CENTRAL HIGHLANDS highlands thatisbecominghardertofindinthetouristtrapsof coast. these delightfulbackwaters unchanged.There’s stillanopennessandfriendlinessinthe KonTum. placeslike of-the-way Itremains tobeseenwhetherincreased tourismwillleave restrictions toaffect inplacelikely touristswere aroundPleiku. inquiries toconfirmthatyourdestinationsare accessible. At thetimeofresearch, theonly precipitated anotherbriefclosure ofthearea, sobefore local headingtothehillsmake lands becauseofunrest amongthelocaltribes. InMarch2004aclashinBuonMaThuot and children intheseareas continuetohave defects. ahighrate ofbirth and BuonMaThuot bearthescarsofAgent Orangedeforestation fromtheAmericanWar, for thosenotusedtotropicalclimes. teract withvillagersfromthelocalhilltribes. The coolerclimate agoodrespite alsomakes stopping atwilltoadmire anamazingmountainview,toexplore ortoin- awildwaterfall ment ofadventure. – This ofthecountrytoseeonbackamotorbike isagreat part itontomosttourists’radars,meaningthattherestmakes oftheregion stillallowsanele- It’s easytogetoffthebeaten trackinthis ofthecountry.OnlyDalat scenicpart wonderfully Highlands Central 306 © LonelyPlanetPublications „ The upgrading of the historic Ho Chi Minh Trail hasmadeiteasierthaneverThe upgradingofthehistoric HoChiMinh tovisitout- Also inFebruary 2001thegovernment forbadetravellers fromvisitingthecentralhigh- However, there’s sidetothisregion adarker –large ofthehighlandsaroundPleiku tracts

„ „ „ „ „ HIGHLIGHTS

ELEVATION: 200m–2598m Get on the back of a motorbike andhitthe Getonthe backofamotorbike tothecrowingofroosters Awake ina IndulgeyourIndochinecolonialfantasiesin Trek withinearshotof theraging waters of Wanderthroughthelanesofminority haunting passesofthe Lake traditional stilthouseontheshores of Francophile the neighbourhoods offriendly ( p329) Dray Sap (p324) Dalat and ( opposite ) Gia LongFalls Ho ChiMinhTrail Kon Tum (p322) (p327) Lak

„ BEST TIME TO VISIT : NOV-MAR Gia LongFalls Dray Sap& Ho ChiMinhTrail Kon Tum Lak Lake Dalat

lonelyplanet.com

(119km) To Attapeu Minh City To HoChi LAOS CAMBODIA CENTRAL HIGHLANDS Da Teh Cat Tien

Bo Y Cat Tien Serepok Park Huoai National Chu Pah Ya Liao Phuoc To HoChiMinh City (140km) T r u o n g S o n Da Yok Don National Son Sa Thay 19 14 Mil Dak M o u n t a i n s Park 14 Dray Sap Dak Nong LAM DONG Dak Glei 20 Gia Long Bao Loc Ban Don Falls

QUANG NAM Yaly To HoiAn(70km);

Falls River Danang (100km) Falls Dambri Dak To Tan Canh DAC LAC Pleiku CENTRALHIGHLANDS••Dalat 14 Buon Ma Krong A Na Quang Trung KON TUM Datanla Falls Thuot Waterfall Reservoir & Tum Kon Bo Bla Dong Tam Lake Sea Di Linh Lien Khuong Ea H'Leo 30miles 50km 0 0

Krong Krong Buk Krong No Tur Lak Kon Plong Chu Se (Chicken Village) Mang My Tra Yang Airport GIA LAI 14 Pongour Lang DinhAn Duc Trong 27 Lak Lake Son Lien Ana Nam Ban Falls Pach Krong Ankroët Son Ha Tra Bong Falls Lang Bian 7 Mountain Falls Gougah Dalat THUAN Falls Khuong Lien Lat A YunPa BINH To NhaTrang Mat Trai Krong Bong Falls QUANG Tiger NGAI Muc Pass Linh Phuoc 19 26 (110km) Ngoan Pagoda THUAN To Quy (65km) NINH Nhon Lake Nhim Dan distinct communities in Lam Dongprovince.distinct communities inLam members of hilltribes, which make up 33 specimens abouttown. the formerlydiverse faunaare thetaxidermied you’llgetgame isnowextinct.Theclosest to successful were thehunters thatallof thebig caws, panthers, tigers, gaurs andelephants’. So wildboar, blackbear,wild cocks, pheasants, game-rich pea- areas roe, aboundingindeer, hour drive fromthetown leadstoseveral ing anda1950sbrochure boasted that‘atwo- kitsch. word inVietnamese ite honeymoonspotandstillretains thefinal visit here year. every It’sthecountry’sfavour- mestic touristsandanother80,000foreigners economy istourism:more than800,000do- Vietnam. Butthebiggest contributiontothe drangeas), which are soldallover southern andflowerstables (especiallybeautifulhy- evergreen forests andgardens. withlakes,countryside isblessed waterfalls, to remain charming, andthesurrounding ning aroundinberets. Dalatissmallenough local bohemian artists’predilection forswan- mast shapedlike Towerandthe theEiffel to theirchalets toenjoythecoolerclimate. how theformercoloniststreated it–escaping French Alpsinspringtime. Thiswascertainly forgiven forthinkingyou’dstumbledintothe you’ll visitinVietnam.Youwouldalmostbe Dalat isquite different from anywhere else % DALAT byopen-tourbuses. only Dalatisserved frequent onallof routes, buses although these north of NhaTrang,byHwy26.There are Ma Thuotcanbereached fromNinhHoa,just hits Hwy1AnearQuyNhon.Similarly,Buon is connected tothecoastbyHwy19,which Buon Ma Thuot,PleikuandKonTum. main north-southroute, passingthrough from HCMC Hwy14isthe orPhan Rang. thisregion. no trainsservicing Danang.There toflythrough you’ll need are only flydirectly toDalat;fortheothertwo them allfromHCMC. FromHanoi youcan Buon Ma ThuotandPleiku.Youcanreach The region hasthree mainairports–Dalat, Getting There&Away The city’spopulation includesabout 5000 The Dalatarea wasoncefamousforhunt- Local productsincludesilk,gardenvege- The French feel iscompoundedbyaradio By roadyoucanaccessDalatviaHwy20 063 /pop188,400elevation1475m

307 CENTRAL HIGHLANDS HIGHLANDS CENTRAL CENTRAL HIGHLANDS connections. ( The main postoffice right ) hasfast,cheap ACCESSINTERNET Information shore of Xuan HuongLake. landmark,risingaboveis auseful thesouthern Tower’ofeast the‘Eiffel the mainpostoffice marks themiddleof thetown.Tosouth- Market,tures. TheCentral inahollow, set or cyclingismadeeasierbythecool tempera- in andaroundthecityishilly.Still, trekking areDalat’s sights spread outandtheterrain Orientation ver minesandordnanceinthearea. 3 April1975.There isnoproblem withlefto- on forceswithoutafight North Vietnamese thing notfarawayin villas, VietCongcadres were doingthesame of theSaigonregime were relaxing intheir officials academyandaffluent city’s military soldiers wereVietnamese beingtrainedatthe thatwhileSouth itseems concerned. Indeed, spared agreement bythetacit of allparties villas scattered aroundthecity. bythe2500-oddchateau-styleas evidenced some 20%of Dalat’spopulationwasforeign, point duringtheFrench colonialperiod, came fashionablewithEuropeans.Atone in1912andquicklybe- city wasestablished Dr Alexandre Yersin in1893(see p286 ). The Tribe’. the Lat means‘River language, of ‘DaLat’ local Lat nard (hilltribe)groupsforcenturies.Inthe This area hometovariousMontag- hasbeen History before thedelugesightseeing begins. ings normallyremain dry–allowingtimefor turn tobrown.Even morn- inthewetseason, thelushgreenend of surrounds thedryseason vember). Despite themildtemperatures, bythe (December toMarch) andwet(ApriltoNo- –dry mum). Effectively Dalat hastwoseasons daily minimum)to24°C(average dailymaxi- ture hovers 15°C(average apleasant between and tiedinthefront. long pieceof clothwornover oneshoulder area carrytheirinfantsonbacksina in themarket places.Hill-tribewomenof this Traditional dress canoccasionallybespotted 308 The Cityof Eternal Spring,Dalat’stempera- During theAmericanWar,Dalatwas The first Europeanto‘discover’ Dalatwas CENTRAL HIGHLANDS••Dalat their villas.Dalatfell to Novotel Dalat. Created byadamin1919, banana-shaped XUAN HUONGLAKE Sights Sinh Café Tours Gecko Groovy Service Dalat Travel text, p310 . For guidedtours theboxed bymotorbike, see TRAVEL AGENCIES telephone, faxandemail(2000dperhour). Phu) OppositetheNovotelDalat;hasinternational postoffice Main POST Vietcombank Incombank Agribank MONEY Hospital Lam DongGeneral SERVICES MEDICAL Vietnam. find such acountercultural constructionin but manyarecommercialised, astoundedto ing red eyes.Yes and exceedingly it’stacky, trunks andscary-looking animalswithglow- giant spiderwebsmadeof wire, concrete tree cannot easilybedescribed:there are caves, is Gaudi-meets- of agiantsurreal artwork.Thearchitecture admission8000d) Khang; House tradition anditstaste forkitsch, A perfect combinationof Dalat’sbohemian HANG NGACRAZY HOUSE Sofitel DalatPalace. dens, golfclubandthemajestic hilltopHotel includingtheflowergar-Dalat’s mainsights, of paththatleadspastseveral a 7kmsealed kings. Thelake canbecircumnavigated along the foiblesof scholars, monks,mandarins and on thehypocrisyof socialconventions and knownfor herdaringattacks poet Vietnamese Huong Lake 4A ÐBuiThiXuan)Toursandopen-tourbusbookings. 8.30pm) Offers tours, trekking andmountainbiking. tours,trekking 8.30pm) Offers 65ÐTruong CongDinh; [email protected]; 4 ÐPhamNgocThach) hcm.vnn.vn; toursandvehiclerentals. 7 Ð 3Thang2)Offers and foreign currencies. No ATM, butthisbigbranchexchangestravellerscheques

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Art Café...... (see31) An Lac...... An Lac...... Viet Thanh...... Trung CangHotel...... Phuong ThanhHotel...... (see3) Phuong Huy...... Ocean Hotel...... Novotel Dalat...... Hotel SofitelDalatPalace...... Hotel PhuongHanh...... Hotel ChauAuEuropa...... Golf 3Hotel...... Fortune Hotel...... Dreams Hotel...... Cam DoHotel...... Ð Le Thi

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The DalatPeople’s hasnotal- Committee Ð Ho Tung Mau Tung Ho Ð

28 27 26 25 24 23 22 21 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 Ð Tran Phu Tran Ð

B1 A2 C1 C2 C1 B1 B3 C3 A2 A3 B2 B2 A2 A2 Ð Dinh Tien Hoang 0.3miles 500m 0 0 TRANSPORT SHOPPING DRINKING Vietnam AirlinesAirportShuttleBus B2 V Cafe...... Stop...... Vietnam Airlines...... Central Market...... Stop &GoCafe...... Saigon NiteBar...... Cafe Tung...... Bars...... Trong Dong...... Peace Café...... Le Rabelais...... (see21) HNL...... Da Quy...... 40

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309 CENTRAL HIGHLANDS HIGHLANDS CENTRAL CENTRAL HIGHLANDS there’s aminimum of twopassengers. cording todemand–theywon’tleave unless six trainsperday,inreality thisvariesac- thereand backagain.Although are scheduled carriage 8kmto re-opened, allowing youtorideinanhistoric of north-south lines.Asection track hasbeen would provide agreat touristlinktothemain fullyreplaced, been the linehasnever asit Dalat andThapCham.It’sunfortunate that ofcause VC thecog-railwaylinked attacks, display, includingaJapanese steam train. will beinterested intheoldlocomotives on now largely enthusiasts decorative. Railway 70,000d; 1 ÐQuangTrung;return ticket pretty Dalat’s CRÉMAILLÈRE RAILWAY STATION would surely take somegetting to. used the glowingred eyesof thegiantkangaroo stream theconstant although of touristsand here (roomsrange fromUS$19toUS$84), construction isthatpeoplecanactuallystay ments inthemainhall. fascinating displayonhishistoryandachieve- from 1981untilhisdeathin1988.There’s a president asVietnam’ssecond sor, serving Truong Chinh,wasHoChiMinh’ssucces- 310 Probably thestrangest thingabout this From 1928 to 1964, when it was closed be- From 1928to1964,whenitwasclosed some speak French or Germanaswell. may have vested interests. There shouldbenoproblem findingariderwhospeaksgood English; guestbooks containing ravingtestimonials frompastclients. helmetisprovided. thick paddedseat,andthatasatisfactory Mostriderscanproduceportable islarge withhimforanextended period.Check thatthebike close quarters enough,witha reduce in the oddsofchoosingasuicidalmaniac. keeping sure Make you’llbecomfortable These invariablycomewithahardsellforlonger trip (usuallyaroundUS$50perday). years backare nowbeingoffered forUS$20). for uptoUS$30(US$15isfair,butyou’llbeasked well forthemselves anddemand ever-increasing rates. Daytripsthatwere US$8toUS$10afew are are good,andmany non-Easy Riders excellent.Manyoftheoriginals have doneextremely toHanoi. way north as ahighlightoftheirtrip.Somehave even adopted theirdrivers andriddenwiththemallthe withyourcash.Youmayeven getharassedinyourhotelparting room. andhardly walkdowntheroadwithoutsomeclowntryingtogetyouonback ofhisbike all goodideasinVietnam, thishasspawnedathousandclonesofvaryingquality.Nowyoucan guides offering reasonably priceddaytripsandlongerjourneysthroughoutthehighlands. Like offasawitty,informalcrew started Dalat’s notoriousEasyRiders of30-oddfreelance motorbike ARE YOUEASY? CENTRAL HIGHLANDS••Dalat Sometimes yourhotel canrecommend goodriders,althoughlessreputable establishments a day tripfirsttotry For thoseplanningalengthierexcursion, it’sagoodideatotake So howdoyougoaboutfindingagoodride?Firstly, ifshouldbenoted thatnotallEasyRiders That said,thisisstilloneofthebestways toseethecountry,andnumerousvisitorsrate it station Trai Mat village Trai Mat (Map (Map p316 DaLat; ; Ga

h (30minutes) 6.30am-5pm) % 834 409; is 4pm) VietVuong; admission5000d; off ÐTrieu This ArtDeco–influenced BAO DAI’SSUMMERPALACE last empress. Mekong andthefatherof Delta Vietnam’s richest person in theGoCongdistrictof the once theabodeof NguyenHuu Hao, the instruments of localethnicminorities.Itwas and pottery aswellcostumesandmusic al style villa,displaysancientstoneartefacts Mon-Sat) Vuong; admission40,000d; hilltop This LAM DONGMUSEUM area forgreat views. balcony uptothe2nd-level hand staircase halo. Fromthegroundfloor,take theleft- Buddhasportingafive-ringed5m-high neon the gate. Onceinside,visitors are greeted by a ing, where dragonguards anamusement-park whenentering themaintempleshoes build- bell inaseven-tiered tower. Remove your oftions includedtheinstallation an8½-tonne 1949and1952,recentbetween renova- Pagoda Phuoc requisite strollover tovisittheornate Once inTraiMat, mosttravellers make a wasconstructed in1933andwasoneof ,

housed inalovelyhoused French-colonial museum . Thiscolourfulpagodawasbuilt Mp p316; (Map

h 7.30-11.30am &1.30-4.30pm villa % lonelyplanet.com h (Dinh 3; Map (Dinh 3;Map p316 ;

820 387;4ÐHung 7-11am &1.30- Linh from decadesandgovernments pastandis fireplace, butthepalaceisfilledwithartefacts addition of HoChiMinh’sportraitover the has notchanged indecades,exceptforthe Daikeptthree palacesBao inDalat.Thedécor lonelyplanet.com Spelman of fromthe NewYork.It wasseized Ngo Dinh Diem)withthe helpof Cardinal of President unpopular SouthVietnamese bishop NgoDinh Thuc(theolderbrother universityas aCatholic in1957byHué Arch- University ble tostudywithoutworkingupasweat. the few placesinVietnamwhere itwaspossi- education centre; before air-con itwasoneof Dalat’s climate hasmadeitsomething of an DALAT UNIVERSITY lake toDalatUniversity. ontheroadthatleadsfrom Huong Lake, with somecrazykitsch topiary. well-kept of crosssection Dalatfoliage, along of theentrance. Allinallit’savery niceand are inspecialshaded buildingstotheright geas, fuchsias andorchids. Mostof thelatter lished in1966.Flowers here includehydran- Tong; admission5000d; HoaThanhPho;Map (Vuon p309 ; inVietnam,these An unusualsight DALAT FLOWERGARDENS charge forcamerasandvideos. must beremoved atthedoor. There’s anextra grove, 2kmsouthwestof thecitycentre. Shoes the topof thestairs. Rouathermique infrared machine sauna near the pinkchairs. Checkouttheancienttan in theyellowchairs andtheirtwosonsin ing which theirthree daughters were seated peror andempress dur- forfamilymeetings, bytheem- couchhuge wasused semicircular decorated inyellow,theroyalcolour. The of Long,whonowlives Bao inFrance,is Nam Phuong. Long (inuniform),andhiswife, Empress fireplace are of Dai,hiseldestsonBao Bao (ontheleft).Thephotographs overseal the andmilitary (ontheright) brass royalseal Dinh.Notefather, EmperorKhai theheavy the smallergoldandbrownbustsare of his above isof thebookcase themanhimself; extremely interesting. The DalatFlowerGardensfrontXuan Dai’soffice, thelife-sizedIn Bao white bust Bao Dai’sSummerPalaceBao inapine isset Upstairs are thelivingquarters. Theroom

(Map (Map p316 ; 1ÐTranNhanTong) CENTRALHIGHLANDS••Dalat h 7.30am-4pm) % 822 151;ÐTranNhan wasfounded were estab- gardens Dalat

built in 1955 by Catholic refugeesbuilt in1955byCatholic fromthe 120 ÐNguyenVan Troi) training college. door activities. rounds lend themselves toallmanner of out- Dalat’s coolclimate sur- and mountainous ADVENTURE SPORTS Activities (Ð HuyenTranCongChua) southwest fromthe making thisagreat placeforapicnic. a hilltopwithbeautifulviewsinalldirections, born priestof royallineage. Thechurch ison was constructed attheinsistence of aHué- north. Thefour-post, Sino-Vietnamese steeple This DU SINHCHURCH rarely openoutside of masstimes. 47m above theground.Thechurch is itself cross onthespire istopped by aweathercock, by French residents andholiday-makers. The Phu) gingerbread-style This DALAT CATHEDRAL ing ittooheavy forthieves tocarryoff. bronze mixed withgold,itsgreat mak- weight tecture. tobemadeof Thegiantbellissaid Frenchbuilding thatfuses archi- andChinese Built in1938,this LINH SONPAGODA to Friday. Mass iscelebrated inthelarge chapel, Sunday handicrafts madebythechildren andnuns. and children Theshopsells withdisabilities. the worktheydofororphans,homeless toshowvisitors aroundandexplain pleased out theback.TheFrench-speaking nunsare thefruitgrowninorchardand selling port themselves bymakingginger candies 300 nuns.Todaytheremaining nunssup- 1940and1942,werebetween oncehometo admission free; top The pinktile-roofed structures of thishill- DOMAINE DEMARIE CONVENT eign visitors are generally welcome. more than13,000studentsstudyinghere. For- as a state-run institution.Thereas astate-run are presently church in1975 andreopened twoyears later To get toDuSinhChurch, walk500m was built between 1931 and 1942 for use 1931and1942foruse wasbuiltbetween convent church

(Nha Tho Domaine; Map (Nha ThoDomaine;Map p309 ; 6ÐNgoQuyen; (Map (Map p316 ; ÐHuyenTranCongChua) h 7-11.30am &2-5pm) isalovely ochre-coloured pagoda , which isnowateachers’ former Couvent desOiseaux former Couvent cathedral

(Chua Linh Son; Map (Chua LinhSon;Map p309 ; , constructed Mp p0 Ð Tran Ð p309; (Map

was 311 CENTRAL HIGHLANDS HIGHLANDS CENTRAL CENTRAL HIGHLANDS reception. per facilities andawonderfully kitsch US$5-8) Huy Phuong BUDGET able midrange standards. manyofbetween, thecheapies offer comfort- great amountof accommodationoptionsin properties atthetopend.Whilethere isnota hasresultedfantasists insomeextraordinary options, whileitsattractiveness tocolonial tourists hasmeantthere’s awealthof budget air-conditioning. Itspopularitywithlocal where tobotherabout youwillnotneed Dalat isoneof thefew placesinVietnam Sleeping ( package tours available ifyoubookfrom Specials). for aroundUS$65(inquire aboutitsTwilight this attractive ontheshores course of the lake Dai.VisitorsBao canplay18-holeroundson byEmperor lished in1922,wasonceused ÐTranNhanTong) www.vietnamgolfresorts.com; The GOLF but it’snotforthefaint-hearted. ( p317 theviews are tosay, ). Needless stunning along a2.3kmwire toQuangTrungReservoir 50,000/25,000d; p316; Map Dalat’s newestattraction,this CABLE CAR accommodation). (US$135including dunes atMuiNeBeach a two-dayride120kmdownhilltothesand the Dalatarea (US$30toUS$38),aswell a range of kick-arse ‘fattyre’ cyclingtours of ing andtreks tominorityvillages. Italsoruns (rappelling),rockclimbing,kayak- abseiling Itoffers‘ecotourism’ seriously. canyoning, tireventures.com; 73ÐTruongCongDinh) Tire Ventures Phat itasalicencetochargeuse prices, higher 312 Nha TrangforUS$60. including single-daydescentstoMuiNeor tended trekking bikingtrips, and mountain % Unlike manyoperators inVietnam,who There are somereasonably pricedgolf- Groovy Gecko Tours Gecko Groovy reproduction and mirrored crucifixin 08-824 3640) Dalat Palace GolfClub CENTRAL HIGHLANDS••Dalat Thisclean,new minihotel hasgood %

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. Bothare soldbyitinerantfemale vendors, who Traditional Silk Centre Traditional SilkCentre village ( Lat p317 ). Dinh An(Chicken villageLang ; p317 ) or interested handicrafts,try inMontagnard by someof women.Ifyou’re theMontagnard including thedark-blue cottonshawls worn on theirbacks.TheChillalsoweave cloth, split-bamboo baskets tocarrythings used empty. Koho andChillpeopleproducethe rush matsandricebaskets thatrollupwhen productsincludedyed various handicrafts.Lat to pickupclothingatagoodprice. p309 andagreat) isonebigbuyandsell, place bulbinitsmouth.The light ing Matilda’ oralacquered alligatorwitha tery-powered koalathatsings‘Waltz- stuffed something foryourloved ones–perhaps abat- atallyoucanfindthatspecial out anyeffort market hasreally comeintoits own.With- In thepastfew years the Dalat tourist-kitsch Shopping market DaiHanh. onÐLe soda tothesoundof mellowFrench music. tea, coffee, hotcocoa,lemonsoda andorange only young. As Tungserves itdidthen,Cafe it remains exactlyasitwaswhentheywere process, fromthelive silkwormsspinning Here partof every themiraculous youcansee village, neartheElephantFalls (see p318 ). Saigonese intellectuals. Old-timersSaigonese swearthat A fascinatingplacetovisitis DongprovinceThe hilltribesof make Lam There’s alively stripof bars overlooking the (mut dao) andstrawberry,blackberry

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CENTRALHIGHLANDS••AroundDalat Mp p309; (Map % 833 499;2ÐHoTung (Map (Map p316 ; Ð3Thang dam. The forests are notDalat’s finest. is anatural lake enlarged bya French-built The Lake ofSighs Huong Lake. near where disgorge thebuses tourists. and candiedfruits)are atthelookout onsale freshments andlocaldelicacies(such asjams bears expectcashifyoutake theirpicture. Re- guided touraroundthelake. Thecowboysand bears. Thecowboysrent horses totouristsfora localsdressedcowboys. We’ve as alsoseen guidesdressed asAmerican boys’: Vietnamese motorboats canbehired totourthelake. andobnoxiousperson canoes noise-making some aquaticactivities:paddleboats,15- intothespiritwithaccommodate them.Get to regurgitate visitors andboatslineupto it theValley of Shops. lineup Touristbuses a surreal atmosphere andcynicallocalscall minded studentsfromDalatUniversity. had itsnamechanged in1972byromantically Ð PhuDongThienVuong; adult/child6000/3000d; valley Dai inawonderfullackof prescience, this Named the Valley of Peace byEmperorBao Valley ofLove AROUND DALAT around US$25. arrange dailycarrentals (withadriver) for (see or less.DalatTravel Service p308 ) can to justabout anywhere inDalatcostsUS$2 Taxis are easytofindandaone-waytrip TAXI &CAR bikes are available forUS$6toUS$8aday. tral Market motor- area for10,000d.Self-drive drivers canbeflagged downaroundtheCen- trips aroundtown, a goodwayof touringtheenvirons.Forshort Dalat istoohillyfor MOTORBIKE cycling tours onoffer (see p311 ). to guests.It’salsowellworthlookingintothe out bicyclesandsometimesprovide themfree hotels rent make sights ithardwork.Several the the hillyterrain between andlongdistances Pedal powerisagreat Dalat,but wayof seeing BICYCLE The Valley of Love is5kmnorthof Xuan the‘Dalatcow- This isagoodplacetosee Today thisever-tacky placehastaken on Lake ofSighs Lake

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CENTRAL HIGHLANDS HIGHLANDS CENTRAL CENTRAL HIGHLANDS 316 0 1 km AROUND DALAT 0 0.5 miles CENTRAL HIGHLANDS••AroundDalat To Lat Village 7 A (6km);Lang Bian B C D E F To Ankroët Falls Trung Lam Mountain (7km) & Lakes (11km) Hamlet Dragon Water- Chien Thang Pumping Station Lake Da Thien 1 Lake

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2 ὇὇ Lake of Nuclear Sighs ὇὇ Research Ð Ngo Phu Dong Centre ὇὇ Ð 3 9 Ð Than Nha Quyen Ð Phan To Elephant Falls (30km); Ð Hai Ba Trung Nam Ban Village (30km);

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Ð Phan To Trai Mat (5km);

Linh Phuoc Pagoda (5km); Tien Hoang Tien Golf Lai Le Course Tiger Falls (13km); 3 Ð Dan Nhim Lake (38km); Ð Hai Thuong Trung Dinh Huong Ngoan Muc Pass (43km) 8 Ð Cam Ly 20 War Falls Xuan Quang Ð ong SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES Memorial Ð Ho Xuan Huong Vu Bao Dai's Summer Palace...... 1 B4 Hung Ð Ho Lake Crémaillére Ð Cable Car...... 2 C4 ang Van Dalat University...... 3 C2 Thu 6 5 Ð Du Sinh Church...... 4 A4 Dao Hung Hoang Former Couvent des Oiseaux...... 5 B4 Tran Ð Tran Phu Ð Lam Dong Museum...... 6 D3 Sanh lonelyplanet.com Hoa Tham Valley of Love...... 7 D1

ng Chua Pasteur Ð 4 Co Phong Ð Khe n Institute 3 Thang SLEEPING 4 Tra Ð Le HongSee Central Dalat Map (p309) Ð Huyen Evason Ana Mandara Villas & Spa...... 8 B3 Viet To Datanla Falls (5km); Quang Trung Thien An Hotel...... 9 B2 Ð Trieu 4 Reservoir (5km); Prenn Pass (10km); Vuong Lang Dinh An (Chicken Village) (17km); Su Nu TRANSPORT 1 10 Lien Khuong Falls (28km); Lien Khuong Pagoda Airport (30km); Gougah Falls (40km) Long-Distance Bus Station...... 10 C4 20 Pongour Falls (55km); Di Linh (82km); 2 Phan Rang (101km); Dambri Falls (136km) has one Catholic andone Protestantchurch.has oneCatholic A rather thantriballanguages.in Vietnamese Lat their parents’ permission to marry.Atthat ing mushrooms. Theyfell inlove andsought 1788 whilehewashuntingandshe waspick- Mai NuongandHoangTung,whomethere in lonelyplanet.com Koho-language Bible(Sra Goh) waspublished elsewhere. the Americans,asdidmanyMontagnards worked with 1975 manymenfromLat Before oftenlowly task performed by Montagnards. many villagers intoproducingcharcoal, a Economicshave forced potatoes. and sweet tares of land,growingrice,coffee, blackbeans The peoplehere eke out alivingon300hec- plankwallsandathatchedwith rough roof. each of which speaksadifferent dialect. are members of theChill,Ma andKoho tribes, theresidentsare actuallyLat; of the other four Onlyfive BianMountain. of thehamlets Lang ‘lak’) are 12kmnorthof of Dalatatthe base The ninehamletsof pop 6000 Lat Village 5km fromtownandcontinuefor2km. atthesignpost Dalat onHwy20andturnright p312 aren’t). Ifheights yourthing, headoutof crops inthevicinity. tower. Ethnic-minorityfarmers live andraise path upthehillsouthwestof thewater-intake are covered withpinetrees, andthere’s a hired nearby.Thehillsaroundthereservoir Paddle canbe boats,rowboatsandcanoes is anartificiallake created byadamin1980. Lake) (TuyenLam Quang TrungReservoir Quang TrungReservoir centre of DalatviaÐPhan ChuTrinh. carriage costs140,000dperhour. 80,000d anhour,whilearideinhorse-drawn hill fromthedam.Horses canbehired for She tobeingstoodup. clearlywasn’tused overcome withsorrowanddrownedherself. the lake, andwhenhedidn’tcomeshe was Mai her at wordforhimtomeet Nuongsent joined thearmywithouttelling Mai Nuong. invasion andHoangTung,like amacho fool, time Vietnamwasthreatened byaChinese The cheery namecomesfromthestoryof Classes inthevillage’s schoolsClasses are conducted Traditionally, Lat houses are houses builtonpiles Traditionally, Lat The funwaytoget here isbycablecar(see ofThe Lake Sighs is6kmnortheastof the There are smallrestaurants upthe several CENTRALHIGHLANDS••AroundDalat Lat village (pronounced (pronounced weavings nearthehighway. forsale drinks and biscuits.There are alsobeautiful of shopswhere youcanbuy simplethingslike want tohelpthevillagers, there are acouple give ormoneytothechildren. sweets Ifyou extremely poor,we’dsuggest thatyoudon’t doomed romanceendinginadead heroine. lates toyetanotherlocallegend involvinga The symbolismof thechicken probablyre- tocrowasthewaterwhich waspumped. used foralong-dysfunctionalwater system,device clothing. and theywearVietnamese-style Mostnolonger Vietnamised. live instilthouses from thehillsandhave, extent, been toacertain the Koho minority, whowere enticeddown 17km fromDalat. it’s conveniently situated onthehighway, become very popularwithtravellers because mid-strut inthe village centre, Famous for itsgiantconcrete chicken caught Lang DinhAn(ChickenVillage) village. tours which withLat combinethemountain ble asared gashinthegreen mountainside. andisrecognisa-path beginsduenorthof Lat takes village. three tofourhours The fromLat andtigers.rhinoceroses sheltered wildoxen, boars, deer, elephants, century agothefoothillshadlushfoliage that of remain themountain forested. Onlyhalfa man’s name,K’Biang.Onlytheupperreaches whilethewestern onebears a name K’Lang the eastern oneisknownbythewoman’s peaks, 2100m to2400m.Ofthetwohighest volcanic peaksranginginaltitudefrom Also called ithas five VienMountain, Lam Lang BianMountain it’s atwo-hourwalk. takes about 40minutes.Dalat toLat Onfoot than totheleft.Bybicycle12kmtripfrom on(northwest)rather sign. Continuestraight there’s aforkintheroadmarked byastreet Hamlet Tinh.Ð XoVietNghe AtTrungLam script. in aLatin-based Both dialectsare quite similarandare written prepared appeared byCatholics, ayearlater. Bible, by Protestants in1971;aLat-language Though theresidentsThough of Chicken village are The chicken wasanelaborate decorative ( Dalat Travel Service p308 ) offers guided The village ishometoabout600peopleof The hike views uptothetop’sspectacular fromDalat,headnorthon To get toLat Lang DinhAn 317

has CENTRAL HIGHLANDS HIGHLANDS CENTRAL CENTRAL HIGHLANDS Ban, 30km westofBan, Dalat. Youcancombine ample belly. with neonhalos and aroombuiltintohis is aparticularlyjolly giant–aHappy Buddha Aroundtheback arms tohelppeopleinneed. whiletheoneof thelefthasextra all-seeing, haseyesonhishands, makinghim the right by twomulti-armedBuddhas.The oneon Inside, thelarge centralBuddha isflanked having water behind. infrontandamountain built totake advantage of thegoodfeng shui of –expecttoget wet. down tothebase frombelow;ahazardouspathheads seen imposing curved Ridertrail,these A popularstopontheEasy ELEPHANT FALLS by hilltribes. 18km northwestof Dalatinanarea inhabited roët project.hydroelectric Thewaterfall, The two ANKROËT FALLS &LAKES toallowafullday. from Dalatbutyou’llneed to thefalls.Itisalsopossibletrek tothefalls From here it’sanother3kmalongadirtroad other 3.5kmtoaleft-handturn(signposted). there,From thetrainstation continueforan- Follow ÐHungVuongtoTraiMat village. can beeasilyreached bybicycleormotorbike. There are goodhiking trailsinthearea. in aquietpineforest, andare very photogenic. hill-tribe hunter. Thefallsthemselves are set ceramic tiger here, statue aswelloneof a tiger livinginanearbycave. There’s ahuge named after thelocallegend of aferocious These TIGER FALLS Trung Reservoir. It’swellsignposted. toQuang Hwy 20about200mpasttheturn-off rels, birds andbutterflies. other goodthingisthewildlife –lotsof squir- downintoarainforest.continues steeply The apineforest through first andthen passes cascade is350mfromHwy20onapaththat walktogetis theshortbutpleasant there. The The nicethingabout DATANLA FALLS Waterfalls 318 To get Falls, toDatanla off turnright The falls are situated nearthe townof Nam Nearby, the Tiger Falls isabout 14kmeastof Dalatand , is about 15m high. The Ankroët Lakes are TheAnkroëtLakes , isabout15mhigh. CENTRAL HIGHLANDS••DiLinh falls Ankroët Lakes

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of LienDam.There’s 25-minute asteep walk 16km southwestof DiLinh,nearthevillage The townof ling), Di Linh(pronouncedzee DI LINH 28km towardsHCMC fromDalat. Airport, notfarfromLienKhuong the highway, disappears completely. Thefallsare visiblefrom when thedamupstream thewater isclosed, ing acoffee covers theadmission.Sometimes, rock. Thebestviewisfromthecafé,where buy- River drops15mover anoutcrop of volcanic soit’seasytogetthe highway to. Dalat towardsHCMC. Itisonly500mfrom HCMC fromDalatand6kmoff thehighway. signposted about50kmtowards ontheright by slash-and-burn agriculture. Thefallsare surrounding area badlydeforested hasbeen Dai’shuntingexpeditions.The Emperor Bao 2008. Agreat viewpointisthepavilion builtfor damfurtheruptheriver opensin hydroelectric fallscoulddwindletoatricklewhen these tion isimpressive. Make themostof it,because whenit’sdrythesteppedson, buteven forma- 6000d) The largest inthearea, FALLS PONGOUR, GOUGAH&LIENKHUONG tivation of themulberry leaves thatmake upthe hill-tribe population. Tea andsilk(andthe cul- The unassumingtown of Lochas alarge Bao pop 136,000 BAO LOC withracksoftions andhouses silkworms. drive,pleasant passing tea andcoffee planta- 82km southwestof DalatonHwy20.It’sa good viewfromnearthetopof thepath. ofdown tothebase thefalls,butyoucanget a h mounted trophies. ashideousfurcoatsandwall- only survive were andthetigers alittle tooefficient now famous foritstiger hunting,butthehunters French. Onlyafew decadesagotheregion was foundedbythe is grownongiantplantations Thearea’slevel. mainproductistea, which also knownasDjiring,is1010mabove sea Silk Centre ( Silk Centre p314 ). this withavisittoCuongHoanTraditional The 32m-high The 32m-high At Falls Gougah Di Linhis226kmnortheastof HCMC and 7am-4.30pm) forms a semicircle duringtherainysea- formsasemicircle Lien Khuong Falls Lien Khuong is ontheeastsideof Hwy20,

(admission 5000d) Bo BlaWaterfall , the 100m-wide Dan Nhim , the100m-wideDanNhim Pongour Falls lonelyplanet.com is36kmfrom (admission 5000d;

(admission (admission HCMC (180km)andDalat(118km). practical placetobreak thejourneybetween are alsoafew here, guesthouses makingita couple of theroadsiderest stopsintown.There and free of samples the localtea canbehadata silkworms’ diet)are themajor localindustries, lonelyplanet.com ocean) you can see thesteep tracksof the ocean) you cansee powerstation. hydroelectric withthe fications –thatlink DanNhimLake still guardedbyarmed troopsinconcrete forti- undertwogargantuanpasses water pipes – As it windsdownthemountain thehighway theocean,55kmaway. a cleardayyoucansee and64km westof On Nhim Lake Phan Rang. Pass Muc Pass,Known totheFrench asBellevue NGOAN MUCPASS of NinhSon. ofthe base NgoanMucPass nearthetown to theleftof isat Hwy20.Thepowerstation about akilometrehead towardsPhan Rang, Pass intwoenormouspipes. a vertical kilometre downfromNgoanMuc from thelake gathers asitrushes almost speed electricity tomuch of thesouth.Water drawn projecthuge DanNhimhydroelectric supplies by Japan aspartof itswarreparations, the Created 1962and1964 byadambuiltbetween by movie studiosforfilmingromanticscenes. The 9.3sqkm isoftenDan Nhim Lake used elevation 1042m DAN NHIMLAKE Mountain. isMay peaktoyourright tions. Thehigh Bay tea andmulberryplanta- for 18kmthrough northof Locandfollowtheroad highway Bao park, ischeap andgood. whichthe DambriRestaurant, adjoinsthecar of Vietnam.Whileit’sbesttoavoid thezoo, living attheusualcaptive (iepoor) standard a minizoofilledwithmonkeys andreindeer the topof thefallsyoureach Monkey Island, opt toridethecablecarfor5000d). take yourbreathcertainly away(unlessyou up thepathtotopof thefallswillalmost are positively breathtaking –thesteep walk ily accessiblewaterfalls (90m),mostmagnificentandeas- the highest South of the road (to the right as you face the South of asyoufacethe theroad (totheright is38kmfromDalatasyou Dan NhimLake If youcontinuewalkingupstream from Nearby To reach DambriFalls, themain turnoff (altitude980m)is5kmeastof Dan Dambri FallsDambri CENTRALHIGHLANDS••DanNhimLake (admission 10,000d)

in Vietnam.Theviews isoneof Ngoan cré- h Thang LoiHotel. currency exchangesandcashtravellerscheques. foreign- 930; 37ÐPhanBoiChau)Thisbranchcanmake National Park. andYokDon villages, Lake waterfalls, Lak Both agencies offer tours of thesurrounding TRAVEL AGENCIES postoffice Main ACCESSPOST &INTERNET Vietcombank Bank &RuralDevelopment Agriculture MONEY Hospital Dak LakGeneral MEDICAL SERVICES Information humid thanDalat;itisalsovery windy. tion, BuonMa Thuotiswarmerandmore of itslowereleva- are usually short.Because lasts fromMay downpours toOctober,though too manyWestern tourists. lish isspoken here andyouwon’tsee though, fluently.Notalotofspeak Vietnamese Eng- effective: nearlyallof now theMontagnards ernment’s policyof assimilationhasbeen tion ismadeupof Thegov- Montagnards. in andoutof town. butitcanstillbeacrawl with theextratraffic, roads are currently beingupgradedtocope its improving fortunes.Themajor approach with thecoffee industrylargely responsible for grown exponentiallyover thelastfew years, with mostof theregion’s rainforest. but theanimalshave allbutdisappeared –along WWII, thiswasacentre forbig-game hunting, eral stunningwaterfalls inthevicinity.Before to explore YokDonNationalPark andsev- a lottodohere, butitmakes foragoodbase Meas Ban Thuot)isfrom thebeans.There’s not buzz you’llget in Buon Ma Thuot(alsoknown of capital The caffeine Vietnam,thebiggest % BUON MATHUOT trainstation. forests andtheoldBellevue there’s awaterfall pine nexttothehighway, Dalat ( p310 ). At thetopof NgoanMucPass maillère A large percentage of thearea’s popula- province, ofThe capital thecityhas DacLac The rainy season aroundBuonMaThe rainyseason Thuot 6.30am-9pm) Alsohasinternetaccess. 050 /pop312,000elevation451m (cog railway) linking Thap Cham with (cograilway)linkingThapChamwith (1NguyenTat Thanh) ATM infrontof ( % 852 612;6ÐLe Duan; ( % 852 665; 2 Ð Mai HacDe) 852 665;2ÐMai ( %

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CENTRAL HIGHLANDS The dominates thesquare inthecentre of town. You canhardlymiss thismonument,asit MONUMENT VICTORY Sights valuableto get bitsof these paper. Tourist ing BuonMa DakLak Thuot.Contact minorityvillagescertain inthearea surround- Permits are stillrequired ifyouwish tovisit TRAVEL PERMITS Damsan Tourist DakLak Tourist 320 Phan Chu Trinh; Phan ChuTrinh; the DamsanHotel. 212-214 ÐNguyenCongTru; Ð Ho Tung Mau 4 1 3 2 Ban Don(45km) National Park(42km); To YokDon BUON MATHUOT Ð Xo Viet Nghe Thinh 16 CENTRAL HIGHLANDS •• Buon Ma Thuot CENTRAL HIGHLANDS••BuonMa victory monument victory 2

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Ð Nguyen B 21 7 Duc Canh Church Catholic Ð Phan Chu Trinh 8 10 SIGHTS &ACTIVITIES INFORMATION Victory Monument...... Revolution Museum...... Ethnographic Museum...... Vietcombank...... (see 13) Main PostOffice...... Damsan Tourist...... (see9) DakLak Tourist...... Bank...... a a eea optl...... A4 Dak LakGeneralHospital...... Agriculture &RuralDevelopment

Ð Ly Thai To Ὀ Ὀ Village (1.5km) To AkoDhong Ð Nguyen Tat Thanh Ð Dinh Tien Hoang

Ð Le Thanh Ton socialist future, peopledwithhappynurses, while ontheleftsidethere’s intoa aglimpse women are aproudsoldier, shownhugging wine vessel. Ontherear paneltheminority with theirtraditionalgongsandacommunal side of thecolumn,showshill-tribepeople lica tank. arch formingarainbowover aconcrete rep- of figures holdingaflag,withmodernist sisting of acolumnsupporting acentralgroup socialist realist sculpture inthecountry,con- of SouthVietnam. this battlethattriggered thecomplete collapse troopsliberated thecity.Itwas Vietnamese ofevents 10March 1975,whenVC andNorth The frieze, starting from the right-hand fromtheright-hand The frieze,starting It’s oneof themostinteresting piecesof

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B2 B3 A4 B3 B2 B2 Ð Tran Hung Dao Hung Tran Ð ht os oe...... B1 White HorseHotel...... Thanh BaoCafé...... Da Ly...... Café HoaDaQuy...... Thanh Loan...... Kem...... Hanoi Bakery...... Dac BietBunBo...... Thang LoiHotel...... Tay NguyenHotel...... Nguyen NhiHotel...... My LinhHotel...... Damsan Hotel...... Cao NguyenHotel...... SHOPPING DRINKING EATING SLEEPING Nha Trang(205km) Pleiku (197km); Ban MeHotel(4km); Bus Station(4km); Lak Lake(50km); Dak LakWaterPark(4km); Office (2.5km); To VietnamAirlines lonelyplanet.com D 20 19 To Airport 21 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 (8km) B1 D2 D2 B2 B2 A3 A3 B2 B1 B1 B1 D2 B1 9 bus station. 4km from thecentre of town,just before the h Book accommodationBook online at lonelyplanet.com treatment atthehandsof corruptofficials. and there are continuingallegationsof mis- withtheAmericans, hill-tribe peoplefought parts,wheresituation inthese manyof the ing aglobe. It’safarcryfromthereality of the farmers, industrialworkers andchildren carry- lonelyplanet.com Chi Thanh;admission30,000d; will at yourheartrate, thenperhaps waterslidesraise thelocalrocket-fuelIf sampling coffee doesn’t DAK LAKWATER PARK role duringtheAmericanWar. h tle If you’re tofinditopen, thislit- luckyenough REVOLUTION MUSEUM for around5000d. local guidecanshowyouaroundtheexhibits of theformeremperor’smanyresidences. A building surroundedbygardensthatwasone DaiVilla,agrandFrench-colonialthe Bao history isplausible,somepure fiction. nards andtherest of Vietnam–someof the theMontag- between the historicalcontacts tion withaccompanyingexplanationsabout music al instruments.There isaphotocollec- gear, bowsandarrows,weaving loomsand costumes, agriculturalimplements,fishing featureDisplays atthemuseum traditional understanding of disparate groups. these Museum province,in DacLac andthe There are tobe31distinctethnicgroups said MUSEUMETHNOGRAPHIC on ÐTranNhatDuat. Ð Phan ChuTrinhnorthwardandhangaleft centre of townandmakes aneasywalk;take fabrics –which alsobeforsale. might find somelocalsatworkweaving traditional town din(such asitis),andyoumaybeable to makes break forapleasant fromthedown- of suburbia. Strollingthevillage stilt-house lage of theEdevil- and outlyingcoffee plantations, thenorthernendof BuonMaBetween Thuot AKO DHONGVILLAGE The Ethnographic Museum is housed in ishoused The EthnographicMuseum The village islocated about1.5kmfromthe museum 7.30-11am &2-5pm) 7.30-11am &2-5pmWed-Sun) Dak Lak Water Park Dak LakWater

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( 9am-6pm) % 950 381;ÐNguyen Ethnographic . It’sabout making Damsan thebestdealintown.This making Damsan little shabby, theroomsare surprisinglynice, thecommunalareasAlthough are lookinga government-run hotel, including satellite TV ai /english/hotels/info.html; rUS$25-40; 1ÐPhanChu Trinh; ulate, roomswithsatellite comfortable TV. faces andmarble,theWhite hasimmac- Horse r US$25-40; 9-11ÐNguyenDucCanh; [email protected]; coffee plantations. ming pool,tennis courtandneighbouring at thebackof thebuildingoverlook theswim- cous restaurant (breakfast isincluded).Rooms plusarau- floors, bathtubsandsatellite TV, quiet hotel features cleanroomswithwooden .vn; 212-214ÐNguyenCongTru;rUS$25-40; service. and massage wi-fi. It’sknownforitsdancehall,karaoke but stillfairlyluxuriousandnowoffers free ai english/hotels/info.html; rUS$15-45; 65ÐPhanChuTrinh; NguyenHotel Cao MIDRANGE terraces upstairs. and arguably more withbigger comfortable, breakfast, butfanroomsare more spacious costs about10,000d.Air-con rates include tidy, garden-like A setting. isthislarge,bus station friendlymotel witha the centre of butwithinwalkingdistance the Chi Thanh;rUS$10-20; and are more spaciousthanthesingles. doubleshavecilities. Thecomfortable terraces this decentplacehascleanroomsandgoodfa- andit’sdefinitelyis peeling pastitsprime,but .vnn.vn; s/dUS$14/16; 110ÐLyThuongKiet; It’s ashame onthesheets. aboutthestains ern décorandnewcomputers inthereception. minihotel borders ontheboutique,withmod- 27-29 ÐLe DaiHanh;r150,000-220,000d; rooms andfree wireless internet access. this shinyplacehasgood-value spacious ai s/d/tr/q160,000/180,000/320,000/350,000d; Thuong Kiet; Nguyen NhiHotel BUDGET Sleeping White HorseHotel White Damsan Hotel Thang LoiHotel Thang Hotel Ban Me Tay NguyenHotel My LinhHotel ) ) ) NobodyspeaksanyEnglishhere, but The Cao Nguyenisafew years TheCao old You’llfind mostamenities atthis ai

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) CENTRAL HIGHLANDS HIGHLANDS CENTRAL CENTRAL HIGHLANDS selection ofselection top-shelf spirits. spotandhasagood is apopularnight-time This stylish open-sidedthree-storey bar-café Good places tobuythebrown goldinclude or ground coffee ataround 15,000dper500g. in HCMC orHanoi. Youcanbuywholebeans than the priceislower and thequalityhigher home, besure topickupa bag here because If youlike totake some thecoffee enough Shopping garden of thischic café. great viewsover fromthe a coffee plantation alcohol. Thanh Ton.Somealsoserve cafés toexplore inthestreets aroundÐLe room towater itdown.There are dozensof typically inavery tinycupthatallowsno that itwillmake onend,and yourhairstand itsostrongandsweet serve the Vietnamese coffee, which isthebestinVietnam.As usual, Buon Ma Thuotisjustifiably famousforits Drinking chocolate. it alsocarriessnackfoodslike and cheese there shelves of freshly-baked pastries,but 5000d; pastries icecream.down, foradelectable Thanh Loanyoucanstophere, afew doors withaplate of freshnoodles, served herbs. big hunksof meatinaspicybrothover white the street, thispopularhumbleeatery serves meals 12,000d) Delicious. meaty brothoramixof andchilli. fish sauce paper andrawgarlic,thendipineithera fresh ricepaperwithfriedpork,crunchy rice vegies, herbsandedibleleaves torollupin Youget night. amassiveevery plate of green wonderful roll-your-own rice-paper-roll joint 12,000d) hallsandtheoddrat. rowdy beer Ma Thuot–unlessyou’re notbothered by There aren’t alotof great restaurants inBuon Eating mous monument. not surprisingthatthehotel facestheepony- and bathtubs. 322 Kem Dac BietBunBo Loan Thanh Da Ly Café HoaDaQuy Café Hanoi CENTRAL HIGHLANDS •• Around Buon Ma Thuot CENTRAL HIGHLANDS••AroundBuonMa

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sharing astretch of theKrongAnaRiver, are Dray Sap&GiaLongFalls AROUND BUONMATHUOT in goodcondition. fullofThough twists and turns,it’smainly Buon Ma Lake). ThuotwithDalat(viaLak There’s roadconnecting alsoascenicsealed fairly steep. Hwy14toPleikuisexcellent. is surfacedandingoodcondition,though (157km), 34kmnorthof Nha Trang.Theroad Thuot intersects Hwy1AatNinhHoa The roadlinkingthecoastwithBuonMa CAR &MOTORBIKE Pleiku (46,000d,fourhours). toDalat(65,000d,fourhours) and services is about4kmfromthecentre, withplentyof Buon Ma Thuot’s BUS than 20,000d. is 8kmwestof should costless town.Ataxi from bothHCMC andDanang.Theairport 956 265;67ÐNguyenTat Thanh; There are daily AIR Getting There&Around Kiet. striponÐLyThuong along theguest-house BaoCafé Thanh Hwy 14heading south.After 16kmyou’ll pass becomes NguyenThiDinh andeventually riverside thetwo falls. pathbetween for animpressive It’spossibletowalka sight. volume of churning, muddywater stillmakes thanDraySap, the wideorhigh jungle. Less road, which increasingly cutsthrough dense falls theirname,meaning‘smokyfalls’. field. It’sthisever-present mistthatgave the spray fromthemainfallsrisingover thecorn- the jungle forcorn.It’sasurreal seeing sight, area where localvillagers have cleared the falls onaforkof theriver totheleft,pastan bridge. Acrossthebridge there are smaller views fromanIndianaJones–styleswinging slippery steps neartherestaurant there’s great 100m-wide first turningtotheleftheadsspectacular portunities. Entering fromthemaingate, the stunning andoffer goodriverside trekking op- Both these The To reach Duanuntil it them,follow ÐLe Gia LongFalls waterfalls Dray Sap ( % Vietnam Airlines Vietnam 854 164;32HoangDieu) bus station are afurther7kmalongthe . After headingdownsome

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Book accommodationBook online at lonelyplanet.com to theentranceinanother6km. Markets.the Eatling Thisroadwillbringyou another 5kmandturnleftabout500mpast a major bridge. Cross thisandcontinuefor lonelyplanet.com cultures is a challenge, consideringthepoverty of local and thepreservation conservation of wilddog,have discovered. been known animalslike the and snakes. Inrecent years previously un- wildlife monkeys intheparkincludesdeer, gigantea), critically-endangered giantibis ferent speciesof bird–including apairof tigers and leopards, aswell nearly250dif- accommodates The parkhabitat elephants, china, and17of endangered those worldwide. 38 of which are listed asendangered inIndo- Riverful Serepok it. flowingthrough mainly drydeciduousforest, withthebeauti- 115,545hectaresand todayencompasses of [email protected]) Don NationalPark The largest of Vietnam’snature preserves, % Yok DonNationalPark waterfalls. is theplacetoinquire abouttours tothe In BuonMa Tourist( Thuot,Damsan p320 ) The delicate ecological balancebetween Yok Donishometo67mammalspecies, had toendure inordertospend theiryearslugging hefty Westerners through theforest. centuries. Butthisdelightistempered bytheknowledge ofwhatthesebeautifulcreatures have invillagelife as they have part as there’s for anundeniablethrill inseeingelephantstaking carry wood,andnow theirmaincommercialpurposeis to ferry tourists. It’sanawful dilemma, bulldozers, fork-lifts andsemitrailers. The government hasnowclampeddownonusingthemto social creatures initiallyconsistsofsavagebeatingstobreak theinfant’swill. for theirnewcaptive. Here’s where thenicetiescease. The trainingofthesehighlyintelligent and never causephysicalharmtotheparents whencapturingtheiryoung. loved offspring theelephantpoachersinAfrica, beingcalf-napped.Unlike thehill-tribehunters to besaved incasetheyare chaseddown bytheangryparents, whoare ontheir nottoo keen the hunt.The huntsinvolve aseriesofquickattacksandretreats, andthehunters’ energy needs risk ofreturning tothe jungle. phants undertheageofthree are targeted, otherwise they’re toohardtotrain,andrunahigher elephant trappingcontinues,rooted inlocalculture andtraditions. around present-day YokDonNationalPark insearchofelephants. Tothisdaythetraditionof fromThailand,Throughout Vietnam, history, kings Cambodia andLaoshave cometothearea BABY ELEPHANT WALK 050 Until recently, alifetime ofheavytoillaybefore it–elephantswere used ascombination hasreturned fromthejungle, villageholdsanamingceremonyOnce thehuntingparty Custom maintainsthatmenmustabstainfromsexforatleastaweekbefore commencing Typically, hunters usetwodomesticated elephantsinordertocatchonewildcalf. Onlyele- sightedin2003.More common has been graduallyexpanded hasbeen CENTRAL HIGHLANDS •• Around Buon Ma Thuot CENTRALHIGHLANDS••AroundBuonMa

(Vuon QuocGiaYokDon; (Vuon Canisauvus, (Thaumatibis % aspecies 783 049; Yok the village of Most of thedomestictouristactioncentres on SIGHTS &ACTIVITIES rect costsfrom100,000to200,000dperhour. turn upandmake arrangements. Booking di- ( p319 ) inBuonMa Thuot,butyoucanalsojust Tourist rides canbearranged DakLak through Westerners twoisusuallythelimit.Ele phant typically carrythree people,butforheavier treks beautifulforests. through Elephants Visitors canarrange elephantridesorguided racing festivals are putonfromtimetotime. in thearea (see below ). Traditionalelephant- capturing wildelephants,dozens of which live of theirmother’sfamily. mother, andchildren are considered members the downthrough The familynameispassed mostly EdeandM’nong,amatrilinealtribe. grated from northernVietnam.Thelocalsare including asignificantnumberthathave mi- tion practices. and communityparticipationinconserva- ongoing balance,aimingtowardseducation opment Programme(UNDP),tomanage this international agencies, such astheUNDevel- governmentthe Vietnamese isworkingwith (eghunting).However, means of survival of theregion’s peopleandtheirtraditional The M’nongare knownfortheirskillsin There are 17ethnic groups intheregion, Ban Don in Ea Supdistrict,45km in Ea

323 CENTRAL HIGHLANDS HIGHLANDS CENTRAL CENTRAL HIGHLANDS 324 modation choices. covers (Ho Lak) Lake Lak along with increasingly accom- comfortable offering authenticexperiencesof hill-tribe life, This beautifulspot isawakening totourism, Lak Lake 600,000d perday. US$7/10 oneway/return. Ma Thuotcan take youtotheparkforaround daily).Motorbike inBuon 40km, eight taxis toYokDonNational Parkstation (US$1, headfromBuonMaLocal buses Thuotbus THERE&AROUND GETTING music anddancingputonforagrouptour. catchyou might alocalperformanceof gong good restaurant Don.Ifyou’re inBan lucky bridges. via arickety of series bamboosuspension (US$12) DonTourist)isthe Ban through (per personUS$5) 119) your ownfoodonalltrips. can alsobearranged. tobring You’llneed with aguidecost350,000d,andlonger treks treks tohaveneed aguidewithyou.Overnight beds. basic rooms(coldwater only),each withtwo Guesthouse At thenationalparkheadquarters, SLEEPING &EATING tovisitthisspot. necessary border.Cambodian Apermitandguideare 50km northof DonatYa Ban Liao,nearthe 13th-century Chamtowercalled the park’sfloraandfauna. and elephantrides,aswellinformationon .com) Vu Dang Xuan long straws. very timethrough and drinksatthesame a as visitors indulgingintraditionalactivitiessuch park, often gets overrun withbusloadsof intothenational 5km beyondtheturn-off northwest of BuonMa Thuot. Thevillage, communal jug There are theneglected ruins of a Donis inBan A goodlocalguidebased Elephants canbehired overnight for Though itcanbeabitofThough acircus,there isa Don,contact In Ban intheparkispossible,butyou’ll Camping gong performances about overnighting inminority . He canhelpwithaccommodation,treks CENTRAL HIGHLANDS •• Around Buon Ma Thuot CENTRAL HIGHLANDS••AroundBuonMa outonnearbyAinoIsland,reached

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a mattress inoneof traditionalstilt several houses arehouses allbuiltonstilts,which wasaway traditional M’nonglife. andwood Therattan Lak Resort SLEEPING &EATING or walkingtours. certs, elephantrides(US$16),andkayaking forUS$5,aswellgongcon- longhouses Thanh) Duc at If you’re interested overnight, instaying Mr uninterested inthetouriststheirmidst. The villagers goabout theirdailylives quite theoddelephantbeingriddenaround. see chickens wanderaroundatwill,andyou’ll of keeping theanimalsout.Pigs,cowsand Son, the lake (see below ). aces (isanyonekeeping count?) overlooking so,ashebuiltyetanotherofthought hispal- Daimusthaveis stunning.EmperorBao (50km north),thesurroundingcountryside Dalat (154kmsoutheast)andBuonMa Thuot monstrosities. handbags andtaxidermied havethese longsincefoundtheirfate asshoes, in thedry.Itwasoncefullof crocodiles,but to 400hectares surroundedbyricepaddies breakfast. stairs (mealsUS$5) andtheprice includes coat of paint. There’s arestaurant down- butitcoulddowithagoodclean enough, are lovely andsomeof therooms huge. It’s floralbedspreads,diles andghastly the views If youcanmanage toignore croco- thestuffed palace, situated onahilloverlooking thelake. Touristalsoownstheformeremperor’s Lak M’nong staff. resort iscommitted toemploying atleast51% Tourist,thebicycles hired. RunbyDakLak 25,000d). Tours canbearranged here and rant over decent food (dishes thelake serves was nearcompletion.Aromanticrestau- of lakeside bungalowsaroundacentralpool At thetimeof research anupmarket cluster ternal upto30people. toilet block,sleeping in ashared withanex- M’nonglonghouse cheap roomsinanoldwingormattresses Resortstilloffersjackfruit trees, Lak basic In apeacefullake undertheshadeof setting, US$8/10, bungalowsUS$25,shared longhouseUS$5; 600 hectares in the rainy season, butshrinks 600 hectares intherainyseason, Bao Dai Villa Bao DaiVilla On thesouthshores, nearthetownof Lien Located roadbetween onthemountainous , intheheartof thevillage, canorganise Jun Village Café Duc Mai DucMai Café

(Du LichHoLak; Book accommodationBook online at lonelyplanet.com

( % reveals anenigmaticsliceof 586 767;LienSon;rUS$20-30) ( % % 586 280;268ÐNguyenTat 586 767;LienSon;s/d lonelyplanet.com is Dak- ) trip onthebackof amotorbike fromBuon DalatandBuonMabetween Thuot.Aday- Ridertrailonthescenicroute stop ontheEasy iseasilyandregularly Lake visited asa Lak THERE&AWAYGETTING lonelyplanet.com to KonTum where the authoritiesare more ally justskip Pleikuentirely and headnorth guide. Thisputsoff manytravellers, whousu- province andyou’llalsoberequired tohire a apermit tovisitvillagesYou need inGiaLai Information towns. find elsewhere inVietnamese lacks much of thecolourandantiquityyou ance fromtheSoviet Union. As aresult, it the citywasrebuilt inthe1980swithassist- diedalongtheway. thousands line involved over 100,000peopleand tens of tothecoast- fled withthem.Thestampede population of PleikuandnearbyKonTum fled theadvancingVC, thewholecivilian inthearea.combat base troops Whenthese keptSouth Vietnamese Pleikuastheirmain and therapidbuild-upof UStroops. bombing campaignagainstNorthVietnam US President Johnson to beginarelentless asajustificationby onPleikuwasused attack tobenoncombativesupposed atthetime. The inVietnam,theirrolewas advisers military theUSAalreadythough hadmore than23,000 Americans.Al- pound inPleiku,killingeight the streets of market thissleepy town. you’reever, anyaggression unlikely on tosee from themiftheyattempt togoitalone. How- mayfindthemselves quicklyseparated wheels andWesterners the highway, withtheirown apermittogoanywhere mied. You’llneed off the potential forvillage sty- tourismhasbeen local ethnicminoritiesmeansthatmuch of on Hwy14.Thethreat of unrest amongthe makes forlittlemore stopover thanapleasant Well off thetouristtrack, Pleiku (orPlaycu) % PLEIKU Tourist. or inquire atDakLak from theBuonMa (20,000d) Thuotbusstation (see p319 ). Buon Ma Thuotoffers dayorovernight tours Touristin including waitingtime. DakLak Ma ThuotshouldonlycostaroundUS$12, When UStroopsdeparted in1973the In February 1965theVC shelledaUScom- leave Lake regularly toLak Public buses The departingsoldiers torched Pleiku,but 059 /pop141,700elevation785m CENTRALHIGHLANDS••Pleiku nearby HoaLuTheatre. the IalyHotel. and fast. forwarveterans. andprogrammescatering elephant riding oftours,includingtrekking, Gia Laioffers awidevariety 215 ÐHungVuong) LocatedbesidetheHungVuongHotel, h ride and picnic fromPleiku. viewing terrace. Thismakes bike apleasant the wayof apart fromatiered development beautiful and,thankfully, there’s littlehere in toric volcaniccrater. Thesurroundingarea’s tohavebelieved formedfromaprehis- been prefer toadmire itfromadrydistance. Itis to swiminthegreen water butmostvisitors about 7kmnorthof Pleiku,where it’spossible Bien Ho SEA LAKE p328 ) andafull-lengthswimmingpool. Dao) This littlepublic LE TUTRONGPARK get aticket andanappointment. can War. Touristto Checkinfirst atGiaLai Pleiku’sroleduringtheAmeri- memorialise tures hill-tribeartefacts andphotographs that admission 10,000d; Hung Nup French andAmericans.There’s a (1914–98), wholedthehilltribesagainst hero,AnhHungNup displays about aBahnar and theirlove forUncleHo. There are also forhill-tribepeople, strate UncleHo’saffinity displays documentsandphotostodemon- Phuong; admissionfree; remarkable andbothoften closed. neitherofPleiku hastwomuseums, them MUSEUMS Sights ATMVietcombank postoffice Main 42 Internet Incombank Gia LaiTourist depending onthelengthof yourtour. for which you’re likely tobecharged fee aset permit andguideaspartof oneof itspackages, and credit-card advances. foreignoffering currency andtravellerschequeexchanges, hospitable. Gia Lai Touristcanarrange the GiaLai hospitable. The The 6am-9.30pm) hasmanicured gardens,a , or lake mountain isadeep Lake, Sea Gia LaiMuseum Ho Chi Minh Museum Ho ChiMinh

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11 % 824 573;26ÐNguyenVan Troi) Ð Tran Hung Dao 874 217;24ÐQuangTrung) 0.3miles 500m 0 0 To SeaLake(7km); Church Vietnam Airlines Vietnam Kon Tum(46km) 7 6 1 A cross between Acrossbetween Ð Le Loi h 8 lonelyplanet.com Buon MaThuot(199km) 7.30-11am &1.30- xe om D

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. ( Airport % Pleiku With This 824 lonelyplanet.com Minh Trail (see the boxedMinh Trail (see text, p329 ). this isalso agateway tothehistoric HoChi There and inthetownitself, are sights several and theauthorities remain invisible. blessedly invite youintotheirhomesforachat. photosandthe adultsmayeven forgiggly pose onthetown’soutskirts,kids lovehouses to creetly hiddenbehind trimrowsof Vietnamese actually interested. villages, dis- IntheBahnar to askwhere you’re they’re from,it’sbecause when peoplestopyou onthestreet inKonTum Quite possibly thefriendliest cityinVietnam, % KON TUM and 424kmtoNhaTrang. FromPleikuit’s550kmtoHCMClogging. Thuot, theresult of Agent Orange andover- stretch of landontheroadfromBuonMa Tum (47km).There isaparticularlybarren Thuot (199km),QuyNhon(186km)andKon The nearest citiestoPleikuare BuonMa CAR &MOTORBIKE and Friday. onMonday,Wednesday urday andAttapeu departing PleikuTuesday,Thursday andSat- (US$10,12hours),ing PleikuandAttapeu hour) andQuyNhon(45,000d,fourhours). (46,000d, fourhours), KonTum(30,000d,one headtoBuonMaRegular buses Thuot or ÐHungVuongwithouttoomuch trouble. Loi usually flagdownaminibuscirclingÐLe just over 2kmeastof youcan town.However, isonthemainhighway, Pleiku’s busstation BUS So farKonTumremains largely unspoiled There is also an international service link- There isalsoaninternational service and thebabyburiedalive. involve theslaughter ofawater buffaloforavillagefeast, thetwofuneralswould becombined would alwaysleadtothebaby’sdeath.Inordersave ontheexpenseoffuneraryrites, which stems backtoatimewhenthere were noalternatives tobreast milkandthedeathofmother thatpersistedmothers, apractice untilthegovernment clampeddownonitinthe1990s. This the grave isabandoned–thespirithavingmoved onfromthevillage. mourning andcelebratingthedeceasedbyfeasting ricewine. After anddrinking several years their handsover theirfacesinanattitudeofmourning. wooden figures are usuallyplacedalongtheedge,often pictured inasquattingpositionwith lages. Eachgrave withashelter ismarked orbordered ofbamboo. withstakes Simplycarved The JaraiminorityofthePleikuarea honourtheirdeadingraveyards miniature setuplike vil- TO DIEJARAI 060 /pop89,800elevation525m A horrific part oftheJaraifunerarytraditionwasburiallive babieswiththeirdeadA horrificpart For yearsrelatives bringfoodtothegrave andpassthedeathanniversaries at the gravesite, CENTRALHIGHLANDS••KonTum boating trips onYalyboating trips andtheDakblaRiver. Lake tours,overnightstaysinvillagesand arrange trekking and In theDakblaHotel,staffcanhelpanswerqueries .com.vn; 2ÐPhanDinh Phung; Trieu) on majorcredit cards. Exchanges USdollarsandeuros,givescashadvances the dirtlanes, whilethekids playnaked orin side of town.Cowsand pigswanderaround on theeastsideand the one in Vietnamese: Bana simply calledLang of KonTum.There are two neighbourhoods) aresay ontheperiphery people’s facesorhomes. ask permissionbefore pointingacamerainto It’s finetowanderaroundthevillage, but tourists, butonlyifyouare nottoointrusive. thelocalpeople welcome Kon Tum.Generally There are quite afew hill-tribe villages around MONTAGNARD VILLAGES Sights postoffice Main Kon Tum Tourist Hospital Kon Tum General Café Internet Incombank BIDV Information B-52 raids. area byhundreds wasdevastated of American Kon Tuminthespringof 1972,whenthe North Vietnamese tookplaceinandaround North Vietnamese War. Amajor theSouthand battlebetween itssharesaw of combatduringtheAmerican Some smallvillages (orperhaps weshould Like KonTum elsewhere inthehighlands, ( % 862 340;1ÐTranPhu; ( % (21ÐNguyenHue) 910 714;90ÐTranPhu) ( ( % % 862 361;205ÐLe HongPhong) 861 626;www.kontumtourist ( h % h other onthewest 8-11am &1-4.30pm) 862 565;224AÐBa closed Sat) Bahnar villages Bahnar 327

, CENTRAL HIGHLANDS HIGHLANDS CENTRAL CENTRAL HIGHLANDS Rong weddings, festivals, and soon. prayersessions such localevents, asmeetings, for important Kon Tum’s RONG HOUSE on thesituation. in withKonTumTouristforthelatest scoop local minorityvillages withoutpermits.Check relatively openattitudetotourists visiting a rare andreal lookatvillage life. traditions remain Emailaheadtobook intact. one village, visitors are alwayswelcomedand are careful nottointrudetoofrequently onany theguideshere invillages.homestays Because jungle, KonTumTourist( p327 ) canarrange a smallcity. original KonTumbefore itgrew tobecome village atthewoodenchurchSunday nights ( right ). to theMass language, heldon intheBahnar traditional garb,unless they’re ontheirway dirty clothes.You’re people in unlikely tosee 328 (100m) Village To Bahnar Tum (300m) To NgucKon 1 3 2 KON TUM The KonTumpolicecontinueto have a Also ontheeastsideof Kon Tumis If youhave timeforamultidaytrek inthe

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h 8-11am &2-4pm and Vinh Vinh forgotten intheWest,battleiswellknown, here.made theirlaststand largely Although troops,whohad and 150SouthVietnamese before they managed tokillColonelMinh The VC laidsiege tothehillfor1½months for aguerrillawar,thiswasprolonged battle. tothedeath.Unusually became afiercefight neither surrender norretreat andthebattle Colonel NgocMinh,decidedthathewould incharge, officer it. TheSouthVietnamese beforestronghold theVC triedtooverrun The hillwasafortifiedSouthVietnamese come here tostirtheirmemories. free timeandmoneyalsolikesufficient to More few intriguingly,those VC veterans with find much of interest ifyou’re notawarbuff. groups of USveterans, butyouprobably won’t before American troopspulledout. andoneof fighting intense thelastbigbattles American War. In1972itwasthesceneof Kon Tum,wasamajor battlefieldduringthe The obscure DAK TO&CHARLIE HILL tions are only. inVietnamese models of theprisoncells,butexplana- inside, you’llfindoldphotosof prisoners and isamemorialstatue; Outside themuseum but nothingisleftof theoriginalbuildings. ment were after liberation. made intoheroes VCVietnamese; theirintern- whosurvived one of thefamousprisons run bytheSouth on thebanksof theDakbla River. Itwasonce by theedge of KonTum,isnowaquietpark This NGUC KONTUM About 5kmsouthof DakTois Dak Tohasbecomepopularwithvisiting There’s attheprisonsite, asmall museum former prison compound former prison Dak To outpost, 42kmnorthof ( h 7.30-11am &1-5pm) Charlie Hill 329

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. CENTRAL HIGHLANDS HIGHLANDS CENTRAL CENTRAL HIGHLANDS with localseatinghotpot 50,000d; © LonelyPlanetPublications the above - ‘Do the right thingwithourcontent.’ the above -‘Dotheright thetermsandconditions onoursiteforalongerwayofsaying youknow,orresell it.See everyone site,mass emailitto only. Inotherwords, pleasedon’tuploadthischapterto apeer-to-peer Inreturn, wethinkit’sfair toaskyouuseitforpersonal,non-commercial purposes restricted. © LonelyPlanetPublications. iteasier foryoutouse,accessthischapterisnotdigitally Tomake steamed can beordered inover adozenways,such as door goat-meatspecialityrestaurant. Goat 50,000d; walls, someof which are forsale. collection of hill-tribeartefacts adornsthe such aswildboarandfrog.Animpressive plusexoticfare standards Vietnamese serving Dakbla’s tends todrawthemosttravellers, 60,000d) Dakbla’s Eating &Drinking from therooftop bar. andhasgreat standards by highlands views bytheriver flash new placeright isdownright Ð BachDang;rUS$20-40,steUS$70; the backlookoutonaquietcourtyard. new, upmarket andattractive hotel. Rooms at r US$18-30; rooms. but cleanandcomfortable r US$8-10; Tram Viet Sleeping out. seeking to climb. during thewarandisstillconsidered unsafe People inCharlie). Stayed Charlie’(The by apopularsong,‘NguoiOLai largely wascommemorated thefight because now,inVietnam. Thereasoneven forthisis 330 popular hotpot (de xaolan), Indochine Hotel Huu Nhgi There’s a Not surprisingly,thehillwasheavily mined Quan 58 Restaurant 78LeLoi Restaurant CENTRAL HIGHLANDS••KonTum Withgoodfoodandreasonable prices, h h

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Trieu; Trieu; Pleiku. air-travel bookings;thenearest airportisin or schedule asyet.Thebestthingtodois tohaveand don’tseem afixed stoppingpoint are new Tum enroute toPakse. services These Thursdays Kon andSundays,passingthrough that leave QuyNhononMondays,Tuesdays, 86km northeastof KonTum.There are buses lies opened BoYbordercrossingintoLaos and Danang(85,000d,five hours). Thenewly toPleiku(30,000d,onehour) plenty of services 10,000d toget anywhere onthebackof abike. are inready supply.Itshouldn’t costmore than Kon Tumiseasytotraverse onfoot,but Getting There&Around delicious mangosmoothie. ora it’s agoodplaceforcoffee, coldbeer a littleincongruousinsimpleKonTum,but a chain arounditsneck.Thischic caféseems from alarge bomb,wearingapeacesignon sculpturea fantastic of asoldierfashioned ings scattered thegarden.There’s throughout minus thepigsandcows,withthatched build- uplike thisisset ahill-tribevillage,surprise, vegetarian foodhere. Loi,there’s 78Le good down fromRestaurant and Danang300kmnorth. now invery goodrepair. Pleikuis49kmsouth arrange oneinDanangorHCMC. not available atthisborder,soyou’llhave to (80,000k, three are visas hours). Note thatLao minivanreturning toAttapeu pick upaLao Hoi (30,000d,twohours, onedaily)andthen Anotheroptionistocatchtails. abustoNgoc inquire forthelatest atthebusstation de- Hwy 14northandsouthof KonTumis Kon Tum’s Café Eva The local Nghia II h 7-11am &1-5pmMon-Sat)

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