Rough Guide to Vietnam - Jan Dodd [128]
For most visitors who ascend to these altitudes, the main target is Da Lat, an erstwhile French mountain retreat that can appear very romantic when the mists roll over its pine-crested hilltops, though some find it disappointing close-up, with its dreary architecture and tacky tourist trappings. Yet the city is not without its charms, among them a bracing climate, some beguiling colonial buildings, picturesque bike rides and a market overflowing with delectable fruits and vegetables.
It’s a picturesque journey from Ho Chi Minh City to Da Lat by road, though it takes about six hours and buses can be cramped, so it’s worth considering taking a plane. From Da Lat, it’s possible to drop down to the coast at Phan Rang or Nha Trang, or continue northwards over the hills, passing pretty Lak Lake on the way to a series of gritty highland towns whose reputations rest less on tourist sights than on the villages and open terrain that ring them. Sensitive to the minority rights issue, the Vietnamese authorities only opened this region to foreigners in 1993, and still few visitors venture to its main towns, Buon Ma Thuot, Plei Ku and Kon Tum. North of Buon Ma Thuot, Highway 14 makes a beeline across the Dac Lac Plateau to Plei Ku, and then continues to Kon Tum, a journey of less than an hour. Since restrictions on independent travel are less stringent in Kon Tum than around Plei Ku or Buon Ma Thuot, and as there are several nearby minority villages that feature towering rong where home-stays are possible, the town has started to attract adventurous travellers. From Kon Tum you can travel 80km northwest to Bo Y and cross the new international border to Laos, or head straight for the coast at Quang Ngai, or even go north along the route of the new Ho Chi Minh Highway.
Many of the highlands’ inhabitants belong to ethnic minorities who are struggling to maintain their identities in the face of persistent pressure from Hanoi to assimilate (for more on the background of the ethnic minorities, (see "Vietnam’s ethnic minorities")). Apart from around Kon Tum, visiting one of the highlands’ many minority villages independently can be difficult: in most cases you’ll need to go through a local tourist office (and pay handsomely for the privilege), but in each area it’s best to double-check the current regulations, especially concerning overnight stays in villages.
Your highland experience will vary enormously depending upon when you visit. The dry season runs from November through to April. To see the region at its atmospheric best, it’s better to go in the wet season, May to October, although at this time the rain can make some outlying villages inaccessible.
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The central highlands |
Highlights
Trekking Trek along forest trails in a national park at Cat Tien or Yok Don. See also "Cat Tien National Park"
Dambri Waterfalls The most impressive waterfalls in the highlands – stand right below them and feel the spray on your face.
Da Lat Abseil down a waterfall or pose for pictures on a pony in the capital of adventure sports and kitsch.
Lak Lake Paddle around Lak Lake in a dug-out canoe at dawn and watch the sunrise shimmer across its surface.
Coffee country Enjoy a cup of fresh coffee in one of Buon Ma Thuot’s cool cafés.
Bahnar villages Overnight in a dramatically tall communal rong in a Bahnar village near Kon Tum.
Café in Buon Ma Thuot
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The central highlands |
Into the highlands
The route to the central highlands from Ho Chi Minh City follows Highway 1 for about 70km before branching northeast on Highway 20, which starts a steady climb. The rubber trees corralling its traffic occasionally reveal tantalizing views of the valleys below. Buses sometimes