Ignited by my nephew, who went on a solo trip to Vietnam, we are currently considering whether Vietnam is something for us. Going on holiday to Vietnam with children seems like a fantastic experience, especially now that I have seen the photos of Vietnam. What a beautiful nature there! But I also get the question in my environment whether it is so wise. That's why I went to investigate. If we were to visit Vietnam with children, what should we think about? When is the best time to go and what should we take into account?
Table of Contents
Due to the age of our children, we are bound by the school holidays. I think going to Vietnam with children is a trip that you have to take the time for, but there are of course more things that you 'must' take into account. If you really want to see a lot of the country, then two weeks in Vietnam may not be enough. But more than two weeks in Vietnam with children outside the big school holidays is also not an option.
So there are only a few choices:go during the big school holidays if you want to travel around Vietnam for more than two weeks. Or go for two weeks during the Christmas period or during the May holidays.
Since Vietnam is a rather elongated country (about 1600 kilometers long!) you can not immediately say with the weather what time is the best time to travel to Vietnam with children. Unless the weather in Vietnam doesn't bother you of course.
Due to the tropical climate it is in the summer months in any case sweltering hot and there is a great chance of heavy showers † Personally, I'm not really looking forward to that. As far as I'm concerned, it should be a little less hot during a Vietnam tour. An occasional shower? No problem. Lengthy tropical storms? Preferably not 😉 .
In terms of weather, the big school holidays are therefore not really positive.
Another possibility is the mid-season in Vietnam. The mid-season is approximately from December to March. During that period (Christmas) the children always have two weeks off. This means that you can travel around Vietnam for two weeks and therefore no longer. The weather is often more pleasant in the mid-season. A pleasant temperature (also for traveling around) and much less rain than in summer † Although this does not apply to the whole of Vietnam… central Vietnam can be a bit wetter during that period.
In addition to figuring out the best time of year in terms of weather, there are a number of other musings that keep me busy. The site of the national government 'warns' about a number of things that I would like to consider. Incidentally, there is no negative travel advice to Vietnam, but there are some points for attention.
These are most common in the months of May to November. So probably no 'burden' if we went in the winter period.
I also heard from my cousin. Traffic is really chaos in Vietnam. No problem if you can handle that well, but I foresee some problems with, for example, driving scooters, the most commonly used mode of transport. As you know I am working on my motorcycle license. I won't turn around for a scooter anymore, of course, except probably in a country like Vietnam. No traffic rules, everyone just does what they want and can be busy! I have also read that as a foreigner you are always to blame in an accident, even if you are not guilty. I don't like all that.
Fortunately, you can also travel by bus, plane (domestic flights) or train. And this type of transport is also reasonably affordable, very handy if you go on holiday with children.
Of course you need a valid passport if you travel to Vietnam. However, a valid passport is not sufficient. If you go on holiday to Vietnam with children, you also need a visa.
Applying for a visa in Dutch can be done online and within 5 minutes. Within a maximum of 3 days you will receive your visa for Vietnam and you can go on the road. In our case, a visa with a validity of up to one month would suffice, but you can also apply for a visa with a validity of up to 3 months if you want. By the way, you no longer have to go to the Dutch embassy in Hanoi to apply for a visa online. That also makes a difference… especially if you are only going to travel around Vietnam for two weeks.
Renting a car in Vietnam may be a good option if you are visiting Vietnam with children. But now I find out that your Dutch driver's license is not valid in Vietnam. Fortunately, renting a car in Vietnam is very normal, with a driver! So you let yourself be driven. Would that be something?
Now it wouldn't just occur to me, but there is a conscious warning against photographing military objects or the soldiers themselves. In addition, there are still unexploded mines in the war zones, brrrr….
There is also a conscious warning about crime. Even though my cousin indicates that he has not noticed much of this - bag robbery, drug use and pickpockets - are active in the big cities.
There are no mandatory vaccinations when you go on holiday to Vietnam, but a number of vaccinations are recommended, even if you already had these vaccinations as a child.
Now I am curious who gets these vaccinations again when she books a holiday to Vietnam with children. I'm afraid this is a thing to 'get through' here at home.
For us, the best time to travel to Vietnam will probably be the Christmas period. This falls in the most favorable season in terms of weather and is also reasonable in terms of costs because this is the intermediate season for Vietnam.
I absolutely love the nature that Vietnam has to offer and this would be the reason for us to visit Vietnam with children. Of course in combination with the culture and the contrasts between city and countryside.
I don't see myself cruising through Vietnam on a scooter or moped so quickly with children, but renting a car or by bus is of course also possible. I am also very curious about the friendly inhabitants of Vietnam, because you read about them everywhere. All in all, I am definitely positive about Vietnam with children. Now discuss with them and possibly book 😉 .
Have you ever been to Vietnam? And how were your experiences?
