As the year goes by, there is still rain around. July is a very popular month for annual holidays, both for locals and tourists from elsewhere. Those who take a Vietnam tour package in July can get plenty of advice about an itinerary from a good Vietnam travel agent. That agent will recommend the best places to see and things to do in July in Vietnam. Certainly, the weather is hot in many places with frequent rainfall especially in places such as Ho Chi Minh City in the south. Many actually begin a Vietnam holiday in Hanoi, the capital and popular arrival airport.

So, if that is what you decide to do, what can you expect to find as you travel around? Hanoi itself will be hot but you should spend a couple of days in Hanoi before moving on. Simply watching the hectic activity of the city can be an experience. The rice that is growing on the Sapa Terraces to the north is well on its way. What begins as shoots emerging out of the flooded terraces becomes thicker as the weeks go by, changing through different shades of green well before harvest time. It is slightly cooler at altitude with a lovely natural environment to explore in this highland region up towards the border.

Many tourists then return south to Hanoi before heading east to the sea and Halong Bay, a stunning UNESCO World Heritage site with a huge number of limestone islands in the Bay. The junks that cruise between the islands are very comfortable and one special experience is to stay onboard overnight, enjoying both the sunset, the evening meal, often the freshest of seafood, and then the sun rise the next morning.

There will be plenty of blue skies as you head south. Hue and Hoi An are two historic destinations that travellers to Vietnam should ensure they see. With many locals holidaying on the coast in Central and Southern Vietnam, the beaches can be crowded and the sun fairly intense. Inland towards the border there are the Central Highlands and Da Lat which the French enjoyed as a break from the heat of the lowlands.

There is the likelihood of rain most days further south but that does not mean hours of rainfall. Temperatures will certainly be high and it makes sense to carry water wherever you go. Ho Chi Minh City is the commercial hub of Vietnam and to the west there is the fertile Mekong Delta. All Vietnam travel packages that cover the whole of the country will include the former Saigon; many will start there as Ho Chi Minh City has one of the two most important international airports in Vietnam. Likewise, the Mekong Delta is one of the most important regions in the whole of Indochina. Tourists can cruise in the main channels but also go off the beaten track, going down quiet waterways through orchards and villages. What’s a little rain when there is so much to experience?