Can Tho's most comfortable stretch: hot and sunny with the least rain and the lowest risk of a lingering tropical cyclone. December still carries a small, fading chance of a late-season storm, and by February the heat is already climbing back up, but this is as comfortable as the Mekong Delta gets. Cai Rang floating market and the canals are at their easiest to visit, with calm water and clear mornings.

This tier spans quite different halves of the year. March and April are still dry season, but noticeably hotter, some of the most intense heat of the year builds through these months before the monsoon breaks it. May, June, and October sit within the wetter half of the year, rain is frequent, but conditions haven't reached the deepest, most saturated stretch of the monsoon yet. November sees the rains ease off fast as the season turns.

The heart of the monsoon, when rain falls on the majority of days and September, the wettest month of the year, can bring flooding to low-lying parts of the delta. Canal and orchard tours can be disrupted by heavy downpours, though showers are often short and afternoon-focused. Hotel prices drop to their lowest point of the year to match.