This remote town is at the junction of Hwy 42 to Dien Bien Phu (three hours, 80km) and Hwy 6 to Lai Chau (four hours, 98km).
Not many people spend the night unless they are running behind schedule
and can'y make it to Dien Bien Phu, though if you are taking your time
through the north-west it is a logical place to bed down for the night.
Tuan
Giao is a small town between Son La and Lai Chau which is unremarkable,
however, the surrounding area is very rural and populated by many hill
tribes, amongst them the most noticeable are the Dzao that wear
headdresses adorned with bright orange garnments.
From Son La, your road will pass over Thuan Chau and starts climbing to cross
Pha Din Pass
at 1,300m before reaching Tuan Giao, which breaks the distance of 180km
from Son La to Dien Dien. If your destination is Lai Chau, you can skip
the turn to the west heading to Dien Bien and carry straight. White
Thai villages lie along the route between Tuan Giao and Lai Chau, with
pretty women wearing white blouses with silver jewelry.
