October marks a transitional season in Vietnam with the Southwest monsoon waning, to be replaced by the drier conditions of the Northeast monsoon.

October can still see plenty of days with short afternoon downpours in the south of Vietnam.

In Hanoi temperatures drop quite significantly in October although conditions are drier. Dress for cool evenings and early mornings, especially later in the month.

In central Vietnam, October can see higher rainfall and falling temperatures in Hoi An. It can still be a great month for travel however, and many visitors see little sign of any rain, especially earlier in the month.

Typhoons can hit Vietnam’s central and northern coastlines at any time between May and October – on average 4 or 5 a year reach landfall in Vietnam.

There is always plenty of warning of the arrival of typhoons, which although sometimes quite destructive, normally lose strength on landfall and don’t usually disrupt travel for more than 24 hours.