{"type":"data","nodes":[null,{"type":"data","data":[{"destination":1},{"slug":2,"title":3,"subtitle":4,"heroQuery":5,"overview":6,"regions":10,"attractions":122,"heroPhoto":201},"vietnam","Vietnam","A north-to-south trip with three different climates in one country","halong bay vietnam limestone karst boat sunrise",[7,8,9],"Vietnam is roughly 1,650km north to south - further than Auckland to Cairns - which is the one thing most first-time itineraries get wrong. There is no single 'best time to visit Vietnam,' because Hanoi, Hoi An, and Ho Chi Minh City are effectively three different climates running on three different calendars. A trip planned around a single weather forecast for 'Vietnam' will get at least one region wrong.","The trade-off I talk clients through: cover the whole country in 12–14 days and you'll spend a lot of that time in transit or exhausted; pick two regions in 7–10 days and you'll actually rest. North plus central (Hanoi/Ha Long Bay/Sapa plus Hoi An/Hue) is the classic combination and pairs well with a first trip. Adding the south for the Mekong Delta and Ho Chi Minh City works better as a second visit, or if you've got two full weeks and don't mind a fuller pace.","Domestic flights between Hanoi, Da Nang, and Ho Chi Minh City are cheap and frequent - I'd rather see clients fly one leg and bank the saved day for Hoi An than grind out the full overland route just to say they did it. The exception is the overnight sleeper train from Hanoi to Sapa, which is worth doing for its own sake if you book a private cabin rather than a shared berth.",[11,65,95],{"name":12,"months":13},"Northern Vietnam - Hanoi, Ha Long Bay, Sapa",[14,20,25,31,35,40,45,48,51,55,59,63],{"month":15,"tempHighC":16,"tempLowC":17,"rainfallMm":18,"busyness":19},"Jan",20,13,18,3,{"month":21,"tempHighC":22,"tempLowC":23,"rainfallMm":24,"busyness":19},"Feb",21,14,27,{"month":26,"tempHighC":27,"tempLowC":28,"rainfallMm":29,"busyness":30},"Mar",24,17,44,4,{"month":32,"tempHighC":33,"tempLowC":22,"rainfallMm":34,"busyness":30},"Apr",28,90,{"month":36,"tempHighC":37,"tempLowC":27,"rainfallMm":38,"busyness":39},"May",32,188,2,{"month":41,"tempHighC":42,"tempLowC":43,"rainfallMm":44,"busyness":39},"Jun",33,26,240,{"month":46,"tempHighC":42,"tempLowC":43,"rainfallMm":47,"busyness":39},"Jul",288,{"month":49,"tempHighC":37,"tempLowC":43,"rainfallMm":50,"busyness":39},"Aug",318,{"month":52,"tempHighC":53,"tempLowC":27,"rainfallMm":54,"busyness":19},"Sep",31,254,{"month":56,"tempHighC":33,"tempLowC":22,"rainfallMm":57,"busyness":58},"Oct",137,5,{"month":60,"tempHighC":61,"tempLowC":18,"rainfallMm":62,"busyness":58},"Nov",25,43,{"month":64,"tempHighC":22,"tempLowC":23,"rainfallMm":16,"busyness":30},"Dec",{"name":66,"months":67},"Central Vietnam - Hoi An, Da Nang, Hue",[68,71,73,74,77,79,82,83,85,87,91,93],{"month":15,"tempHighC":27,"tempLowC":69,"rainfallMm":70,"busyness":19},19,100,{"month":21,"tempHighC":43,"tempLowC":16,"rainfallMm":72,"busyness":19},38,{"month":26,"tempHighC":33,"tempLowC":22,"rainfallMm":37,"busyness":30},{"month":32,"tempHighC":53,"tempLowC":75,"rainfallMm":76,"busyness":30},23,30,{"month":36,"tempHighC":42,"tempLowC":61,"rainfallMm":78,"busyness":19},60,{"month":41,"tempHighC":80,"tempLowC":43,"rainfallMm":81,"busyness":19},34,80,{"month":46,"tempHighC":80,"tempLowC":43,"rainfallMm":34,"busyness":19},{"month":49,"tempHighC":42,"tempLowC":43,"rainfallMm":84,"busyness":19},110,{"month":52,"tempHighC":53,"tempLowC":27,"rainfallMm":86,"busyness":39},340,{"month":56,"tempHighC":88,"tempLowC":75,"rainfallMm":89,"busyness":90},29,530,1,{"month":60,"tempHighC":24,"tempLowC":22,"rainfallMm":92,"busyness":90},380,{"month":64,"tempHighC":61,"tempLowC":16,"rainfallMm":94,"busyness":39},180,{"name":96,"months":97},"Southern Vietnam - Ho Chi Minh City, Mekong Delta",[98,99,101,103,106,108,110,112,114,116,118,120],{"month":15,"tempHighC":37,"tempLowC":22,"rainfallMm":23,"busyness":30},{"month":21,"tempHighC":42,"tempLowC":100,"rainfallMm":30,"busyness":30},22,{"month":26,"tempHighC":80,"tempLowC":27,"rainfallMm":102,"busyness":30},12,{"month":32,"tempHighC":104,"tempLowC":61,"rainfallMm":105,"busyness":19},35,42,{"month":36,"tempHighC":80,"tempLowC":61,"rainfallMm":107,"busyness":19},218,{"month":41,"tempHighC":37,"tempLowC":27,"rainfallMm":109,"busyness":39},311,{"month":46,"tempHighC":37,"tempLowC":27,"rainfallMm":111,"busyness":39},293,{"month":49,"tempHighC":53,"tempLowC":27,"rainfallMm":113,"busyness":39},269,{"month":52,"tempHighC":53,"tempLowC":27,"rainfallMm":115,"busyness":39},327,{"month":56,"tempHighC":53,"tempLowC":27,"rainfallMm":117,"busyness":19},266,{"month":60,"tempHighC":53,"tempLowC":75,"rainfallMm":119,"busyness":30},116,{"month":64,"tempHighC":53,"tempLowC":100,"rainfallMm":121,"busyness":30},48,[123,136,149,162,175,188],{"slug":124,"name":125,"blurb":126,"photoQuery":127,"tip":128,"photo":129},"halong-bay","Ha Long Bay","Nearly 2,000 limestone karsts rising out of jade-green water, about 3.5 hours from Hanoi. Most people book a day trip, which mainly means a crowded tour boat and a couple of hours actually on the water.","halong bay limestone karst boat mist","Book a 2-night boat instead of a day trip - the overnight routes reach Lan Ha Bay and the quieter southern karsts that day-trippers never see.",{"id":130,"src":131,"srcLarge":132,"alt":133,"photographer":134,"photographerUrl":135},34635618,"https://images.pexels.com/photos/34635618/pexels-photo-34635618.jpeg?auto=compress&cs=tinysrgb&dpr=2&h=650&w=940","https://images.pexels.com/photos/34635618/pexels-photo-34635618.jpeg","A serene view of limestone karsts in Vietnam during a misty sunrise with boats in the foreground.","Ama Journey","https://www.pexels.com/@ama-journey-2157145868",{"slug":137,"name":138,"blurb":139,"photoQuery":140,"tip":141,"photo":142},"sapa","Sapa rice terraces","Terraced rice paddies climbing the hills around Fansipan, Indochina's highest peak, and a base for trekking through Hmong and Dao villages. Best photographed just before the June rains or after the September harvest.","sapa vietnam rice terraces mountains","Hire a local guide from one of the surrounding villages rather than a Hanoi-based tour company - the walk is the same, but the money and the context land differently.",{"id":143,"src":144,"srcLarge":145,"alt":146,"photographer":147,"photographerUrl":148},27629331,"https://images.pexels.com/photos/27629331/pexels-photo-27629331.jpeg?auto=compress&cs=tinysrgb&dpr=2&h=650&w=940","https://images.pexels.com/photos/27629331/pexels-photo-27629331.jpeg","Breathtaking view of Lào Cai mountains with lush green valleys and misty peaks.","Lucas Tran","https://www.pexels.com/@lucastranimages",{"slug":150,"name":151,"blurb":152,"photoQuery":153,"tip":154,"photo":155},"hanoi-old-quarter","Hanoi Old Quarter","Thirty-six streets, each historically named for the trade sold on it, now a tangle of street food stalls, egg coffee shops, and motorbikes. It rewards wandering more than a checklist.","hanoi old quarter street food motorbikes","Eat at the plastic-stool places with one item on the menu and a queue of locals, not the ones with laminated multilingual menus.",{"id":156,"src":157,"srcLarge":158,"alt":159,"photographer":160,"photographerUrl":161},36656017,"https://images.pexels.com/photos/36656017/pexels-photo-36656017.jpeg?auto=compress&cs=tinysrgb&dpr=2&h=650&w=940","https://images.pexels.com/photos/36656017/pexels-photo-36656017.jpeg","Vibrant street food scene in Hanoi's Old Quarter with locals enjoying Vietnamese cuisine.","Pixs Storage","https://www.pexels.com/@pixs-storage-421889092",{"slug":163,"name":164,"blurb":165,"photoQuery":166,"tip":167,"photo":168},"hoi-an-ancient-town","Hoi An Ancient Town","A UNESCO-listed trading port frozen somewhere around the 18th century, lit by silk lanterns every evening. Also the country’s tailoring capital - a custom suit or dress can be fitted and finished in 48 hours.","hoi an ancient town lanterns river night","Rent a bicycle and ride out to An Bang Beach or the rice paddies at Tra Que - the old town itself is a 20-minute walk end to end and gets crowded by mid-morning.",{"id":169,"src":170,"srcLarge":171,"alt":172,"photographer":173,"photographerUrl":174},34949999,"https://images.pexels.com/photos/34949999/pexels-photo-34949999.jpeg?auto=compress&cs=tinysrgb&dpr=2&h=650&w=940","https://images.pexels.com/photos/34949999/pexels-photo-34949999.jpeg","Couple releases lanterns in Hoi An, Vietnam, at night along the river.","Võ Văn Tiến","https://www.pexels.com/@vo-van-ti-n-2037497312",{"slug":176,"name":177,"blurb":178,"photoQuery":179,"tip":180,"photo":181},"hue-imperial-city","Hue Imperial City","The walled Citadel and royal tombs of the Nguyen Dynasty, Vietnam's last imperial court. Quieter and less polished than Hoi An, which is part of the appeal.","hue imperial city citadel vietnam","Combine it with the old DMZ sites further north if military history matters to your clients - Hue is the natural overnight stop between Hanoi and Hoi An either way.",{"id":182,"src":183,"srcLarge":184,"alt":185,"photographer":186,"photographerUrl":187},26195284,"https://images.pexels.com/photos/26195284/pexels-photo-26195284.jpeg?auto=compress&cs=tinysrgb&dpr=2&h=650&w=940","https://images.pexels.com/photos/26195284/pexels-photo-26195284.jpeg","Explore the historic beauty of the Meridian Gate in Hue, a testament to Vietnam's rich cultural heritage.","Thi Đoàn","https://www.pexels.com/@thi-doan-591626",{"slug":189,"name":190,"blurb":191,"photoQuery":192,"tip":193,"photo":194},"mekong-delta","Mekong Delta floating markets","A maze of rivers, canals, and floating markets south-west of Ho Chi Minh City, where boats trade produce hung from tall poles so buyers can spot the cargo from a distance.","mekong delta floating market boats vietnam","Stay a night in a homestay rather than doing it as a day trip from Ho Chi Minh City - the markets are genuinely a dawn activity, and the day-trip buses arrive after the best of it is over.",{"id":195,"src":196,"srcLarge":197,"alt":198,"photographer":199,"photographerUrl":200},5218142,"https://images.pexels.com/photos/5218142/pexels-photo-5218142.jpeg?auto=compress&cs=tinysrgb&dpr=2&h=650&w=940","https://images.pexels.com/photos/5218142/pexels-photo-5218142.jpeg","Vibrant scene of vendors at a floating market in Cần Thơ, Vietnam's Mekong Delta.","Văn Long Bùi","https://www.pexels.com/@van-long-bui-1496562",{"id":130,"src":131,"srcLarge":132,"alt":133,"photographer":134,"photographerUrl":135}],"uses":{"params":["slug"]}}]}