Monsoon season? Right gear, no fear

By Ha Phuong August 30, 2016 | 06:34 am PT

Rubber shoes, umbrellas and raincoats are your best friends during the monsoon season in Vietnam.

Considering traveling to Vietnam from July to late November in the monsoon season? Don’t forget these items that will make the heavy downpours and temporary rivers become a piece of cake.

Rubber footwear

Tourists, don’t ever think of showing off your stylish canvas or fashionable leather shoes when the monsoon season strikes, or else consider them dead already.

Rubber shoes, rubber slippers, rubber sandals... in short: rubber footwear is the best choice against the pools of (most of the time dirty) water that fill up everywhere.

And, as you're in Vietnam, you might as well dress like a Vietnamese.

Treat yourself to a pair of iconic beehive slippers (‘dep to ong’). The legendary footwear that saves you from heavy downpours with waterproof and non-slippery features will cost you only $1.5 (VND 30,000).

Plus, they are comfy and perfect for the muddy rainy season in Vietnam as all you have to do in the aftermath is to rinse off the dirt. They are cute too, kind of.

A pair of Crocs isn't a bad choice either. Crocs stores can be found in almost every shopping mall in Hanoi, Saigon and Da Nang.

Or more simply and less costly, cover up your shoes with plastic bags. Find bags that fit your feet and done! Your shoes are protected from the water. But it is not recommended since it's not environmentally friendly and a little dangerous in the slippery conditions.

Nilon boots for rainy day. Photo by VnExpress

Plastic boots for a rainy day. Photo by VnExpress

Travel umbrella

We know what you’re thinking. Umbrellas are a luxury item for some travelers because of their weight and size. Plus, if you try to use an umbrella during a typhoon, you might be able to fly like Mary Poppins...

...in your dreams. Real life s*cks.

Strong winds are coming! Hold on people! Photo by Reuters/Stringer/Files

However, for the occasional small showers, an umbrella makes good company. Travel umbrellas are just perfect, and you can take them everywhere with you. One more thing: monsoon season doesn’t mean it will be raining day after day; the sun shines too. Then the umbrella becomes your shield against harmful UV rays.

Umbrella, the shield protecting you from UV rays. Photo by VnExpress

Raincoat

The best rain gear award should go to the simple raincoat. The raincoat gives you more mobility than you’ve ever wished for and is small enough to fit in your backpack. Plus, not only does it cover your body from head to toe, but also your backpack and camera gear. Raincoats are the garment of choice among locals, and the different colors guarantee to brighten up the gloomy weather.

When a raincoat and an umbrella come together. Photo from Vitalk

Lens raincoat

Dear travel photographer, this is exclusively for you. This kind of raincoat protects your camera and lens from the rain. It’s made of a lightweight waterproof, breathable poly tricot material that is small and takes up as much space as a pair of socks in your bag! No need to worry about your digital camera getting wet.