Dien Bien Phu overview

Dien Bien Phu is well and truly countrified, located as it is right out in the wilds of north-western Vietnam. It’s a bit out of the way to be making trips here from Hanoi, but if you are toing and froing from Laos, or are planning on visiting the mountain town of Son La, it’s worth a look. Dien Bien Phu is fairly historic, with various battlegrounds around and about – the French were defeated here in 1954 during the War of Independence. You can check out the French defences on the Ron River, with the French Command Bunker and the Strong point ‘Elaine’ on either bank, plus the Vietnam Military Museum is also nearby. Dien Bien Phu is also used as a base for hill tribe treks and can be reached in an hour by plane from Hanoi.