Son La

This is a good stop over point if you are travelling from Hanoi to Dien Bien Phu since it is approximately half way (time-wise) between the two. In the centre of the town is the old French Prison and Museum. In the prison grounds is a peach tree that was planted by To Hieu, a former inmate, some time in the 1940's.

Getting There

The bus trip from Hanoi is about 320km and takes around 12 hours. Son La to Dien Bien Phu is another 150km and 10 hours drive.

Hotels in Son La

Below is a list of hotels in Son La sorted by price range (highest first). If you wish to telephone a hotel the area code for Son La is 022 (+8422 from outside Vietnam).

• Phong Lan Hotel
  Price Range: Up to $50 per night
  Son La (Tel: 853516)
• Hoa Ban Hotel
  Price Range: Up to $35 per night
  Son La (Tel: 854600, Fax: 852712)
• Hoa Doa Hotel
  Price Range: Up to $25 per night
  Son La (Tel: 853823, Fax: 853712)
• Ngoc Hoa Guesthouse
  Price Range: Up to $25 per night
  Son La (Tel: 853993)
• Phong Lan II Hotel
  Price Range: Up to $25 per night
  Son La (Tel: 852318)