Published on : 08 July 20213 min reading time

The term “cloud hunting” is no longer foreign to the travel community in Vietnam in recent years. It is an absolutely incredible and photogenic phenomenon: a real sea of clouds that you can tread with your feet. Thanks to precise atmospheric and meteorological conditions, a sea of clouds suddenly appeared and slowly progressed over the mountains… It was at this precise moment that the “miracle” occurred.

A thick layer of clouds invades and floods the mountains and forms a white, cottony sea as far as the eye can see. Rarely, a cloud fall is formed if the wind blows in the right direction. Since the sea of cloud only appears a few minutes before it dissipates quickly in thick fog, the time of the “cloud hunt” is an invaluable gift. In Vietnam, there are many places suitable for this activity, the majority of which are in the north of the country due to its mountainous terrain. So where can you discover these fantastic “seas of clouds”? We deliver you our secret destinations to observe this unique natural phenomenon!

Some tips for a successful cloud hunt

Not everyone can successfully hunt for clouds; the probability of this happening depends on your luck. Only nature decides to bring together the different factors that led to the appearance of this famous cotton sea above the valley. However, if you know the favourable weather and humidity conditions for cloud creation, your luck will be higher. Clouds are essentially a mass of visible water vapour floating in the atmosphere. This means that with ideal weather conditions and under perfect atmospheric pressure, clouds form. Thus, the best season for cloud hunting is generally from late winter to early spring, from December to March, when the temperature is between 3°C and 22°C and the humidity is high.

Vietnam’s climate is subtropical, especially in the northern mountainous regions and relatively low temperature regions, such as Da Lat in the centre. These regions are home to many forests, rivers and streams that condense a lot of water vapour, which provides perfect humidity conditions for a sea of clouds to appear. In fact, in the high mountain ranges, a wind blowing in the right direction will keep the clouds in the valleys. Therefore, the perfect conditions would be: little rain the day before and a low temperature with high humidity, but you need to have sun the next day. The best time of day for cloud hunting would be at dawn to watch the fascinating spectacle of a wave of shining clouds under the first rays of sunlight of the day. On sunny days, the sea of clouds stays until 9 or 10 am.

Finally, once the show begins, all that remains is to take a deep breath and remain silent for a moment to cherish this magical moment offered by nature. You will never have been so close to the sky, above the world, where time stands still.