My husband and I are going to Vietnam in October. I know it'll be hot so I'm assessing my warm weather clothes in case I want to get anything else. It occurred to me that if I wait until August or September to think about it, the summer clothes will be mostly gone from the stores.
My warm weather clothes are capri pants with short sleeved or sleeveless cotton or linen tops. I know sleeveless isn't acceptable in temples so I'll be prepared for that but does that sound ok otherwise?
I lived in Singapore for 12 years & sun was as big a factor for my skin as how lightly I was dressed. Capris are fine, I usually wore very light weight dresses, adding a white sun protective shirt over it for walking anytime between 9AM & 5PM. Dresses give you a bit of air circulation! Weirdly it can be chilly in air con coming out of the heat, I carried a VERY light weight cotton sweater, which you might want on the plane anyway. No matter what is advertised, forget wool in the tropics. I also carried a wide brimmed hat, along with a pair of super light weight long pants, mosquitos can be a real issue near sunrise & sunset. Check what kind of sunscreen you can tolerate in these muggy conditions, it's the humidity as much as the heat in October. I seem to recall I used Clinique tinted sunscreen & Neutrogena dry don't recall the name exactly, on arms & back of hands. Getting a bad sunburn can ruin a vacation. PS, Any item of clingy clothing or synthetic will feel awful & cause you to sweat more. I had GF's who perfected the art of wearing a white, long sleeved shirt over whatever shorts / capris but it was always too warm for me.
Short sleeve there, is a little closer to elbow length here, or loose natural fibre shirts with roll up sleeves. But tourists wear sleevless there. Just take a large scarf for coverage. Better yet, shop there for lightweight large silk scarves. I liked my rayon, or cotton/linen blends for tops and bottoms in south India (similar weather). In a print, then wrinkles and sweat doesn't show. They dried quickly after sink washing. I wring them out and dry in the AC room. Some dry in 4 hours. Even better than capris, I almost lived in my goucho pant. Not sure where to get them in US, but in a woven rayon, they were great https://www.laura.ca/s/LauraCanada/en/petites/clothing/capris-shorts/pull-on-gaucho-pants/440159727081.html?esl-k=GoogleAds|nx|c|m|k|p|t|dm|a|g17549845642&cq_med=pla&cq_plac=&cq_net=x&cq_src=google_ads&cq_cmp=17549845642&cq_con=&cq_term=&gclid=CjwKCAjw3ueiBhBmEiwA4BhspAZAJZPyEtU9xsm_rxDZEPOtQXAzCHzDIQ-UBDL-kyGuO0Q_TA8QFBoCxAEQAvD_BwE
MariaF, Those goucho pants look great with a bit of a built in breeze! Looking for something similar in US.
I've spent some time in Europe's hot countries in the summer and swear by lightweight, loose-fitting crinkled-cotton tops with at least 3/4-length sleeves. I try to avoid anything cuffed at a hot destination. A lot of the tops I've used have been cheap garments purchased at European street markets. Some of them have "Made in India" labels, so I'm hoping I can stock up during my intended trip to India in February.
I suggest you wear linen and the Airism line of clothing from Uniqlo. The latter is even better than linen.
I don't recommend cotton, because it takes longer to dry than the above two fabrics and is heavier.
I traveled in Vietnam in late March/early April, which may be similarly hot/humid as October. I wore a lot of hiking pants (quick dry) and capris - think REI hiking section - and they worked perfectly. I also took a skirt but honestly that wasn't great choice (in the TMI department: humidity = chub rub = not amazing). As long as your shirts cover your shoulders they should be fine for temples - at least they were for me. I also took some hiking long sleeved shirts which protected my arms from the sun. I have several cotton blend shirts that wash and dry overnight that worked great. You're going to get sweaty and you'll probably want to rinse your clothes pretty much every day - test now to see what you have that does that, though the humidity there will prevent quick drying (I just wore stuff slightly wet).
Since I have very curly hair, wearing a hat is a pain, but if you can don a cap easily I would pack one it really does help with the heat factor. A lifesaver for me was a neck cooler (similar to these) that activate in water and really do give you a bit of relief from the hot (though I will warn you, they stink like the dickens if you don't completely dry them out when you are done with them - don't pack them away wet).
Enjoy your trip, I loved my time there even it was an inferno!
Thanks for all the helpful suggestions! Sadly I sweat very little even on the hottest day, so I'll need to be careful about overheating.
Patricia,
I spent over a year in VietNam - I can comment on the environmental conditions. During my year there, I was forced to wear outfits designed by people hung up on greens & browns. Colorful accessories were definitely out! It will be really hot and humid in the Mekong Delta, Saigon, Vung Tau, and along the east coast. Doesn't get cooler until in the highlands such as Pleiku - not less humid, just cooler. Occasional breezes are life-savers. Bugs - flying, crawling, leaping - are a problem. Best to cover up as much as tolerable. 50 to 100% Eau de Deet is essential. May thru October are the wetter months in the south with bit different schedules north & central. Be careful when walking amidst undergrowth plants. Most plants are abrasive, thorny, toxic or bug laden. Or more likely, all of those. It is a tropical rain forest after all. There are times when the countryside can seem serene and lovely. (I never trusted that condition.)
It is probable that the most practical women's garment is the local AoDai. Light weight, good coverage, breezy, quick drying and attractive. Would work well with silk or synthetic fabric long pants. We appreciated the AoDai because it was attractive and difficult to conceal a weapon. No sandals.
Read and follow the CDC guidelines. Get shots and medicines for everything. Even if the chances are small, the consequences of any disease are very serious.
Obviously, my attitudes about SouthEast Asia were formed under circumstances other than "tourist." I felt sorry for the average residents - they just wanted EVERYBODY to leave them alone. Fat Chance. Take appropriate precautions and enjoy your trip.
In that part of the world the temperatures are pretty consistent and the weather forecast is about when the daily rain will fall.
Some of us are inclined to deflect the heat by drinking beer. Be sure that the server does not put an ice cube in it to keep it cold. The temperature may be helped but the water may not be pure. I speak from uncomfortable experience.
I burn easily, so when we we visited SE Asia I opted for long sleeves, long pants and a parasol (as soon as I saw the local ladies using them I promptly bought one and ditched my hat.) My clothes were loose and breathable. Mostly kurta tunics I bought in India with linen pants, or salwar kameez (2 piece outfits). And always wore closed toe shoes in daytime when out walking. The streets were filthy.
Hi guys.
Let me ask you, as an offtopic, what is the cheapest way to get to Vietnam from Europe? By plane, of course. I've been browsing for a while and to be honest, I could'nt find any interesting connection. Be it budget or not, every suggestion is more than welcome (esp. some search engines or simply speaking website where I could browse possible flight options).
Thank you in advance.
Yours sincerely,
Edward
Did you do search on Skyscanner yet, Edward?
