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Vietnam's narrow waist comprises a string of provinces squeezed between the long, sandy coastline and the formidable barrier of the Truong Son Mountains, which mark the border between Vietnam and Laos. For foreigners, there are just two overland crossings into Laos here: the straightforward and accessible Lao Bao, along Highway 9 from Dong Ha , and the more remote Cau Treo, on Highway 8 from Vinh . Lao visas can be obtained in the city of Da Nang , a useful transport hub but not much more. However, there's plenty to occupy you before heading off to Laos, not least the much visited riverside town of Hoi An , renowned for its traditional Chinese merchants' houses and temples, and its crafts, and as a base for exploring the fine ruins of the Cham temple complex at nearby My Son . The former Vietnamese capital of Hue is equally impressive, and its nineteenth-century palaces, temples and royal mausoleums constitute one of Vietnam's highlights. In 1954 Vietnam was divided at the Seventeenth Parallel, only 100km north of Hue, where the Demilitarized Zone ( DMZ ) marked the border between North and South Vietnam until reunification in 1975. The desolate battlefields of the DMZ and the extraordinary complex of residential tunnels nearby are a poignant memorial to those, on both sides, who fought here and to the civilians who lost their lives in the bitter conflict.
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