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taken some of the shine off its laidback vibe. Further south, the stilthouse-filled valley of Mai Chau offers another opportunity to stay in a minority village. Though few people venture further inland, rough backroads heading upcountry link isolated outposts and give access to the northwest’s only specific sight, where the French colonial dream expired in the dead-end valley of Dien Bien Phu. East of the Red River Valley lies an even less-frequented region, whose prime attraction is its varied scenery, from the vertigo-inducing valleys of Ha Giang to the limestone crags and multi-layered rainforest of Ba Be National Park, then east over immense, empty hill country to the remote valleys of Cao Bang, farmed by communities still practising their traditional ways of life.

Stilthouse around Mai Chau

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Where to go |

Water-puppets

Vietnam’s unique contribution to the world of marionettes, water-puppetry is a delightfully quirky form of theatre in which the action takes place on a stage of water. It was probably spawned in the murky rice paddies of the northern Red River Delta where performances still take place after the spring planting. Obscured by a split-bamboo screen, puppeteers standing waist-deep in water manipulate the wooden puppets, some weighing over 10kg, which are attached to the end of long poles concealed beneath the surface. Dragons, ducks, lions, unicorns, phoenixes and frogs spout smoke, throw balls and generally cavort on the watery stage – miraculously avoiding tangled poles. Brief scenes of rural life, such as water-buffalo fights, fishing or rice planting, take place alongside the legendary exploits of Vietnam’s military heroes or perhaps a promenade of fairy-like immortals. In the more sophisticated productions staged for tourists in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, even fireworks emerge to dance upon the water, which itself takes on different characters, from calm and placid to seething and furious during naval battles.

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When to go

Vietnam has a tropical monsoon climate, dominated by the south or southwesterly monsoon from May to September and the northeast monsoon from October to April. The southern summer monsoon brings rain to the two deltas and west-facing slopes, while the cold winter monsoon picks up moisture over the Gulf of Tonkin and dumps it along the central coast and the eastern edge of the central highlands. Within this basic pattern there are marked differences according to altitude and latitude; temperatures in the south remain equable all year round, while the north experiences distinct seasonal variations.

In southern Vietnam the dry season lasts from December to late April or May, and the rains from May through to November. Since most rain falls in brief afternoon downpours, this need not be off-putting, though flooding at this time of year can cause problems in the Mekong Delta. Daytime temperatures in the region rarely drop below 20°C, occasionally hitting 40#x00B0;C during the hottest months (March, April and May). The climate of the central highlands generally follows the same pattern, though temperatures are cooler, especially at night. Again, the monsoon rains of May to October can make transport more complicated, sometimes washing out roads and cutting off remoter villages.

The Old Quarter, Hanoi

Along the central coast the rainfall pattern reverses under the influence of the northeast monsoon. Around Nha Trang the wet season starts with a flourish in November and continues to December. Further north, around Hué and Da Nang, the rains last a bit longer, from September to February, though even the dry season (March–Aug) brings a fair quantity of intermittent rain. If possible it pays to visit these two cities in the spring (Feb–May), just before the rains break in September or as they begin to fizzle out in November. Temperatures reach their maximum (often in the upper 30s) from June to August, when it’s pleasant to escape into the hills. The northern stretches of this coastal region experience a more extreme climate, with a shorter rainy season