Seasickness on Vietnam Island Boats: Prevention and Planning
Someone in your group gets seasick, and a rough crossing is the part you dread.
Plan around seasickness before you reach the pier. Choose the calmer part of the day, a shorter route, a seat near the middle of the boat, and a light meal. Talk to a pharmacist or doctor about medication well before you travel, not on the jetty.
What do you control before the crossing?
Three things matter most, and you can choose all of them.
- Time of day: morning crossings tend to be calmer than afternoon ones in the same weather, so book earlier sailings where the choice exists.
- Route: the shortest crossing to the island is the gentlest. A long open-water leg is where seasickness bites.
- Boat type: a larger, steadier boat moves less than a small fast one. Ask the seller which vessel your ticket uses.
The season matters too. On the central coast, rain starts in August or September and peaks in October and November1. Rough water is more likely in those months, so a calm-season trip does half your seasickness planning.
Where should you sit?
Sit near the middle of the boat and low down, where movement is least. Face forward, and look at the horizon rather than at a phone or a book. Fresh air helps, so an open rear deck beats a closed cabin.
Avoid the bow, which rises and falls the most, and avoid the smell of fuel at the back of a small boat.
What should you eat and bring?
Eat a light, plain meal one or two hours before the crossing. Avoid heavy, oily or very spicy dishes and alcohol, and do not board on an empty stomach.
Keep water, dry biscuits and a bag in your hand. Ginger sweets are a common comfort, though they will not stop the sickness.
What about medication?
Talk to a pharmacist or doctor before the trip. They can tell you what suits your age and health, and how early to take it. Children, pregnancy and other regular medicine change the advice.
Do not guess at doses and do not share tablets between adults and children. Do not drink alcohol with them.
When should you stop and cancel?
Cancel the crossing when the sea is rough, when someone is unwell before boarding, or when small children cannot sit still. If anyone becomes seriously unwell, Vietnam’s ambulance and first-aid line is 1152.
Our island ferry safety checklist covers life jackets and boarding. For which islands have the gentlest approaches, read island access with seniors and small children, and use the travel-day checker to give crossing days some slack. More transport advice sits in Getting around Vietnam.
Tell us who gets seasick and which crossing worries you, and we will suggest the calmest time of day, the shortest route and a plan B.
Common questions
Where is the best seat on a small boat?
Sit near the middle of the boat and low down, where movement is gentlest, and where you can see the horizon. Avoid the bow, which rises and falls most, and avoid closed rooms with no fresh air. If the boat has an open rear deck, a seat there with a breeze is better than a stuffy cabin.
What should we eat before a crossing?
A light meal an hour or two before, with plain food and water. Skip heavy, oily or very spicy food and alcohol. Do not board on an empty stomach, because that can make nausea worse. Keep dry snacks and water in a bag you can reach.
Can children and older relatives take seasickness tablets?
Talk to a pharmacist or doctor before the trip. Medicines for motion sickness suit some people and not others, and children, pregnancy and other regular medication change the advice. Do not guess at doses, and do not give a tablet to a child that was bought for an adult.
When should we cancel the crossing?
Cancel when the sea is rough, when someone is already unwell before boarding, or when the group has small children who cannot sit still for the whole crossing. A rested day costs less than a miserable one. Choose a shorter crossing or a calmer month next time.
Keep planning
Tell us who gets seasick and which crossing worries you, and we will suggest the calmest time of day, the shortest route and a plan B.