NORTHWEST VIETNAM. A heady landscape of towering evergreen peaks, fertile
river valleys and scattered hill-tribe villages, northwest Vietnam is the most ...
© Lonely Planet Publications 165
Northwest Vietnam A heady landscape of towering evergreen peaks, fertile river valleys and scattered hill-tribe villages, northwest Vietnam is the most dramatic and mountainous region in the country. It’s a sparsely populated area (most of the towns are little more than overgrown villages) so it’s a great place to get off the beaten path and escape the urban sprawl and heavy traffic that characterises much of the travellers’ trail in Vietnam. The northwest is a heartland of hill-tribe culture, and the displays of textiles and traditional costume are mesmerising. The weaving skills of the women are astounding, and you’ll witness a riot of colour in the markets: the scarlet headdresses of the Dzao women, the indigo fabrics of the sociable and chatty Black H’mong, and the incredibly intricate brocaded aprons of the Flower H’mong.
Public bus services are improving, and though they are slow it’s perfectly feasible to get around this way. However most travellers opt to explore the region by motorbike or 4WD. The main roads are virtually all paved, but still gruelling, and are regularly wiped out by landslides during the wet season.
HIGHLIGHTS Walk misty mountain trails through sub-
lime scenery and hill-tribe villages around Sapa (p176) Marvel at the fecund landscape and stay
in a traditional stilt house in the Mai Chau (p168) region
Bac Ha Fansipan
Sapa
Make for the minority markets – a blaze
of colour when the Flower H’mong are in town – around Bac Ha (p185) Strap on your trekking boots for an ascent
Dien Bien Phu
of Vietnam’s highest peak, Fansipan (p178) Explore the bunkers, museums and war
Mai Chau
memorials of Dien Bien Phu (p171), the end of the road for the French in Vietnam ELEVATION: 100–3143M
BEST TIME TO VISIT: MAR–MAY & SEP–NOV
NORTHWEST VIETNAM
Sapa, an old French hill station, makes a great base for a few days, with some superb hiking and stunning vistas of Fansipan, Vietnam’s highest peak. Northeast is Bac Ha, home to an astonishing Sunday market, and the province of Ha Giang, where you’ll find the valley of Dong Van. The fabled northwest loop road snakes an incredibly scenic path across to Dien Bien Phu and down to Mai Chau through lush lowland valleys and over chilly high mountain passes.
166 N O R T H W E S T V I E T N A M • • H i s t o r y
lonelyplanet.com
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NORTHWEST VIETNAM
CHINA YUNNAN
Muong Te
Pa Tan
12
Sinho 4D Tam Duong (Binh Lu)
Chan Nua
Lao Cai
Fansipan (3143m)
32
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Dien Bien Phu
NORTHWEST VIETNAM
Tuyen Quang
Son La
PHU THO
6
Tay Trang
SON LA
Song Da Reservoir
Tam Dao Hill Station VINH PHUC Vinh Yen
2
Mai Chau
HANOI
HANOI Ha Dong
6 Hoa Binh
Xa Linh
The history of the northwest is a separate saga to that of lowland Vietnam. The Vietnamese traditionally steered clear of the mountains, as the unforgiving terrain was not seen as suitable for large-scale rice production. For many centuries the area remained inhabited by small groups of minority people who were joined in the 19th century by new migrants from Yunnan, China and Tibet. For much of the 19th century this was the ‘badlands’; a sort of buffer zone between China and Vietnam where bandits roamed. During Ho Chi Minh’s leadership of the north, the Vietnamese experimented with limited autonomy in ‘special zones’, but these were abolished after reunification. Life for the minorities has always been difficult. Until recently their most profitable crop was opium, but the authorities have clamped down hard on its cultivation, and very little is now produced. Educational opportunities have been very limited here, but new schools have opened in remote areas across the north in the last decade and the vast majority of children are now receiving
Viet Tri
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Ba Vi National Park
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History
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Ha Giang
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ὈὈ To Kunming (260km)
100 km 60 miles
Dong Van Meo Quan Ba Yen Vac Pass Khau Minh Vai 4C
HOA BINH
HA TAY
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Perfume Pagoda
an education. Economic prospects remain limited however, and many highlanders move to Hanoi or other cities in search of work.
Getting There & Away Remote and mountainous, the northwest is the one region of Vietnam where it pays to consider the ‘ins and outs’ carefully. The main airport is at Dien Bien Phu, which has daily connections to Hanoi. The most popular way to reach the region is aboard the train from Hanoi to Lao Cai, the gateway to Sapa. It’s either that or the mountain roads, which can be somewhat unforgiving on a public bus. Even better is the option of a private 4WD if you have the funds or can muster a group together. But perhaps the best way to experience this wonderful region is from the seat of a motorbike. The most rewarding journey in these parts is the ‘northwest loop’. Head for Mai Chau, then Son La and Dien Bien Phu, then north to Lai Chau, Sapa and back to Hanoi. Or do it in reverse. The loop is best with a 4WD or motorbike, for though the highways are much improved, they are still rough in parts. Allow
