LE NGUYEN TRAVEL Turn your miles into smiles |
| INTERNATIONAL TOUR OPERATOR LICENCE No 0474/TCDL - GP LHQT |
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| QUANG NAM TOURISM YEAR |
| INTERNATIONAL TOUR OPERATOR LICENCE No 0474 - TCDL- GP LHQT Add: 32 Tran Hung Dao str..., Hoi An town - Quang Nam province Tel: 84.510.916218 - 916805; Fax: 84.510.916427 Email: info@lenguyentravel.com Website: www.lenguyentravel.com |
CENTRAL HIGHLAND
The Central Highlands of Vietnam boast beautiful natural features
such as relatively untouched forests, waterfalls and spectacular
scenery, which contrast with areas still bearing the savage scars of
war. This are is inhabited by a large number of ethnic minority
groups, still living the traditional lifestyle. These tribes can be
visited around Kontum, Pleiku, Buon ma thuot, and Da lat popular
destination as its high altitude offers a slightly cooler temperature
than the almost unbearable humid heat of the southern plains. This
combined with its proximity to Ho Chi Minh City has made of the
epicentre of bizarre domestic tourism.
This section follows a route for those who enjoy getting off the
beaten tracks. It is quite easy to include this detour as a circuit from
the coast leaving and returning from either Qui Nhon or Nha Trang,
with a separate excursion required to reach Dalat from Phan
Rang or Ho chi Minh City. You will need to allow enough time for the
roads that ca be quite a workout on the kidneys, especially from
Buon Ma Thuot to Nha Trang. The hilly landscape is also an open
invitation for the local buses to break down. Two weeks would
allow ample time to explore this historically significant are of
Vietnam, whilst one week will present you with the bare essentials
of the region
Kontum
Kontum is a small town with the surrounding area littered with ethnic
minority villages. This was also the site of some major battles
during the conflict with the Americans, and even now, decaying
weapons and shells abound. The large friendly indigenous
population can be visited on a foot tour from Kontum and as a
result of their limited exposure to tourism, they are still happy to see
foreigners. The distance between Kontum and Pleiku is 46 km and
on this road you will get a glimpse of the traditional minority houses
built on stilts. There are also some waterfalls further out of the town
that can be visited by motorbike.The highland area was only
completely opened up to tourism in mid 1994 and the police here
can still be a bit touchy. If you are going to wander the surrounding
areas, better to do it with a guide as they can then organize the
police side of the excursion. Another danger of walking out of town
is that there is still a large amount of left over ordnance from the
war, so be careful. Who wants to get blown up on their holidays?
Walking tours of the area
The best thing to do in Kontum is to go for a wander around the
surrounding area. You can easily keep yourself busy for a day or
two thoroughly seeing the region. There are still many traditional
hill tribe villages in and around Kontum, and the best way to visit
these is with a guide. Kontum is still a fairly small town and is not
too popular on the tourist trail.
Seminary
One sight worth seeing in Kontum is the seminary. The seminary
was built over 80 years ago and is still looked after by a small
group of priests. The building is still in quite good condition and has
a grove of cherry blossoms in the front yard.
Churches
On Nguyen Hue street, there is a large church which is over 120
years old and is now being renovated. This church has beautiful
stained glass windows. Beside it is the Montaguards church, called
a Rong House, which is over 100 years old. This is recognisable by
an extremely steep thatched roof, and is set about 2 m above the
ground. The Montaguard church is entered by the tribes people
only once a year. Also in town is a French Cathedral that is worth a
visit. It is white but is streaked with black as if it has survived a fire.
Pleiku
Pleiku is a town with a large ethnic minority. Pleiku marks the
junction of roads leading to Kontum, Buon Ma Thuot and Qui Nhon.
This town was almost totally destroyed during the Vietnam war as it
was home to an American base. If you intend being here during the
monsoon season, you should know that Pleiku boasts the highest
rainfall in the Central Highlands.
Jarai and Bahnar Tribes.
The one thing worth seeing in Pleiku is the Jarai and Bahnar tribes
that live close by. The Jarai guild houses on stilts with a small hut
out the front to keep their rice. The Bahnar also build their houses
off the ground on stilts and have large balconies to work on. They
have a community building called a Rong House where the elders
meet for ceremonies and festivals. Inside they keep gongs, wine,
drums and all the precious ceremonial artefacts. Shaman also use
this large building for spiritual rituals such as the ‘prayer for rain’.
The Rong House can only be entered by men.The tombs of the
tribes are also very interesting. They set up little thatch wooden
huts over the tomb upon which they put the possessions of the
deceased. Around the tomb there are four wooden pillars. On top
are wooden carvings of men or monkeys that are guards to protect
the body of the dead. The ceremony is very expensive so if the
family of the deceased cannot afford it, the funeral party is held up
to three years later.The entire village population spends three days
at the burial sight where a water buffalo is ceremonially sacrificed
and subsequently used to feed the village. The head of the water
buffalo is cut off and hung on the tomb, and the four hooves are
cut off and placed on the four corners of the grave.
Yaly Waterfall
There is a waterfall that you can visit 15 km north of Peiku towards
Kontum. You will come across a large junction in the road where
you make a left turn and continue to the end of the road.
Former Battlegrounds
There are number of former battlegrounds which can be visited
from Pleiku including Ham Rong Mount, Plei Me post and the former
1st Cavalry Division base at Hon Chong (in An Khe district).
Buon Ma Thuot
Like Kontum and Pleiku, the main attraction of Buon Ma Thuot is
not in the town itself but in the surrounding area. There are
numerous ethnic minority villages and also some spectacular
waterfalls, all of which are within day trip distances. Although on the
Central Highlands, Buon Ma Thuot is at a lower altitude than Dalat
at 451 m, so does not necessarily offer the same escape from the
hot weather.
Ede Minority Hilltribe
The Ede tribe (or Rhode) make the trip to Buon ma Thuot
worthwhile. The tribe is primarily matriarchal. The women own the
property and after marriage the man must move in with the woman’
s family whose house is extended to accommodate them. The
houses of the Ede tribes are long (up to 30 m) and thin (4 m). Each
time there is a wedding in the family, the houses is extended like
carriages of a train. Each section can be closed off and has its own
door and kitchen. The houses are also on stilts and under the
house they store wood, food and even livestock.
The Ede tribe have a different ceremony for their dead from the
Bahnar at Pleiku. They bury the deceased just below the surface of
the ground so that the spirit can fly to the heavens. Around the
grave they keep wooden carvings of elephant tusks and on four
pillars built around the grave they have four birds to protect the
dead. The Ede tribe practice animistic beliefs.
Hill tribe museum
There is a very interesting Hill Tribe museum at No. 1 Doc Lap
street. It shows some of the local equipment the Ede tribe use to
hunt elephants. The museum also gives valuable information about
the culture of the tribe.
Lak lake
Lak Lake is situated 50 km south of Buon Ma Thuot. To see the
lake you must get a permit that costs USD 20 for a group of people.
It is also possible to sleep in the Ede houses there. In this village,
you can take an elephant ride for about three hours around
the area.
Dalat
At one time Dalat was an ideal holiday retreat, set amongst the low
hills of the Central Highlands. It was originally founded in 1897 by
Alexander Yersin and Dalat city was established in 1912. The city
served as a hill station for the French trying to escape the heat of
the plains and delta. The city enjoys a year round spring like
climate and this lovely setting and ideal climate have made the city
a hit with domestic and foreign tourists alike.Dalat has a charming
French district behind the Rap 3-4 cinema, which is well worth
exploring. This is also where a number of the hotels are situated. In
the centre of town there is a large fresh produce market which sells
some of the nicest strawberries (when in season) that you can ever
hope to taste!
Dalat is also the centre of kitsch in Vietnam. Keep an eye out for
the Dalat Cowboys, who ride around the town on horseback. You
an also take a ride on a swan boat in the lake or buy one of the
dozens of tacky trinkets on sale in the market.
Dalat has a lot worth visiting, especially if you are into kitsch. Dalat
has the only eighteen hole golf course in Vietnam, and anyone can
play a round there! A few hours could quite easily be spent riding
bikes around the lake a stopping off at the interesting sights near it.
The Botanical gardens also offers a lovely place to hang out.
Bao Dai’s Summer Palace
Set atop the ridge overlooking Dalat, this residence is one of the
more bizarre building you can visit. The building is best described
as complete art deco, designed perhaps to be in Paris rather than
Dalat. It used to be relaxing place of Bao Dai, the last feudal king
of Vietnam which was overthrown during the August rebels in 1945.
The palace is deep in a pine forest with flower gardens and the
embroidering artworks made by talented charming girls are really
worth a half-day visit.
The Central Highlands of Vietnam boast beautiful natural features
such as relatively untouched forests, waterfalls and spectacular
scenery, which contrast with areas still bearing the savage scars of
war. This are is inhabited by a large number of ethnic minority
groups, still living the traditional lifestyle. These tribes can be
visited around Kontum, Pleiku, Buon ma thuot, and Da lat popular
destination as its high altitude offers a slightly cooler temperature
than the almost unbearable humid heat of the southern plains. This
combined with its proximity to Ho Chi Minh City has made of the
epicentre of bizarre domestic tourism.
This section follows a route for those who enjoy getting off the
beaten tracks. It is quite easy to include this detour as a circuit from
the coast leaving and returning from either Qui Nhon or Nha Trang,
with a separate excursion required to reach Dalat from Phan
Rang or Ho chi Minh City. You will need to allow enough time for the
roads that ca be quite a workout on the kidneys, especially from
Buon Ma Thuot to Nha Trang. The hilly landscape is also an open
invitation for the local buses to break down. Two weeks would
allow ample time to explore this historically significant are of
Vietnam, whilst one week will present you with the bare essentials
of the region
Kontum
Kontum is a small town with the surrounding area littered with ethnic
minority villages. This was also the site of some major battles
during the conflict with the Americans, and even now, decaying
weapons and shells abound. The large friendly indigenous
population can be visited on a foot tour from Kontum and as a
result of their limited exposure to tourism, they are still happy to see
foreigners. The distance between Kontum and Pleiku is 46 km and
on this road you will get a glimpse of the traditional minority houses
built on stilts. There are also some waterfalls further out of the town
that can be visited by motorbike.The highland area was only
completely opened up to tourism in mid 1994 and the police here
can still be a bit touchy. If you are going to wander the surrounding
areas, better to do it with a guide as they can then organize the
police side of the excursion. Another danger of walking out of town
is that there is still a large amount of left over ordnance from the
war, so be careful. Who wants to get blown up on their holidays?
Walking tours of the area
The best thing to do in Kontum is to go for a wander around the
surrounding area. You can easily keep yourself busy for a day or
two thoroughly seeing the region. There are still many traditional
hill tribe villages in and around Kontum, and the best way to visit
these is with a guide. Kontum is still a fairly small town and is not
too popular on the tourist trail.
Seminary
One sight worth seeing in Kontum is the seminary. The seminary
was built over 80 years ago and is still looked after by a small
group of priests. The building is still in quite good condition and has
a grove of cherry blossoms in the front yard.
Churches
On Nguyen Hue street, there is a large church which is over 120
years old and is now being renovated. This church has beautiful
stained glass windows. Beside it is the Montaguards church, called
a Rong House, which is over 100 years old. This is recognisable by
an extremely steep thatched roof, and is set about 2 m above the
ground. The Montaguard church is entered by the tribes people
only once a year. Also in town is a French Cathedral that is worth a
visit. It is white but is streaked with black as if it has survived a fire.
Pleiku
Pleiku is a town with a large ethnic minority. Pleiku marks the
junction of roads leading to Kontum, Buon Ma Thuot and Qui Nhon.
This town was almost totally destroyed during the Vietnam war as it
was home to an American base. If you intend being here during the
monsoon season, you should know that Pleiku boasts the highest
rainfall in the Central Highlands.
Jarai and Bahnar Tribes.
The one thing worth seeing in Pleiku is the Jarai and Bahnar tribes
that live close by. The Jarai guild houses on stilts with a small hut
out the front to keep their rice. The Bahnar also build their houses
off the ground on stilts and have large balconies to work on. They
have a community building called a Rong House where the elders
meet for ceremonies and festivals. Inside they keep gongs, wine,
drums and all the precious ceremonial artefacts. Shaman also use
this large building for spiritual rituals such as the ‘prayer for rain’.
The Rong House can only be entered by men.The tombs of the
tribes are also very interesting. They set up little thatch wooden
huts over the tomb upon which they put the possessions of the
deceased. Around the tomb there are four wooden pillars. On top
are wooden carvings of men or monkeys that are guards to protect
the body of the dead. The ceremony is very expensive so if the
family of the deceased cannot afford it, the funeral party is held up
to three years later.The entire village population spends three days
at the burial sight where a water buffalo is ceremonially sacrificed
and subsequently used to feed the village. The head of the water
buffalo is cut off and hung on the tomb, and the four hooves are
cut off and placed on the four corners of the grave.
Yaly Waterfall
There is a waterfall that you can visit 15 km north of Peiku towards
Kontum. You will come across a large junction in the road where
you make a left turn and continue to the end of the road.
Former Battlegrounds
There are number of former battlegrounds which can be visited
from Pleiku including Ham Rong Mount, Plei Me post and the former
1st Cavalry Division base at Hon Chong (in An Khe district).
Buon Ma Thuot
Like Kontum and Pleiku, the main attraction of Buon Ma Thuot is
not in the town itself but in the surrounding area. There are
numerous ethnic minority villages and also some spectacular
waterfalls, all of which are within day trip distances. Although on the
Central Highlands, Buon Ma Thuot is at a lower altitude than Dalat
at 451 m, so does not necessarily offer the same escape from the
hot weather.
Ede Minority Hilltribe
The Ede tribe (or Rhode) make the trip to Buon ma Thuot
worthwhile. The tribe is primarily matriarchal. The women own the
property and after marriage the man must move in with the woman’
s family whose house is extended to accommodate them. The
houses of the Ede tribes are long (up to 30 m) and thin (4 m). Each
time there is a wedding in the family, the houses is extended like
carriages of a train. Each section can be closed off and has its own
door and kitchen. The houses are also on stilts and under the
house they store wood, food and even livestock.
The Ede tribe have a different ceremony for their dead from the
Bahnar at Pleiku. They bury the deceased just below the surface of
the ground so that the spirit can fly to the heavens. Around the
grave they keep wooden carvings of elephant tusks and on four
pillars built around the grave they have four birds to protect the
dead. The Ede tribe practice animistic beliefs.
Hill tribe museum
There is a very interesting Hill Tribe museum at No. 1 Doc Lap
street. It shows some of the local equipment the Ede tribe use to
hunt elephants. The museum also gives valuable information about
the culture of the tribe.
Lak lake
Lak Lake is situated 50 km south of Buon Ma Thuot. To see the
lake you must get a permit that costs USD 20 for a group of people.
It is also possible to sleep in the Ede houses there. In this village,
you can take an elephant ride for about three hours around
the area.
Dalat
At one time Dalat was an ideal holiday retreat, set amongst the low
hills of the Central Highlands. It was originally founded in 1897 by
Alexander Yersin and Dalat city was established in 1912. The city
served as a hill station for the French trying to escape the heat of
the plains and delta. The city enjoys a year round spring like
climate and this lovely setting and ideal climate have made the city
a hit with domestic and foreign tourists alike.Dalat has a charming
French district behind the Rap 3-4 cinema, which is well worth
exploring. This is also where a number of the hotels are situated. In
the centre of town there is a large fresh produce market which sells
some of the nicest strawberries (when in season) that you can ever
hope to taste!
Dalat is also the centre of kitsch in Vietnam. Keep an eye out for
the Dalat Cowboys, who ride around the town on horseback. You
an also take a ride on a swan boat in the lake or buy one of the
dozens of tacky trinkets on sale in the market.
Dalat has a lot worth visiting, especially if you are into kitsch. Dalat
has the only eighteen hole golf course in Vietnam, and anyone can
play a round there! A few hours could quite easily be spent riding
bikes around the lake a stopping off at the interesting sights near it.
The Botanical gardens also offers a lovely place to hang out.
Bao Dai’s Summer Palace
Set atop the ridge overlooking Dalat, this residence is one of the
more bizarre building you can visit. The building is best described
as complete art deco, designed perhaps to be in Paris rather than
Dalat. It used to be relaxing place of Bao Dai, the last feudal king
of Vietnam which was overthrown during the August rebels in 1945.
The palace is deep in a pine forest with flower gardens and the
embroidering artworks made by talented charming girls are really
worth a half-day visit.
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