The North Vietnam shares borderlines with China in the north east and Laos in the North West. The region covers the country from its Northern top in Ha Giang down to the Hai Van pass in the middle of Vietnam with a lot of wonderful sites.

The weather in North Vietnam comes in four different seasons in a year: Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter. From February to April, Spring lasts as a symbol of fertility with drizzle and warmth that helps plants grow and flowers bloom brightly. From May to August it is Summer time with hot and showery weather. Autumn is considered the most beautiful time in year here with cool air, sunny days which are usually dry and windy. It lasts from September to November. Next comes winter with its dry and cold characters. There's no snow, however the cold is pretty harsh in general.

The best time to visit the North Vietnam is around summer and Autumn when the days are bright and dry and the normal weather is ideal for being on road.

When visiting this region, the must-see sites include Hanoi, Halong bay, Sapa, NinhBinh and HaiPhong...While Hanoi gives tourists an insight about the North Vietnamese life and culture in a booming modern life with a lingering glimpse of its antique past, Halong bay and Sapa are must-sees for its natural beauty and rugged scenery that promise to take tourists' breath away.

In the growing demand for tourism, tourist services in all the major sites are pretty abundant and available, if not over-pushy sometimes. Traveling to the North, as well as any other part of Vietnam, tourists don't have to worry about the availability of hotels in Vietnam, transportations or other services. Hanoi hotels and Sapa hotels are the common choice for accommodation in these cities, while in Halong bay tourists often stay overnight on a Halong cruise.

However, it is recommended that hotels should be booked in advance to avoid sky-high room rates during peak seasons. If the pre-booking is too much hassle, tourists always have an option of motels in case most hotels are fully booked. Be warned that the facilities in Vietnam motels are limited, but they serve the purpose of a place to sleep just fine if that's what tourists are looking for. Nevertheless, in order to get a motel room, some basic Vietnamese would come in handy and is obviously essential.

Whether discovering the crowded city of Hanoi or visiting hill tribes around Sapa, failing to try local cuisines is a great miss.  In Hanoi, Pho, Cha Ca La Vong or Bun Dau Mam Tom all are special dishes that have been a symbol of Hanoians' food for a long time. The same goes for grilled food in Sapa, Goat meat in NinhBinh or seafood in HaiPhong, Halong. Just remember that sometimes in Vietnam, it's not the grandest places that promise the most delicious food. It is the vendors and street food stalls in some street corners that give an authentic taste. But a local insight is needed to find these not-so-grand places.