Vietnam encounters 5-6 storms every year, according to the National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting. Normally 2-3 of them make direct impact in northern Vietnam, including Halong Bay. If you’re thinking about visiting this stunning bay, check this article now!
When
The typhoon season in Halong Bay lasts from July to September, with an average of at least 1 every month. The bay, as a coastline, is more likely to be struck and suffer a greater impact by a typhoon than other parts of Vietnam.
Read more at: Best time to Visit Halong Bay
How long
In Halong Bay, a typhoon and its effects often last 3 to 5 days. It usually take 3 to 4 days to make their way into the bay from the East Sea but it effects could come before that. During this time, the entire bay gets covered in cat and dog rains. However, it just takes half a day for it disappear after colliding with the ground and Halong City. During the summer months, such as July, you may even see the sun 2 or 3 hours after the typhoon collides.
What happen with Halong Bay cruises if a typhoon come
Normally, at the start of a typhoon, everything continues as usual because there is only rain but less wind. It’s a different story as the typhoon comes closer and the wind get stronger.
All cruises are only permitted to travel the bay on a daily basis by the Halong Bay Management Board. To make a decision, the board will continue to monitor the situation and the location of the typhoon. They also tend to make decisions at the last minute, between 9:00 and 10:00 a.m. For this reason, there can be some unexpected cancellations.
In some cases, you won’t find out until you’re on your way or at the bay that your cruises have been canceled. If you’re already on a tour, you’ll likely have to come back even if the cruise is in the middle of the sea.
If you’re lucky enough to meet a small typhoon, you can still visit Halong Bay during the day but not stay overnight. In this case, the overnight cruise itinerary will be shortened to a day trip, and your romantic night will be spent in a hotel instead.
Understand, however, that this is a strict act from the bay for safety, and there isn’t much that neither you or the cruise can do about it. What matters now is what you do with your travel plans and the money you’ve paid.
What to do
Of course, you should avoid visiting Halong Bay during the typhoon season if possible. However, these hot summer months are the best time to explore Halong Bay and fully enjoy all the interesting water activities of the area. Besides, not everybody could easily change their holiday schedule.
Good news for you, there’s still possible to fully enjoy Halong Bay, even during typhoon season. Here’s some tips to avoid/minimize the downside of a typhoon in Halong Bay:
- Check the focast:
Fortunately, all typhoons are monitored and announced in advance, so if you keep up with the forecast, you can completely avoid them. Halong Bay management also has very strong safety regulations, so if they allow you and the cruise departs, it will be complete secure. A safe time to keep track with the weather in Halong Bay with in 7 days. - Check cancellation policy:
Things happen when they happen, and it’s up to us to cope with them. That’s why you should never be too careful when double-checking the policy before booking anything. Normally, with unique service like Halong Bay cruises will be applied with force majeur condition and no charge should be applied.
With others ground services like tours on land or hotels, you’ll need to check carefully with their cancellation policy to make sure no surprise when it’s happen. - Have a backup plan
A storm in Halong Bay could last from 1 to several days. As a result, having a back-up plan is highly recommend, especially if you have a tight time budget. Normally, you could explore other attractions in the Halong Bay neighborhood, such as Ninh Binh or Hanoi City. It’s likely that it’ll rain in these places as well, but tours will continue as usual. These areas are quite close to Halong, so you can easily go back to the bay once the typhoon has passed.
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