A dated calendar of Southeast Asia travel experiences
Calendar · Fourth quarter
October to December: blossom, lanterns and high water
The last quarter packs in more dated events than any other: the end of Buddhist Lent, buckwheat on the karst plateau, Loi Krathong and Yi Peng, the Cambodian Water Festival, and the start of Angkor's dry season. It is also the flood season on the central Vietnamese coast.
The quarter at a glance
| Month | What is on | What to watch |
|---|---|---|
| October | Buckwheat flowering begins; festival opened 25 October 2026; end of Buddhist Lent around the full moon (26 October 2026, 15 October 2027); lantern night 13 October 2027 | Peak flood risk in Hoi An and Hue; rain easing at Angkor |
| November | Loi Krathong and Yi Peng (24–25 November 2026); Water Festival 23–25 November 2026; lantern nights 22 November 2026 and 11 November 2027 | Central Vietnam floods; Chiang Mai flights cut on lantern nights |
| December | Buckwheat until December; Angkor dry and cooler; lantern nights 22 December 2026 and 11 December 2027 | Smoke season starts in the north of Thailand |
Sources: VietnamPlus — buckwheat in bloom at Pho Bang, festival opening 25 October; Thai Holiday Guide — Loy Krathong (independent guide); Andersen Cambodia — Sub-Decree 167 on 2026 public holidays (law firm summary); Tourist Bucket lunar and sun calculations (PyEphem, UTC+7), cross-checked with a Chinese-calendar library; Vietnam National Authority of Tourism — weather and climate · last checked .
Buckwheat on the Dong Van karst plateau
Buckwheat, tam giac mach in Vietnamese, flowers pink and white across the Dong Van karst plateau from October to December. In 2026 the province planted about 400 hectares in three batches so that flowering would be staggered. Reports in mid-October described flowers already open around Pho Bang, Hoang Su Phi, Xin Man, Pho Cao, Sung La, Dong Van, Lung Cu and Ma Le, with October and November the most vivid.
The 2026 buckwheat flower festival, the 12th, was first announced for 6 November and later reported as opening on 25 October at Youth Square in Dong Van. That change is a good example of why we do not treat an early announcement as final. The area was Ha Giang province until July 2025; it is now part of Tuyen Quang province.
Sources: VietnamPlus — buckwheat flower festival 2026 announced; VietnamPlus — buckwheat in bloom at Pho Bang, festival opening 25 October; Vietnam National Authority of Tourism — the 34 new provincial names · last checked .
Loi Krathong and Yi Peng
Loi Krathong falls on the full moon of the 12th Thai lunar month. For 2026 the main published holiday calendar gives Tuesday 24 November, with Yi Peng in Chiang Mai on 24 and 25 November; one travel guide gives 25 November. Our astronomical full moon is at 21:53 on 24 November, Thai time. For 2027 the guides give 13 to 14 November.
In Chiang Mai, sky lanterns may only be released at authorised times and places; in 2025 the authorities declared no-lantern zones over parts of six districts and the airport cut or moved 161 flights. The Loi Krathong page explains what that means for travel.
Sources: Thai Holiday Guide — Loy Krathong (independent guide); Ume Travel — Loy Krathong and Yi Peng dates (travel company guide); Khaosod English — Chiang Mai airport adjusts flights for Yi Peng; Tourist Bucket lunar and sun calculations (PyEphem, UTC+7), cross-checked with a Chinese-calendar library · last checked .
The Water Festival in Cambodia
Bon Om Touk, the Water Festival, marks the end of the rainy season and the reversal of the Tonle Sap river. Cambodia's Sub-Decree No. 167 of 18 September 2025 sets it as a three-day public holiday from 23 to 25 November 2026. The festival is centred on boat races on the river in Phnom Penh and draws very large crowds from the provinces. The 2027 dates will be set by a new sub-decree; they normally sit around the November full moon, which in 2027 is on 14 November.
Pchum Ben, the festival for the dead, was a public holiday from 10 to 12 October in 2026. It is a family and pagoda festival rather than a public spectacle, and like the other three-day holidays it fills roads and buses out of Phnom Penh.
Sources: Andersen Cambodia — Sub-Decree 167 on 2026 public holidays (law firm summary); Tourist Bucket lunar and sun calculations (PyEphem, UTC+7), cross-checked with a Chinese-calendar library · last checked .
Floods on the central coast
This is the season to treat the central Vietnamese coast with caution. The UK Foreign Office says seasonal flooding occurs in October and November in central Vietnam; the national tourism authority puts Hue's flood risk from September to November and describes Hoi An as rainy from September to January. Hoi An's riverside old town floods in heavy rain, and a lantern night can be cancelled at short notice.
If you travel to Hoi An in October or November, keep the dates flexible, check the forecast and the provincial news in the days before, and keep accommodation that can be cancelled. The Hoi An page lists every lantern night through 2027.
Sources: UK Foreign Office — Vietnam safety and security; Vietnam National Authority of Tourism — weather and climate; vietnamtourism.com — November 2026 lantern night (travel website) · last checked .
Angkor's dry season returns
Rainfall in Siem Reap drops from about 200 mm in October to about 51 mm in November and 7 mm in December, and sunrise moves from 05:54 to 06:18 over the quarter. December is the start of the main sunrise season; crowds grow with it. The temples close to the Thai border are a separate matter: UK advice is against all but essential travel within 20 km of that border, where land crossings are suspended and several temples are closed.
Sources: Wikipedia — Siem Reap climate table; Tourist Bucket lunar and sun calculations (PyEphem, UTC+7), cross-checked with a Chinese-calendar library; UK Foreign Office — Cambodia travel advice · last checked .
Who should skip this quarter
- Travellers who need a fixed, non-refundable stay in Hoi An or Hue in October or November.
- Anyone hoping to release a sky lantern freely in Chiang Mai: releases are restricted to permitted places and times.
- People who dislike very large crowds: Phnom Penh at the Water Festival and Chiang Mai at Yi Peng are among the busiest weeks of their year.
- Visitors with breathing problems going to northern Thailand at the end of December.
Common questions
Questions readers ask
When is the Water Festival in Cambodia in 2026?
From 23 to 25 November 2026, under Sub-Decree No. 167. The 2027 dates have not been published yet.
When does buckwheat flower on the Dong Van plateau?
From October to December, with October and November the most vivid. In 2026 the festival opened on 25 October.
Is Hoi An flooded in November?
Not every year, but October and November are the flood months on the central coast, and lantern nights can be cancelled. Keep plans flexible.
When is Loi Krathong in 2026?
The main night is 24 November 2026 in most calendars, with Yi Peng events in Chiang Mai on 24 and 25 November. Some guides give 25 November.
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July to September
The monsoon quarter: early rice in Tu Le and Mu Cang Chai, Mid-Autumn, waterfalls and the typhoon risk.
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Calendar · First quarter
January to March
Tet, Angkor in its driest months, the cold north of Vietnam and the smoke season: what January to March holds.
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Festivals · Thailand
Loi Krathong and Yi Peng
The 2026 and 2027 dates, why sources disagree, the Chiang Mai no-lantern zones and how the airport changes its schedule.
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Festivals
Festival calendar
Dates for 2026 and 2027 with a label for each: official, announced or calculated, and how the lunar calendars work.
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Nature seasons
Nature seasons
When the terraces turn gold, when buckwheat flowers on the Dong Van plateau, firefly evenings and monsoon waterfalls.
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Festivals · Vietnam
Hoi An lantern nights
Every Hoi An lantern night through 2027, with the lights-off time, the old town ticket and the flood months.
Read more
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