First-timer seeks weather/sight advice for Thailand, Vietnam, Nepal
 

Hello!

This is my first time posting in Fodor's forums, so please bear with me! I'm a somewhat-to-fairly experienced traveler looking to visit SE Asia for the first time. The places highest on my list are Nepal, Thailand and Vietnam. I'm planning a 3 week trip sometime in late June/July 2013.

I keep hearing warnings about the rainy weather this time of year. I would really love to be able to visit these places, but I'm wondering whether I should hold off until a better time of year to be able to do and see everything that I want. (This trip idea originally started because I wanted to do a trek in Nepal)...Any advice on whether I should go anyway, or whether I should think about different places to visit instead? (Open to suggestions on other good, less rainy locations in Asia in June and July....)

This trip is very spontaneous, and on a recent college grad's somewhat limited budget - but I'm open to doing anything (love cultural monuments/museums/touchstones but also especially outdoors adventure-type stuff). If you have any advice or tips about where to stay/what to see/how to make the best of 3 weeks, please let me know!

Thanks so much.

This is the site I use to look up weather in various places: www.weatherbase.com It gives you historical averages, but keep in mind that past performance does not guarantee future performance.

Mt fist piece of advice for you is choose one place: Nepal or Thailand or VN, don't try to do too much. Travel in SE Asia is best done at a slow pace.

Much of Indonesia will have better weather in June/July. Consider Bali and Java. I have a recent trip report on Java: http://www.fodors.com/community/asia...n-to-jogja.cfm

Thailand will be ok June, though hot, and you could add a side trip to Cambodia to see the temples of Angkor.

You might find our photos of SE Asia helpful: www.marlandc.com

I've travelled to Bangkok during mid-July a number of times. Yes, you might get some rain (and it's always hot in Thailand) but I don't let that stop me from enjoying my trip. Obviously you have to stay put if you get a real gully washer, and I've seen those during July, but most of the rain showers don't last very long.

I agree with not trying to do too much in your 3 week time frame. Thailand is a great introduction to S E Asia; and as Kathie suggests, you could add Angkor to your trip quite easily.

All of Thailand has summertime type weather. You do get more tourists during the December-February time periods. This also coincides with winter in North America and Northern Europe.

For July I find the amount of rain in Thailand depends on where you are. Some areas may get a little more rain but your time is not a total "washout!" Yeah, it may rain but often the rain stops in an hour or two. Many tourists only visit Thailand during the rainy season, hotels are cheaper and fewer tourists getting in your way. For many hotels you can get a room with a walk in or a phone call.
http://www.guidetothailand.com/thail...on/weather.php

Don't skip a visit to Bangkok! Some young tourists choose Koh Phangan for "Full Moon Parties" where they can get wasted in a group setting looking at the moon. A visit to Chiang Mai gives you something different to see than just beach areas.

You can take 3 weeks alone in Thailand and probably wish for more time there. Thailand has good long distance transportation. Besides discount airlines connecting major cities you have good bus and train service. In Bangkok you even have city rail service connecting various areas in the city.
http://www.urbanrail.net/as/bang/bangkok.htm

Tourists visit Thailand every month of the year. Visit when you can. Off season is cheaper for hotels than high season.

Good luck.

Thank you all very much! This was very useful information!

Kathie - Thanks especially for your recommendations. Based on your advice, I started looking into Indonesia and am now traveling to Java and Lombok for a few weeks.

I definitely still intend to go to Thailand sometime soon - hopefully next year. It seems too great a place to not go. Thanks again for all your advice!

I am currently in Phuket and have been for a while now. The weather for the past week has been pretty much rain none stop and is suppose to carry on for another week. Before that, in April, the weather was very good, bit of rain but not too much. Generally though, throughout June/July you will get a lot of rain, it does limit you on what you can do but it's not the end of the world.
In my opinion, i would hold out for a few months and wait to come a little later in the year. Best times to go are between November and April, flights etc will be more expensive though.

And like you said. Thailand is a must see

Thanks Simond01! I will probably try to make it to Thailand next year, and will be more prepared for going at better weather times.