Dien Bien Phu

For history buffs, Dien Bien Phu is a place that one should dream about visiting. It was the site of the Dien Bien Phu battle during the First Indochina War. A battle between the French and the Vietminh (both Communist and nationalist) that resulted in the colonists surrendering to the Vietnamese and ended the French colonial presence in Southeast Asia but also led to the division of the country into North and South. Nowadays, it’s a stark contrast to the war that raged on and is a relatively sleepy town with a high proportion of ethnic minorities – only one-third of residents are ethnically Vietnamese. The history and the people, and the fact that outsiders don’t know too much about this place, are definitely this destination’s biggest draws

One can get to Dien Bien Phu via a decent sleeper bus via Hanoi’s My Dinh Station but if you happen to be in Sapa or Lao Cai, you could have the opportunity to take a scenic route getting there. Those with an interest in battle will be pleased to know that a lot of major historical locations have been well-preserved and are worth visiting. But it’s not all for history buffs, as people who want an untouched part of Vietnam will find the valley at Dien Bien Phu particularly pleasing with beautiful mountains dotted with friendly Thai and Kamu minority villages. From here, travelers may also use Dien Bien Phu as a jumpoff point to visit the lesser-known northern region of Laos, Muang Khua.