Rough Guide to Vietnam - Jan Dodd [150]
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The central highlands | Through the highlands | Kon Tum and the minority villages | Around Kon Tum |
Moving on to Laos
The international border crossing from the central highlands to Laos, open at Bo Y 80km northwest of Kon Tum, provides access to the rarely-visited region of southern Laos. Heading on west it takes you to Isaan, in the forgotten northeast of Thailand. Though in theory you can obtain a fifteen-day Lao visa at the border ($30; two passport photos required), it’s best to get your visa in advance at the Lao consulate in either Ho Chi Minh City or Da Nang or their Hanoi embassy (see "Moving on from Ho Chi Minh City," "The northeast coast road" and "Planes" respectively), as border officials are notorious for extorting unscheduled payments from travellers in order to prevent administrative delays. There are irregular bus departures from Kon Tum to Attapeu and Pakse in Laos: check at the bus station for times.
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The central highlands | Through the highlands |
North of Kon Tum
From Kon Tum, travellers have the choice of heading for the Laos border at Bo Y (see "Moving on to Laos"), down to the coast at Quang Ngai on Highway 24, or continuing north on the picturesque Highway 14, also know as the Ho Chi Minh Highway, which is a pleasure to travel on.
Around 42km north of Kon Tum is the district of DAK TO, which witnessed some of the most sustained fighting of the American War; to the west of the road to Dak To is Rocket Ridge, a brow of hills that earned its name from the heavy bombing – napalm and conventional – it received during this time. To the south of town is Charlie Hill, which was the scene of one of the fiercest battles of the war, ending in a VC victory over Southern troops. There’s a rong right in the middle of Dak To, where the inhabitants are mostly Sedang, and with a little exploration you should be able to find more Sedang longhouses in the settlements surrounding Dak To.
Heading north along the route from Dak To, the road passes through DAK GLEI, where there’s another spectacular rong. Directly east is virgin jungle surrounding Mount Ngoc Linh (2598m), the highest peak in the central highlands. Beyond here, the route takes you through wonderfully verdant and unpopulated countryside before Highway 14B branches off to the right at Nam Giang, taking you down to the coast at Hoi An or Da Nang.
The central highlands |
Travel details
The central highlands | Travel details |
Trains
Da Lat to: Trai Mat (5 daily; 40min).
The central highlands | Travel details |
Buses
Bus stations are gradually becoming more organized, with ticket desks and scheduled departures. However, it is still almost impossible to give the frequency with which buses run because of the large number of private minibuses that ply more popular routes, and depart only when they have enough passengers to make the journey worthwhile. Off the main highway, to be sure of a bus it’s advisable to start your journey early – most long-distance departures are between 5am and 9am, and few run after midday. Journey times can also vary; figures below show the normal length of time you can expect to take by public bus.
Buon Ma Thuot to: Da Nang (12hr); Ho Chi Minh City (7hr); Nha Trang (4hr); Plei Ku (4hr).
Da Lat to: Buon Ma Thuot (4hr); Da Nang (16hr); Ho Chi Minh City (6hr); Nha Trang (3hr); Phan Rang (3hr).
Kon Tum to: Da Nang (5hr); Hanoi (20hr); Ho Chi Minh City (12hr); Attapeu, Laos (8hr).
Plei Ku to: Buon Ma Thuot (4hr); Da Nang (10hr); Kon Tum (1hr); Quy Nhon (4hr).
The central highlands | Travel details |
Flights
Buon Ma Thuot to: Da Nang (daily; 1hr 10min); Hanoi (daily; 2hr); Ho Chi Minh City (daily; 1hr).
Da Lat to: Hanoi (daily; 2hr 40min); Ho Chi Minh City (daily; 40min).
Plei Ku to: Da Nang