The remote small town of Lai Chau (Laichau), reached after a high mountain pass and a spectacular descent, is nested in a deep verdant valley which has the oddity of being one of the hottest places in Vietnam in the summer. Visit Lai Chau while you can, since recurring floods have prompted a project to transform the valley into a reservoir.

The scenery between Muong Lay and Phong Tho is some of the most spectacular scenery you can see in the Far Northwest of Vietnam. The mountains are striking with abrupt peaks and on a clear day you can see many of the even larger peaks rising from the Chinese side of the border. Around Phong Tho is as close as you will get to the Chinese frontier in this part of the country.
Being so rarely visited this is a corner of Vietnam that has more to offer the adventurous traveller than the regular backpacker. Its local people carry on much as they always have and the region is home to many different ethnic minorities. The region borders on both Laos and China however border crossings are not possible here.

If travelling independently you might want to take notice of name changes. A large dam is being built in this area to power Northern Vietnam’s increasing demand for electricity. As a result there has been some name changing amongst the towns. Note that many of the towns in this province are not where they once were. It is almost as though as the waters rise they are heading for higher ground. Towns like Lai Chau have been relocated further up the river and the small townships that they replace have swapped names. This is a continuing process so take note of town names, distances and ask locals before really ascertaining where you are.