HOW TO TRAVEL TO SON LA?
To get to Son La, if you depart from Ho Chi Minh City, you should book a flight ticket from Ho Chi Minh to Hanoi. Then from Hanoi, I took the car to Son La.
From Hanoi you can move to Son La by car bus bed, bus routes start daily at My Dinh Bus Station or Bus Station behind Son La guest house (378 Nguyen Trai, Thanh Xuan) . The bed car is departing from My Dinh at about 19-20h every day, time to Son La is about 7-8h the next morning (depending on weather conditions and the speed of each garage.
In addition, because it is located on the national highway 6, you have another option to buy tickets for the routes to Dien Bien, these routes all go through Son La. However, due to starting early, the car often came to Son La at midnight.
BEST TIME TO TRAVEL TO SON LA?
The weather in Son La is quite pleasant so it is almost always suitable to travel. However, if you have the opportunity, you should go to Son La on the following occasions:
- September: this is the period of Independence Tet activities of the Mong people, so it is very suitable for those who want to learn more about the Northwest culture.
- October: is the most blooming season of litmus flowers, coming here on this occasion will be overwhelmed by the brilliant yellow color of wild flowers along Highway 6 and villages.
- November: this is the right time to go hunting for pictures in Moc Chau with white and blooming flowers.
- Lunar New Year: when cherry blossoms, plum blossoms bloom in the Northwest sky, pink and white are intertwined on all roads.
- In addition, to Son La in the winter time, you also have the opportunity to try the feeling of hot spring bath, a cultural characteristic of Thai people.
WHAT TO VISIT IN SON LA?
Coming to Son La, you will discover famous landscapes such as Moc Chau plateau, Mang village, Ngu Dong Ban On...
+ Son La Museum and Prison: Son La Museum is located on Khau Ca Hill, Son La City, this is the favorite destination of domestic and international tourists. The museum mainly displays the content of ethnicity. , is a place to store and display thousands of relics from prehistoric, primitive, artifacts that reflect the unique culture of 12 ethnic groups living in Son La. In particular, the collection of more than 1,000 ancient Thai and Dao ancient books has a very special cultural and historical value.
+ Que Lam Ngu Che epic relic: In the center of Son La city, there is a historical-cultural relic, which is the epitome of "Que Lam Ngu Che", the writing of a mighty, great strategist - King Le Thai Tong.
+ Ban Mang: From the city center, about 7km further, you will come to Ban Mong. Located in Hua La commune, Son La town, Ban Mang is an attractive ecological, cultural and resort tourist attraction, attracting many tourists to Son La to be immersed in the hot spring here.
+ Son La hydropower plant: 40km from the city, this is the largest hydroelectric power plant in Southeast Asia. The factory was built within 7 years (from 2005 - 2012), the factory became into the pride of Son La people in particular and Vietnam in general. Not only that, the landscape at Son La hydropower plant is really beautiful and attractive to those who want to explore the spectacular natural scenery of the Northwestern mountains and forests.
+ Pa Uon Bridge: located in Chieng On commune, right next to Phieng Lanh town, the new capital of Quynh Nhai district. The bridge was named the first Indochina bridge with the natural height from the ground up to the bridge deck of 105m, especially the bridge between 120m high and the highest bridge in Vietnam.
+ Moc Chau Plateau: Beautiful Moc Chau plateau has long been a popular destination for tourists. In Moc Chau every season is associated with different flowers. In particular, every year in October, November and December, Moc Chau hides the flow of people to visit to see the fields of white and blooming flowers.
+ Heart tea hill: In addition to the vast flower fields. Moc Chau also attracts tourists with the green tea hills in spring or bare season in winter but still charming. In particular, mentioning the tea hill, people often remember to immediately go to Moc Chau heart tea hill. This is also the location that many couples love to choose as a place to take their wedding photos.
+ Ngu Dong Ban On: The system consists of 5 caves located on mountain forests with the wild beauty of nature. The visit is quite difficult, dangerous, requires health, so that the place still retains its original beauty as the beginning.
WHAT TO EAT?
Son La is a long-lived land of 12 ethnic groups, each with its own cultural identities, and Son La dishes also have their own unique flavors. Here are some suggestions you should try when coming to Son La:
- Kitchen buffalo meat: carefully selected buffalo meat and then marinated with typical flavors of the mountain, add chilli, pepper pepper together, then bring it to the kitchen to dry out, but it looks black but on the side. While retaining the raw red color of the meat. The dish is somewhat rustic but the taste is guaranteed to have been tried once, you will never forget it.
- Dao sour meat: Northwestern Dao has a special sour meat dish, which is a unique cultural dish and is often enjoyed during special holidays or when receiving precious guests to play.
- Com lam: is also a dish with bold taste of mountains and forests in the northwest, especially Thai people. Still new sticky rice but cooked in bamboo tubes, covered with banana leaves or fresh seaweed leaves.
