HOW TO PLAN A TRIP TO INDOCHINA |
Posted: November 23, 2019 |
Why travel to Indochina? Travelling through Vietnam takes you from architecturally beautiful Hanoi to bustling Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon); from the splendid sights of Halong Bay, to the famous Perfume River and the beautiful Mekong Delta. Vietnam features an incredible number of cultural highlights, such as ancient Cham temple ruins, ethnic minorities in the hills and the temples, palaces and imperial mausoleums of aristocratic Hue. In Cambodia you can uncover the stunning ruins of Angkor,once the seat of power of the Khmer Empire, featuring a collection of over one hundred temples dating back to the ninth century.The flat, sprawling capital of Phnom Penh is also an alluring attraction in its own right. Wide, sweeping boulevards, and elegant, if neglected, French colonial-style facades lend the city a romantic appeal. Laos is the most enigmatic of the former French Indochinese states, as it offers an unparalleled glimpse of traditional South-East Asian life along the Mekong River, which runs the length of this landlocked country. Luang Prabang, once the heart and soul of the ancient kingdom of Lane Xang, is Laos's most enticing destination, with a spellbinding panoply of gilded temples and weathered shop-houses.
Weather-wise, when is the best time to travel to Southeast Asia? Indochina, like that of the rest of Southeast Asia tours, is dominated by monsoons, which are known as tropical wet and dry because of the distinctly marked seasonal differences. Because of differences in latitude and the marked variety in topographical relief, in Vietnam the climate tends to vary considerably from place to place.During the winter or dry season, extending roughly from November to April, most parts of the country are dry only by comparison with the rainy or summer season. The average annual temperature is generally higher in the plains than in the mountains, and higher in the south than in the north. Seasonal variations in the mountains & plateaus and in the north are much more dramatic, with temperatures varying from 5° C in December and January to 37° C in July and August.Temperatures vary less in the southern plains around Ho Chi Minh City and the Mekong Delta, ranging between 21 and 28° C over the course of the year. Cambodia has a temperature range from 21 to 35 °C and experiences tropical monsoons, which blow inland bringing moisture-laden winds from the Gulf of Thailand and Indian Ocean from May to October. The northeast monsoon ushers in the dry season, which lasts from November to April. The country experiences the heaviest precipitation from September to October with the driest period occurring from January to February. In Laos there is a distinct rainy season from May to November, followed by a dry season from December to April. Local tradition holds that there are three seasons (rainy, cold and hot) as the latter two months of the climatologically defined dry season are noticeably hotter than the earlier four months. What to consider when planning yourjourney to Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos Travelling to Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos immerses you in a diversity of cultures, as you enjoy everything from the food and customs to the entertainment and landmarks. Exploring Indochina on your own is always an option, but even experienced world travelers often choose organized tours, since these offer several advantages, whether you are traveling alone or with a group. A guided tour company handles all the organization and prep work for visiting landmarks in the region. You save time and energy that you would normally put into planning the details of visiting a given destination. An organized tour company also makes the most efficient use of time, considering the visiting hours and stops on the itinerary so you don't have to spend hours researching the information for each place you want to visit. Transportation is handled for you, so you won’t have to worry about getting lost, dealing with different writing systems, confusing public transportation, or taxi drivers who might not speak the same language in each country that you visit. An organized tour also gives you a sense of comfort and safety, since the accompanying tour guide understands the culture, knows areas of town tourists don’t normally go to, and can help you avoid potentially dangerous areas of the city. The tour may also allow you to uncover some hidden gems within the city that you wouldn't otherwise know about. With a tour, the planning is handled for you, whether you are traveling alone or joining a small group tour. Someone else puts together the itinerary, so you don’t have to worry about what to see or how much time to spend in any one place. Having someone else make the planning decisions can make things simpler and allow you to sit back and enjoy your vacation. Many tours offer experiences you just can’t get on your own. This is especially true of food in Indochina. Sure, you can go to restaurants on your own and try the local cuisine, but you won’t always know what to order. On a tour, your guide will teach you about local food you didn’t know about. They’ll tell you the history of the food and its connection with the culture. You just can’t recreate this kind of experience on your own. Joining a small group tour adds a social aspect to a guided tour, especially if you aren't traveling with people you already know. Experiencing a new place with others allows you to share your reactions and connect with fellow group members. If you are traveling alone, small group tours are a great way to meet other travelers, so you won’t feel completely on your own the whole time, and you might even make a new friend out of it. Also, if you are a new traveler, or new to solo travel, a small group tour might help you ease into traveling and you won’t get overwhelmed with all the details of planning the trip. Customize your tip You can also get an itinerary specially customized for you. Perhaps you find a scheduled itinerary appealing, but the dates don't work for you, or the tour operator doesn't include a site that you would like to see, or you simply prefer to travel on your own tailor-made itinerary. There are some reputable tour operators that offer custom-designed independent travel. These companies feature years of experience and in-depth knowledge of a given destination. Using their services might end up saving you time, money and above all hassle. Here is a good example: https://bestway.com/tours/wht-indochina/
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