Travelling in Monsoon season

Hi all,

I am looking at booking the big indochina contiki tour for August 2014 for 25 days and then island hopping for a few weeks before heading over to OZ. However It looks like I will be travelling in asia right in the middle of there monsoon season.

I was just wondering should i think about changing the dates and going a month or so later or would it still be ok to travel around. My main worry is i may miss out on seeing alot and doing some activities because of the rain!!

Any advise would be appreciated :-)

Thanks

Jodi

There may be some days that get rained out but it also depends on where you are too. For many locations the rain stops in a few hours and the sun returns. The rain may fall during the night hours. You get caught out in the rain you step in a mall, a bar, a restaurant, go back to the hotel, etc. For some countries like Thailand some tourists prefer to travel during the off season - rainy or hot - because fewer tourists are around and hotels are cheaper. On your tour do they charge the same for an off season hotel or a high season hotel?

It is your choice. For some people cheaper hotels is worth it for putting up with a little rain from time to time. Best weather depends on the country you are in at the time. Thailand December and January are the best times for weather - also the most expensive for hotel prices and even from some countries the price of your plane tickets are higher too.

Many millions of tourists do Asia on their own. Not going with a Contiki type tour. Book their own flights and hotels. Sign on to tours in what ever country they are on. Go at their own pace, etc.

Up to you.

First: Any season has its pros and cons. Go when it suits you!

Second: Never heard of Contiki so I looked it up. I seemed alright, getting to all the "right" places at a reasonable cost. But what's the point of being herded like a sheep? Southeast Asia is the easiest and presumably cheapest backpacking region in the world. Let loose and grow up doing it yourself!

Cool thanks :-)

I see your point, however I will be travelling on my own and I have never done anything like this before and I sometimes find it difficult to meet new people. My parents are feeling uneasy about my travels so thought if I do this tour that will put them at ease and I will get to meet loads of people and this will hopefully help me with my issue with meeting new people. I do however plan on travelling around for a month on my own after the tour in SE Aisa so hopefully this way I will get the best of both worlds :-)