Vietnam

To cross the road, walk slowly and never stop. The traffic flows around you

Vietnam is over 1,600 kilometres long and the weather at the two ends is frequently opposite, which is the single most useful thing to know before booking. Hanoi can be grey and genuinely cold in January while Ho Chi Minh City is 33 degrees. There is no single best time for the whole country, only a best time for the part you are going to.

The two big cities set the tone. Hanoi is older, denser and more northern, with a chaotic Old Quarter and a strong coffee culture involving condensed milk and, occasionally, egg. Ho Chi Minh City is faster, richer and more Western-facing. In between are Hue, Hoi An and a coastline that gets less attention than it deserves.

Crossing the road is the genuine skill to acquire. Motorbikes do not stop, they flow, and the technique is to walk out slowly at a constant speed and let them go around you. Freezing or running is what causes accidents. Master that in the first hour and the rest of the country becomes considerably easier.

Annual events and festivals

• Tet, Lunar New Year (Jan-Feb) — by far the biggest holiday. Much of the country shuts for a week and everyone travels home.
• Perfume Pagoda Festival (Feb-Mar) — a two-month pilgrimage by boat and foot to a mountain shrine.
• Hue Festival (Apr, biennial) — arts and heritage in the old imperial capital.
• Hoi An Lantern Festival (monthly, full moon) — the town switches off its electric lights and floats lanterns on the river.
• Reunification Day (30 Apr) — marks the end of the war in 1975.
• Buddha Birthday, Vesak (May) — temple ceremonies and lantern processions nationwide.
• Mid-Autumn Festival (Sep-Oct) — mooncakes, lion dances and a children lantern parade.
• Hungry Ghost Festival (Aug-Sep) — offerings burned for wandering spirits.
• Da Nang International Fireworks Festival (Jun-Jul) — teams compete over several weekends on the river.
• Independence Day (2 Sep) — marks the 1945 declaration, with parades and fireworks.