At approximately 200km from Hanoi, Son La province is a mountainous region of Northwestern Vietnam extending to the border with Laos. The average altitude is 600m. As the land is not very fertile, farming is not developed, but large meadows allow cattle and milk production. Many hills are covered by tea plants. 12 ethnic minorities currently live in Son La, with the Thai group being the most represented of the bunch.
Son La Prison
This prison was built by the French in 1908 in order to incarcerate politic dissidents. The conditions of detentions were believed to be just atrocious. As years progressed, Son La Prison quickly became a breeding ground for the Viet Minh. Today, you can find a small museum displaying a collection of objects and describing the life inside the penitentiary.
Moc Chau Plateau
Moc Chau Plateau offers picturesque sceneries, most notably when the mountain slopes are covered by flowers. There, you can find a lot of rice terraces and multiple orchards. Among the most renowned sites of Moc Chau Plateau: Dai Yem waterfall, Phieng Luong peak, Son Moc Huong cave, the pine forests and the ethnic villages of the H’Mongs and the Daos.
