Set deep in the northern mountains, just a whisker from the Laos border, the arc-shaped valley of Dien Bien Phu is hallowed ground in the annals of Vietnamese history. Back in 1954, it was this cleft of jungle-carved land that became the theatre for deciding French colonialism’s future in Indochina. A Vietnamese victory after a lengthy siege meant that France would depart the region for good, following the signing of the Geneva Accords. These days, Dien Bien Phu tour guides can show travellers the remains of that hard-fought conflict. French control bunkers and grand bronze monuments to the victors are the most obvious stop-offs. You can try to make sense of it all at the Dien Bien Phu Victory Museum, where all sorts of photography collections and military relics unravel the story of the siege and battle that occurred. 

Dien Bien Phu is also an excellent stopover en route to Laos via the over-ground path through Indochina. Stunning walls of jungle-dressed mountains rise and fall across the horizon. You can take forest treks and have encounters with the rustic Hmong hill tribes here.