Halong Bay in late December?
 

We are booking a Vietnam trip for over Christmas this year. All a bit quick and last minute for me. However, a question please - we are thinking about an overnight trip to Halong Bay, on 31st Dec. Will it be misty and unacceptable at this time? I realise you cannot predict the weather but misty in other posts about this same subject rather worried me. We are looking at either Bhaya or Red Dragon Junk at this stage. There have been comments about Bhaya but nothing I can find about Red Dragon. Does anyone have any comments either about going at this time of year or about the Red Dragon.

Thanks Schnauzer

Unpredictable. One year I had grey, rainy weather in early Dec., a couple of years later friends had good, sunny weather in Dec. Do you have to book ahead? On the later trip when I did go to Halong Bay I booked after I got to Hanoi (on the Dragon Pearl with Handspan).

Thanks for the quick replies. We don't have to "really" book ahead but it will be New Year's Eve when we want to go and that could be a busy night - or not as the case may be. That would be another concern, get there and then find they are all booked up.

If we didn't do Halong Bay what else could we do at that time of year. We do not want to stay the whole time in another big city. We have four nights in Saigon, We will go to Vung tau and surrounds as my husband was posted there in the war. We also have four nights in Hoi An and two nights in Hue. I am using Alison's trip report as a bit of a template, following hotel suggestions etc. Thanks Alison.

Any further advice would be appreciated, I hadn't realised it would be so cold, as I said this is a rush job so haven't done my normal weeks of research. As we are coming from an Aussie summer my head was still in the warm weather. duh!!!

thanks, Schnauzer

How many days do you have in Hanoi? There's really a lot to do there, and if you hang out in the old quarter, or around the Hoan Kiem lake it doesn't feel so big. Take an umbrella for Hue...

we wanted to have four nights in Hanoi but because of flights can either only have three nights or five nights. hmmm, what to do?

Is the weather going to be bad in Hue at that time of year? the same in Hoi An, or different? (that weather crystal ball question again)

would you make it three nights in Hue or would two suffice? Three nights in Hanoi obviously would not be enough to do the Halong Bay cruise as well as see Hanoi. We are travelling with an 18 year old boy (young man) who is not really into museums etc so an extra night in Hanoi might not be his cup of tea. Can anyone think of anything that would take an 18 year old's fancy? (beside 18 year old girls that is)in Hanoi or surrounds.
thanks Schnauzer

schnauzer, I'm sorry to see you only got responses from advertisers when you asked whether to spend 3 or 5 days in Hanoi. We really enjoyed Hanoi, found plenty to do for a week, so I'd recommend you spend 5 nights.

I think your 18 year old will enjoy wandering the old quarter, interacting with locals and travelers. I seriously doubt he would be bored!