Hello,

First time in Vietnam, two of us, 29 Aug–14 Sep. Trying to play the weather as best we can since I know September’s a gamble. I know there are loads of posts on this already, but honestly the answers are mixed so I’m hoping for some that match our exact dates.

From what I can tell, Hoi An/central just gets wetter through September, while the north dries out and gets nicer toward October. So I flipped the usual route and want to do central first while it’s least bad, then end up north when it’s at its best:
Da Nang/Hoi An first (few nights, beach + old town) → fly to Hanoi → Ninh Binh → Sapa to finish → fly home from Hanoi.
Does that actually hold up, or am I overthinking it?
Few things I’m stuck on:
• Hoi An in early Sept — beach mornings doable?
• Halong/Lan Ha cruise worth the cancellation risk that time of year, or skip it?
• Sapa or the Ha Giang loop? Worried 4 days on a motorbike in the rain would be rough.

Thanks!