Foreign tourists hoping to visit northern Vietnam keep tabs on flood situation

Sweet Peaches, a Singaporean woman, said her family planned to visit Hanoi, Sa Pa, Ninh Binh, and Ha Long Bay between Sept. 19 and 30, but due to concerns over landslides in Sa Pa, they decided to remove it from their itinerary.

She is closely monitoring the situation in the other three destinations and is seeking advice on safe travel routes and potential alternative destinations through a Facebook travel group with over 500,000 members.

"Some people have suggested visiting Pu Luong, Hue or Da Nang (all in central Vietnam) first and then returning to the northern destinations at the end of September," she said, adding that she might reconsider her travel plans.

In other travel groups too foreigners have been asking about the flood situation.

September is the peak travel season in northern Vietnam, with cooler weather and the scenery at its best. Mountainous areas like Sa Pa and Yen Bai are famous for their golden rice terraces at this time of the year.

People also flock to beach destinations like Ha Long Bay and Lan Ha Bay before winter sets in.

Aung Kyaw Phyo, who lives in Dubai, is scheduled to arrive in Hanoi on Sept. 23 and travel to Ha Long Bay for a six-day stay.

He has been keeping a close eye on weather updates, travel advisories and accommodation options.

"Hopefully, by my departure date everything will be back to normal, and I’ll be able to fully enjoy my vacation," he said.

Mahmudur Rahman Sayem of Bangladesh had planned to visit Cat Ba Island with his wife on Sunday but a local tour guide advised them against visiting Cat Ba and Ha Long at this time.

He plans to postpone his trip to mid-October.

Merlinda O'Hare of the Philippines was set to visit Ha Long in early October, but changed her plans after being told by a local guide that the quality of services might not recover by then.

"I was [also] advised to split my time between different places in the north, like Ninh Binh, rather than spend the entire trip in Ha Long," she said.

She now plans a guided tour of Vietnam, saying having a guide would give her a sense of security.

Harvey Koi, a travel blogger from the Philippines, who visited Hanoi in August, described the typhoon's impact on the city as "unbelievable" and said he would return this month to see how the city is recovering and create content based on it.

Tourists board a boat to visit Ha Long Bay in Quang Ninh on Sept. 13, 2024. Photo by Bui Van Toan

Tourism activities have already resumed in some northern areas like Hanoi and Ha Long though there is no information from remote mountainous regions such as Sa Pa and Lao Cai.

Tourist boats in Ha Long Bay resumed normal operations on Friday.

A representative of Hanoi travel agency Beyond Vietnam said his company resumed inbound tours on Sept. 10.

"Sa Pa, Ninh Binh and Ha Long have been the destinations most frequently asked about by foreign tourists during the past week."