What kinds of clothing to be packed in November?
 

Hi all,

We're traveling in Vietnam this Nov with our kids (7 to 9 yo) and just wondering if we should pack some warm clothes? To be honest, we're an extended family and don't feel very comfortable carrying too much stuff wherever we go.

Thanks

Where in Vietnam are you planning to visit? Vn is a long thin country and the climate can vary dramatically from place to place. We went from the far north to the far south last Feb. Hanoi was cold and damp and the Ba Be lakes even colder so we were glad we had brought fleeces and rain gear. That said, we did have a few days of sunny warmer weather. Hue was ( and is for much of the year) very wet and an umbrella or rain poncho is useful.

The further south you go the warmer it tends to be.

As for taking stuff with you, it is very easy to by fleeces , rain ponchos in the markets VERY cheaply if needed so I wouldn't worry too much about taking everything with you.

Yes, it can get quite cool to cold in northern Vietnam in late November (revisiting the area and entering overland from China in late Nov.) especially in the Tonkin 'Alps' but if you don't want to carry so much clothes, you can bring light shells or rain jackets or purchase nylon ponchos that are very inexpensive there. I like the ponchos because they are very effective in rain and 'breath' well when the side vents that run down below the arm pit are open.
You can also purchase inexepensive fleece at the markets. Sure, the quality is not nearly as great but it should do the job. This way you would buy them only when/if needed and not have to pack so much clothes for your large group.
And as crellston posted, as you travel further south, the weather gets warmer to tropical.

Well, this is a very long journey from home. We plan to visit Vietnam in approx. 30 days and the same in Laos and Cambodia. Very complicated, particularly when it comes with kids.

I'm still not sure exactly where you are traveling. Much of those countries will be hot, but some areas will require layers.

www.weatherbase.com can give you average highs and lows for each city you plan to visit.

The coldest areas you might visit are the mountains north of Hanoi, the Sapa Area. It can be cold and wet there in November. In Hanoi itself, it will be pleasantly warm during the day, but may get cool enough you'd like a sweater or wrap at night. If you are visiting Luang Prabang, you'll find it gets cool at night and it feels quite cool out of the river - I was glad to have a long-sleeved shirt to layer over a t-shirt.

It will be hot in HCMC, for instance, and in Siem Reap.

seagypsy -- could you tell me how you are going overland from China to Vietnam? We are thinking of doing it next year. Thanks.