Expose The Best Time To Join Dong Van Tours You Should Know
Dong Van impresses visitors with its majestic and wild beauty. Every year, people flock here to immerse themselves in the natural scenery as well as the challenging passes. So when is the best time to join Dong Van Tours? Let’s explore with Vietnam Motorbike Tour Expert in the blog below to best prepare for your trip.
Dong Van weather overview
Dong Van has a relatively special climate. Summer is much cooler than other areas. Winter has long cold spells, even snowfall. Based on the assessment of hydrometeorology, the plateau area has up to 3 microclimates:
- Quan Ba, Bac Vi Xuyen climate sub-region: The cold season lasts about 6 months with an average temperature of 22 degrees Celsius. January is the coldest month of the year with an average temperature of 5-13 degrees Celsius.
- Dong Van, Meo Vac climate sub-regions: The average temperature in the year is about 18 degrees Celsius. This place has a winter that lasts 6 – 7 months and doesn’t seem to have a too hot season. The lowest temperature can drop below 0 degrees Celsius and there will be snow.
- Yen Minh lowland climate sub-region: The temperature is more comfortable than the other two regions because it is located in a sheltered area. The average temperature during the year is from 18 – 25 degrees. The cold season lasts about 5 months, summer is from May to September with an average temperature of about 25 degrees.
If you have participated in one of our Dong Van Motorbike Tours or Ha Giang Motorcycle Tours, you can feel the change of the climate in each place you ride through. However, the special beauty of nature here always satisfies you whenever you visit.
Why using motorbikes to visit Dong Van is explorers’ favorite choice?
The distance from Hanoi to Dong Van is only about 320km, so you can travel here easily during the day. When joining a motorbike tour in Vietnam, you will be overwhelmed by the majestic rocky scenery and challenging roads. Depending on the season, you can also admire the flower forest in full bloom with a wide view. If you just sit in a car, looking at the scenery outside, you will not be able to fully feel the wild beauty of this place. The cool wind caresses the skin and the feeling of excitement when conquering difficult roads is something only possible when driving a motorbike. At the best time to join Dong Van Tours, you will feel the change of 4 seasons’ weather and scenery in just a few hours.
What is the best time to join Dong Van Tours?
You can travel to Dong Van in every months in a year. Every time, Dong Van puts on a different beauty that captivates visitors.
Flowers blooming (January to February)
The climate is harsher than other places, so peach and plum flowers in Dong Van bloom later. After Tet, you can witness the whole forest of flowers blooming in the cold weather. At the same time, yellow mustard flowers are also in blooming season. The bright yellow color is like warm rays of sunlight in the cold winter landscape. In addition, when coming to coincide with Tet (the traditional holiday of Vietnamese), you will be able to participate in many interesting games and rituals of the locals.
Red silk cotton season (March to April)
The air is a little warmer now, peach and plum blossoms fade and red silk cotton flowers begin to bloom. The entire sky changed into a bright red coat, warming the hearts of visitors. You can see red silk cotton flowers at the passage through Heaven’s Gate and Yen Minh district.
Ripe rice season (September to October)
During periods, ripe rice on the terraced fields is considered by many to be the best time to join Dong Van Tours. Seen from above, the golden rice fields look like a majestic watercolor painting. You can experience harvesting with the people in the cool air of the first season. This is probably an unforgettable memory during the Northwest Motorbike Tours trip.
Buckwheat season (October to December)
Depending on the time of sowing, the flowers can bloom in late October or early November. The time when buckwheat flowers bloom is very short, lasting only about a month. At first, the flowers bloom white, then turn pink, and finally dark red.
The time you should not join Dong Van Tours
There are two time periods that you need to consider when coming to Dong Van. Firstly, the rainy season lasts from about the end of May to the middle of September. You can still go to Dong Van during this time because the rain does not last long and continuously. However, there are times when heavy rain causes landslides and slippery roads. While driving a motorbike, you may be in danger because of these things.
In addition, rain can make you unhappy as you cannot fully enjoy the beautiful scenery. We will try to suggest an appropriate schedule depending on the weather so that you have the best time to join Dong Van Tours. The second period is in the coldest month of the year (usually December and January).
Now you will have to drive in more difficult weather conditions when there is a lot of fog and cold weather. Make sure you have enough health and driving skills to travel in bad weather. We also recommend that you go in a large group if you come to Dong Van at this time.
Best time to join Dong Van Tours when enjoying most festivals
If you want to discover the culture and national identity here, you should come on the occasion of the first lunar month, which coincides with the traditional Tet. The Tet of ethnic minorities is very different from the Tet celebrated by the Kinh group that you see in the city. The traditional rituals or dishes on the tray are also different. In addition, during this time, the Mong people have a very interesting festival “Gau Tao” (roughly understood as Hill Play Festival or Spring Mountain Play Festival). The purpose of the festival is to offer thanks to heaven and earth and pray for a good harvest in the new year.
The festival usually occurs between the 1st and 15th of January lunar. Each year it is held for 3 days, if 3 years combined, it will last for 9 days. The festival is divided into two parts, the ceremony part and the festival part. At the ceremony, the owner will prepare a tray of offerings including a pig’s head, a pair of boiled hen-rooster, a bowl of rice, eggs, sticky rice, a bunch of rice,… to thank the gods. After the owner completes the rituals, everyone gathers and eats together.
When the ceremony ends, the celebration begins. There are many interesting folk games taking place such as martial arts, horse racing, crossbow shooting, cock fighting, and “hat doi giao duyen” contest (singing competition for love and marriage),… You can freely participate and receive a warm welcome from people here. The most attractive part of the Gau Tao festival is “hat dap, hat ong” (the singing and answering contest). In this part, mainly young male and female Mong people participate. They sing back and forth, the loser will have to give gifts to the winner. Through that, the two sides can make connections and become predestined.
Note for the best time to join Dong Van Tours
As mentioned above, Dong Van has a relatively low temperature, so you need to bring thick and warm coats. When traveling on the road, you will need to bring a scarf and gloves to keep warm. The pass road in Dong Van is very dangerous, then before the trip, you need to keep your health in the best state to drive safely. Our guide, who will accompany you, will assist as much as possible with any situation. In addition, water in Dong Van is relatively scarce. As a result, you can prepare more bottled drinking water to take the initiative in your journey. In terms of transportation, our vehicles are always in the best condition, so your Northwest Motorbike Tours will go smoothly.
Having a memorable Dong Van trip with a Vietnam Motorbike Tour Expert
Dong Van is one of the notable destinations in Northwest Motorbike Tours and Northern Vietnam Motorbike Tours. Besides the towering mountains, you will also try the feeling of sitting in a boat in the middle of the vast lake or walking in the green forest. Vietnam Motorbike Tour Expert offers a flexible schedule so that you can comfortably enjoy the beauty of every part of Vietnam. We are proud to have 20 years of experience organizing motorbike tours from North to South, so you can be assured of the service we bring. Vietnam Motorbike Tour Expert always tries to bring back special memories in your journey.
Above is the information about the best time to join Dong Van Tours. If you are wondering how to organize your travel plans, please contact us for more advice.