Dien Bien Phu

Dien Bien Phu

Dien Bien Phu

Dien Bien Phu

Dien Bien Phu is a comparatively new city established in the middle of the 19th century to help to rid the area of incursions by bandits from Siam, Laos and China. Its remote location within the extreme northwest of Vietnam deterred both guests and development, other than changing into a French garrison through the colonial period.

The town rocketed to international prominence when the Viet Minh troops below General Giap over got here the beleaguered French forces in 1954, the decisive battle that ended nearly a century of French occupation of Vietnam.

Just lately, Dien Bien Phu has begun to develop rapidly following its designation as Lai Chau’s provincial capital and the Vietnam government’s coverage of encouraging ethnic Vietnamese families to move to the area. Nevertheless, despite a boost from tourism stimulated by the 50th anniversary of the Battle of Dien Bien Phu, the city is still little visited.

There’s a reasonable highway, however the five hundred kilometre journey takes most of two days, assuming an overnight stay. A flight to Dien Bien Phu is essentially the most practical technique of travel if time is limited.

There are few hotels on this area of the northwest, and none above our ‘local’ standard.

The foremost attraction is the battlefield, its associated museum and relicts, and more lately, the largest statue in Vietnam erected to commemorate the 2004 anniversary. Nonetheless, for the adventurous customer, it is a gorgeous centre for majestic surroundings and an access point for encounters with Lai Chau Province’s broad number of ethnic minority teams that have hardly been touched by tourism.

A road journey from Dien Bien Phu to Sapa will take by a number of the best scenery in Vietnam. Tough roads, very basic hotels and few amenities deter the tourists and go away the forests, waterfalls, terraces and the various minority villages in a pristine state ready for the intense traveler.

Sin Ho village is definitely worth a 20km detour. The monitor runs throughout vertiginous mountain sides and is not for the faint-hearted, however rewards the traveler with spectacular views of close to perpendicular terracing and majestic forests. The area is home to Purple, White and Flower H’mong and Dao ethnic minority communities. Those that have the good fortune to arrive on Sunday morning will find an entirely authentic local market.

Tam Duong has much more vibrant ethnic minority communities – White and Flower H’mong, Dao Khau, Giay and White and Black Thai peoples.