With stunning natural landscape, rich cuisine and friendly local people, the Southeast Asia is one of the must-see destinations in the journey to explore the world of many tourists from Occident countries. Vietnam and Cambodia are the two countries having many beauty spots and unique local cultures for tourists to explore. So what is the best time of year to visit Vietnam and Cambodia?
Introduction of Vietnam and Cambodia
Vietnam is an S-shaped strip of land, located in the center of Southeast Asia region, in the east of the Indochinese peninsula, bordered by China to the north, Laos to the west and Cambodia to the southeast and overlooks the South China Sea and the Pacific Ocean. The coastline of Vietnam has the length of 3,260 kilometers and the land borderline is 4,510 kilometers long.
The latest report on the resort market in Vietnam by Savills said that Vietnam was one of the tourist destinations with the fastest growth rates in Southeast Asia. World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) ranked Vietnam in the top 5 ASEAN countries having the largest number of international tourists. Some well-known tourist attractions in Vietnam are Halong Bay, Hanoi Old Quarter, Hoi An ancient town, Phu Quoc, Vung Tau and Mui Ne.
Cambodia is located on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. Cambodia owns a host of rare species of animals, most notably tiger, elephant and giant gaur.
Cambodia is a homogeneous country with a population of more than 90% of Khmer people. Other groups include Vietnamese, Chinese Cambodian, Cham and Montagnard people who mainly live in the northern and northeastern mountains.
Cambodia is one of the most attractive tourist destinations in the world. The outstanding tourist spots in Cambodia are Angkor Wat and the temples of Angkor complex in Siem Reap province, cultural sites situated in Phnom Penh and breathtaking beaches in Sihanoukville provinces.
Time for traveling in Vietnam
In the north, the climate is divided into four distinctive seasons involving spring, summer, autumn and winter. From January to April is suitable for festival tourism and spiritual tourism because almost all the festivals in the north take place in the spring. Coming here between May and September, you should go to the beach or take a rest in the mountainous region. October to December is the ideal time for those who love nature and desire to discover the wild beauty and majestic mountains of the northern Vietnam.
The climate in the South is divided into two distinct seasons including rainy season and dry seasons. The weather is mild throughout the year and the average temperature is about 27ºC. There are numerous types of tourism such as cultural tourism, ecological tourism and marine tourism.
Vietnamese traditional Tet takes place in late January and early February. Coming to Vietnam on this occasion, visitors will get the opportunity to enjoy the bustling atmosphere of the Tet flower markets, experience and explore customs of the Vietnamese people.
Time for traveling in Cambodia
The weather in Cambodia is pretty similar to Vietnam with two distinct seasons including rainy season and dry season. However, Cambodia is much hot and dry compared to Vietnam with the temperature ranging from 21°C to 35°C, sometimes up to 40°C. Therefore, the ideal time to travel to Cambodia is from November to April when the weather becomes more pleasant, with less heat and rain. If having a holiday in Cambodia in April, you have the opportunity to be involved in the traditional Tet and Bom Chaul Chnam water festival, which is held between April 13 to April 15 every year.
In particular, you should not come to Cambodia in July and August. The reason is that this period of time is when the flood season attacks a number of areas in Cambodia, which may be a big obstacle to traveling here.