my thing. The Cham Islands (approx. an hour by boat from the city) look nice for snorkeling.

Dalat in Central Vietnam. This is a popular honeymoon destination for Vietnamese people. The Datanla waterfall is another one for the next visit to Vietnam. December is the dry season and what I read is that the flow of water is likely to be pretty small.

Hoi An in Central Vietnam. This is a very popular, historical, quaint town with a lot of cultural significance. Hoi An is famous for its lanterns and a very popular thing to do here is get clothes custom made. From what I read, it’s also VERY touristy, to the point of being overrun by tourists.

Near Hoi An you will find the My Son ruins of an ancient Hindu temple.

Ho Chi Minh City aka Saigon. So what I learned is that in southern Vietnam and people from southern Vietnam call it Saigon and everywhere else it’s called Ho Chi Minh City. This is Vietnam’s big bustling city. People love to indulge in food, culture, history, shopping, nightlife, entertainment and the city’s namesake leader. A popular day trip from the city is to visit the Cu Chi Tunnels which is part of a larger network of underground tunnels throughout the country that served as hiding places, escape, transportation, communication and supply routes during the Vietnam War.

Mui Ne in Southern Vietnam. Mui Ne is approximately a four hour drive west from Ho Chi Minh City. There are 3 top attractions: beaches, sand dunes and and the Fairy Stream. You can visit the Fairy Stream and the sand dunes on the same day. When I watched vlogs about Mui Ne it seemed like a great post-trekking place to relax, a romantic getaway or a weekend with your girlfriends.

Mekong Delta in Southern Vietnam. This network of rivers and swamps is known for its floating market. It’s the rice bowl of Vietnam, as this region produces a significant portion of Vietnam’s produce. From a tourist perspective, pretty much everything I came across painted the Mekong Delta tour in a very negative light – extremely touristy, dirty, disappointing, with aggressive guides demanding you for tips or to buy souvenirs and snacks.

Phu Quoc Islands in Southern Vietnam. If you are seeking a beach vacation this is the place to go in Vietnam. Apparently it’s very popular amongst Eastern Europeans to escape winter. I read some reviews that said the beaches are nice, but not the greatest – especially if you’re from a/travel to beach destinations often. One unique thing is you will find the world’s largest 3-way cable car here.

Packing for Northern Vietnam In Mid to Late December

I took:

• The North Face fleece down jacket with hood (heavy jacket) – used it throughout and would have been miserable if hadn’t taken it.
• lightweight, rain resistant, puffer jacket with hood – so glad I had this.
• 3 Athleta Uptempo hoodies to wear as tops
• Base layer tops with layered vest
• 2 pairs of hiking pants (I like Prana’s Halle pants).
• 3 pairs of leggings
• 1 warm jogger lounge set – ended up being my pajamas at the Homestays. Wore this to/from Vietnam.
• 1 set of pajamas
• 3 pairs of hiking socks
• hiking shoes
• Keens – could have replaced these with slippers
• Sneakers
• 1 hair brush, hair ties
• Leave-in conditioner . It is very dry in December and all of the places I stayed had shampoo but not conditioner. All of our accommodations had hair dryers (good ones).
• shower cap – all of the accommodations provided it but, ended up not using theirs as they were the thin.
• toothpaste + toothbrush – every accommodation we stayed at provided it.
• cold weather hat + gloves + handwarmers – came in handy
• 2 pairs of eyeglasses (in case 1 breaks) + cleaning solution
• costume jewelry earrings (left the $$ jewelry at home)
• 1 pair prescription sunglasses
• deodorant, moisturizer, hand sanitizer, tissues
• DEET mosquito repellant – ended up not using at all.
• OTC and prescription medicines
• DSLR + lens, memory cards, batteries, battery charger, DJI Osmo gimbal.
• travel blanket + pillow for the plane – ended up coming in very handy for plane as well as long drives.
• Osprey Women’s Aerial 65 for check in
• REI Trail Backpack as a daypack

Vietnam in December Protips

If you’re not good at chopsticks and are going to more remote locations, bring some forks with you.

Do not use tap water to drink nor brush teeth. To be cautious we didn’t even use it at nicer 4-star 5-star hotels.

Have a bathroom kit ready in your bag while driving. In northern Vietnam you’re probably going to do a lot of long drives with stops at local convenience stores or gas stations. They may or may not have soap, toilet paper, and definitely won’t have a towel to dry your hands.

If you’re hiking in a forest don’t wear leggings. Wear hiking pants. You’ll get poked and the branches will go right through leggings.

Bring a light puffer/jacket and a heavier one. In the far north at Ban Gioc, temperatures ranged from 39-64 degrees. But in Halong Bay 64-72 degrees and sunny, so it was nice to shed layers.

Before booking any Homestay ask if they have a heater in the room. In the room or only the bed? There are varying classes of Homestays. Some are very simple. Had we not had heaters in the room in the two Homestays we were at we would have been miserable. It was SO cold.

Things tend to be on time. If our guide said to meet at 8am he was in the lobby at 8am or usually earlier. If our accommodation said dinner at 7pm, it meant 7pm.

Exchange currency in Vietnam. I was told that we’d be able to exchange currency at the airport but when we landed we didn’t see any place in/near baggage claim to exchange currency. We exchanged at a bank the morning after we arrived.

Bring crisp notes – our hotel wouldn’t exchange money (USD) for us as the notes weren’t crisp.

Get more small notes than big so you can tip and buy a coffee/snacks during breaks on long drives. Sometimes people don’t (or say they don’t) have change.

How I Did My Research

When I get into trip planning mode I spend 2-3 hours a day for several weeks (months) learning about the country, destinations, logistics, access to vegetarian and vegan food, weather and more. I don’t want to regret not visiting a place because I didn’t do my homework. There’s so much amazing info right at your fingertips…cheers for the internet! I really appreciate the bloggers and vloggers who create incredible content to share travel their experiences in real time. It’s very helpful. I also try to gather info from varying perspectives. It’s so important because just when I thought I researched the heck out of a place, I find myself learning something new. I read content from people:

• who traveled by motor bike
• who traveled by public transport and planes
• solo travelers, couples, families
• budget backpackers vs. mid tier vs. luxury
• women and men – as well as people who are really into hiking
• seasoned vs. novice travelers
• people who actually hiked vs. visited without hiking

And after doing all of that research I decided to focus the holiday in Northern Vietnam. But before making that decision I worked through itineraries to all 3 regions of the country – northern, central, and southern, then others that focused on a combo of two regions only. In the end they were rushed trips.

Summary

This post is about traveling to northern Vietnam in December, specifically mid to late December. Topics covered include:

• why I went to northern Vietnam only
• destinations by region: northern, central and southern
• why I chose the destinations I did; and why chose not to go to others
• weather in northern Vietnam as well as central and southern in mid to late December
• packing list for northern Vietnam in mid to late December
• walk through of the decision to go/not go to Halong Bay (decided to go)

About Me

Thank you for visiting Passport Pages! I hope this article has been helpful! I have travelled to approximately 50 countries over the last twenty years and have visited every continent, except Antarctica. I have solo backpacked, travelled with my husband, as well as with family.

I love to talk about travel and share travel experiences (in a detailed way), so I created this blog. I don’t make money nor gain any other benefit from the products I review or recommend – they’re just my honest opinion.