Thac Ba Lake
The lake and its surrounds is considered an area of ecological and cultural importance. The region is home to a number of ethnic minority groups, most notably the Dao but also Tay, Nung, Thai, Muong, Giay and others, with many living along the banks of the lake and earning a living from its waters.
The area also has historical significance: in 1285 the Thu Vat Battle took place against Mongolian invaders and during the Vietnam/American war Thuy Tien cave was the base of Yen Bai provincial committee. North Vietnam travel tours
The lake was created when the Thac Ba Hydropower Plant was constructed on the Chay River in Yen Binh district. It is immense: more than 23,000 hectares, 80 kilometres long, up to 10 kilometres wide and 42 metres down at its deepest point. The landscape is stunning, with 1,331 islands, mostly covered in forest, and still, clear water.
Although it is possible to get to Thac Ba lake independently, it's not a developed tourist location so accommodation is not easily accessible and you can't just walk up to a ticket office and buy a boat ticket -- though you could probably walk up to someone in a lakeside village and find a rower prepared to take you out. We'd therefore recommend either booking onto a tour or booking your overnight stay and activities at La Vie Vu Linh, an eco-lodge and school on the banks of the lake.
Mai Chau
In spring Mai Chau is a bright, almost parrot-green and by autumn this green transforms into golden hues as the rice approaches harvest. Taking the time to watch these transitions of colour seems like a perfectly useful way to spend your time while there.
The scenery isn't the only reason visitors flood to Mai Chau though; those bemoaning the dearth of truly budget accommodation in Vietnam will be happy to learn that this is one place you can stay for a song. The budget accommodation option is a 'homestay' in a stilt house in one of the ethnic White Thai villages a short walk from Mai Chau town: Ban Poom Coong, Ban Lac 1 and Ban Lac 2.
But while accommodation and other services are run by ethnic minority families who have lived on and worked the land for generations, this is hardly like trucking into a Karen village in northern Thailand and staying in the spare room of someone's house: here its purpose-built to give tourists the 'homestay' experience, while the watchful eye of the government makes sure they have western toilets, ample bedding, and sometimes even satellite TVs in the common rooms. Still, it's an enjoyable part of a stay in Mai Chau, particularly when your hosts roll out the rice wine and traditional dancing.
Of the villages, Ban Lac 1 is the more developed, with more gift shops and a busier nightlife -- what there is of it -- but there's little to differentiate the accommodation on offer. The lodgings are mostly traditional stilt houses with large communal rooms where you can sleep on a mat laid upon a squeaky, split bamboo floor, for just about the same cheap price everywhere. The sleeps are really a loss leader -- they make the real money off the food you eat, and the curios and textiles you buy. Not to mention, the liquor you drink. A typical charge is 100,000 VND / person for bed and breakfast and although you could save 'small money' by eating in town, family-style Vietnamese cooking is generally far superior to restaurant fare, and you wouldn't want to miss out on the nightly group meals.
Dien Bien Phu
The capital of Dien Bien province, Dien Bien Phu lies on the east bank of the Nam Rom River (Song Nam Rom) at the northern end of the Muong Thanh valley. This was the site of a 57-day siege – the famous Battle of Dien Bien Phu – which brought an ignominious end to French colonialism in Asia. It is encircled by steep green hills from which tens of thousands of Viet Minh troops launched their assault on the French garrisons in 1954.
Visitors can visit a reconstruction of General de Castries’s main command bunker, set amid a litter of rusty tanks and artillery. Not far away, A1 Hill, known as ‘Eliane 2’ to the French, was the scene of fierce fighting and is now a war memorial dedicated to the Viet Minh who died here.
On the edge of the downtown area, the Museum of the Dien Bien Phu Victory (Nha Trung Bay Thang Lich Su Dien Bien Phu) has black-and-white battle photos, an illuminated electronic model of the valley and battle positions, and a collection of Chinese, American and French weapons. Across the street is a Viet Minh Cemetery, where some of the Viet Minh soldiers killed in the battle are buried.
Towering over town from its vantage position at D1 Hill is the Dien Bien Phu Victory Monument. Unveiled in 2004, this huge bronze statue measures 12.6m (41ft) and weighs 220 tonnes. It depicts three soldiers standing atop the French garrison, one holding a flag, another a gun, and the third a child with flowers. On the flag is written: Quyet chien, quyet thang (Determined to fight, determined to win).
