Best time to Travel Southeast Asia
Destinations in this region: Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar
TIPS
- Tropical climate. Generally hot with high humidity with some wet weather throughout the year and monsoon months.
- Northern parts of Thailand, Vietnam, Laos have cooler, milder temperatures, especially in mountainous areas
- Monsoon seasons affect different parts of Southeast Asia at different times.
- Closures: During Tet in Vietnam, many businesses and museums closed. Lots of locals travel, hotels full. Avoid.
- Closures: Duxring Ramadan, in Malaysia and Indonesia many things are closed or quiet.
- Closures: During Nyepi, Bali observes a ‘Day of Silence’. Everything goes dark, everyone stays indoors.
- Ballooning in Myanmar is only available on one stretch of weather-friendly months in the year. Plan ahead.
- Philippines: Take note of the typhoon forecasts
| High Season | Shoulder Season | Low Season |
| Jul – Oct | Mar – May | Jun |
| Nov – Feb |
Peak Season vs Low Season – What is the Best Time to Go?
It depends what makes your ideal holiday.
The off season travel months are generally the cheapest time to visit any destination. There’s a good chance that hotels and attractions offer discounted prices.
In contrast, the best month to experience a destination also tends to the busiest, so you have to contend with more crowds and longer queues at attractions. But peak season is the peak for a reason, so there’s many things at their best – such as weather, opening hours, events etc.
If your calendar is pretty open, then shoulder season is a great time for independent travellers. Between peak season and off season, the ‘shoulder’ months give you the best of both worlds.
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