The Son La viewpoint, Vietnam

Taken on: 2nd November, 2010. Copyright: All Rights Reserved - See travelfishery's page of Flickr

Read more about Son La

Remote and mountainous Son La province stretches along Vietnam's south-western border with Laos and is bisected by the Song Da river which flows down through the province eventually emptying into the large reservoir in Hoa Binh province.

Characterised by a rugged, yet breathtaking, mountainous landscape, the steep slopes of Son La's valleys are layered in hundreds of stepped rice terraces, while the lush valley bases are home to small and often very isolated farming villages. With a substantial population of minority groups, you'll not need to look far to find people living a very traditional lifestyle well away from the hustle and bustle of Vietnam's larger, more urbanised centres.

For the vast majority of visitors, Son La is but a series of slow vistas taken out of a minibus window as they make their long winding trip ... Read our complete Son La travel guide

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