Best time to visit Southeast Asia
Everyone has a different favourite season in Southeast Asia and it all depends on what you want to get out of your trip![]()
The best time to visit Southeast Asia is between November and February. There’s drier, less humid and slightly cooler weather in most of the region, with average temperatures around 30°C. Bring a warm jacket for evenings, though. The rainy season in Southeast Asia is between June and October, meaning flooding in the Mekong Delta and lush paddy fields in Cambodia and Vietnam. If you don’t mind the odd shower, the monsoon season can often be the best time of the year to visit Southeast Asia for deals on flights and accommodation.
When to go to Southeast Asia month by month guide
Our Southeast Asia (Indochina) Holidays
Indochina tours
An awesome adventure Cambodia Laos Thailand & Vietnam
From
£3145 to £3695
30 days
ex flights
Indochina holiday adventure
Laos and Cambodia; Luang Prabang, the Plain of Jars & Angkor
From
£2025 to £2125
14 days
ex flights
Thai Indo China holiday
An unusual journey across southern Indochina
From
£2699 to £3199
16 days
inc UK flights
Indochina holiday, private departure
Discover the charms and landscapes of South-East Asia!
From
£3074
16 days
ex flights
Indochina holiday, Hanoi to Bangkok via Angkor
Awesome adventure through Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand
From
£1144 to £1680
22 days
ex flights
Indochina tailor made holiday
Southeast Asia tour of Thailand, Laos, Cambodia & Vietnam
From
£4450
21 days
ex flights
Bangkok Weather Chart
MIN °C
MAX °C
RAIN (mm)
JAN
21
32
8
FEB
23
33
21
MAR
25
34
31
APR
26
35
68
MAY
26
34
182
JUN
26
33
159
JUL
25
33
167
AUG
25
32
207
SEP
25
32
292
OCT
24
32
199
NOV
23
32
49
DEC
21
31
11
Travel Team
If you'd like to chat about Southeast Asia (Indochina) or need help finding a holiday to suit you we're very happy to help.
01273 823 700
Call us after 9am
Calling from outside the UK
Responsible Travel recommends
Kian Rackley from our supplier, Insider Journeys, shares his opinion on the best time to visit Southeast Asia: “The best time to visit Southeast Asia is between October and March; it’s cool and the weather is dry. The rainy season kicks off in April across the region, but it is fickle from country to country, so it’s safer to say that it lasts through from March until September, but can still be a great time to visit. In central Vietnam where most of the beaches are, from April through to July is a very warm and dry spell. Laos becomes very dry and very hot during that period, especially inland, and in the south it becomes unbearably hot, and in Cambodia it’s rainy, but the showers are short and sharp and happen predictably in the morning and in the afternoon, so it’s perfectly manageable. Visiting during this period is well worth it because tourist arrivals plummet, so you really escape the crowds, and it’s when the rice harvests starts, so the brown rice fields are replaced by a fluorescent green.”
Festivals & events
Songkran
A real benefit to visiting Southeast Asia on the cusp of the dry season is Songkran, the New Year celebrations that happen across Southeast Asia in April. It’s a huge, week-long party in the street celebrating the end of the dry season and the start of the rainy season. Everyone has a water gun, so there’s no hiding behind anyone to escape from getting wet; they’ll definitely have a water gun and will soak you through while belly laughing. A 90-year-old granny in the street? Don’t trust her.
More about Southeast Asia (Indochina)
Our Indochina travel guide incorporates all the charm, creativity and chaos of four of South East Asia’s most beguiling countries: Thailand, Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia.
Follow the Mekong River as it traces a route through Indochina and provides a valuable source of work, food and transportation for local people as well as an ideal point of reference to make the most of your time in Indochina.
The beauty of travelling in Southeast Asia is that capital cities, such as Bangkok, and key cultural sites, such as Angkor Wat, are relatively close together and easily accessible, even if they’re in different countries.
Flowing south through Laos, Thailand and Cambodia before forming the Mekong Delta in Vietnam, the Mekong is the life source for many of the region’s capital cities and rural villages, and a wonderful place to explore.
Seeking out the street food stalls and cooking classes of Southeast Asia allows travellers to taste the difference and compare the cuisine of Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam.
If you’ve been to Southeast Asia and feel like you’ve seen all there is to see, perhaps it’s time to check out Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam from a slightly closer perspective.
If you’re planning on travelling in Indochina with kids then go for it, as from primate rescue centres and bamboo rafting along the Mekong River to hidden temple ruins and friendly local people, this region of South East Asia is made for families who love to explore.
We’re proud to be able to publish some genuinely helpful Indochina travel advice that has come directly from our friends in Indochina with food advice and tips on visiting ancient cities just as insightful as tips on how to travel safely in Indochina.
We know that all responsible travellers want to travel right in Indochina which is why our responsible tourism page highlights the important issues, including orphanages, poverty, animal rights and boycotting Thailand’s tiger temple, plus what you can do to help.
