Pleiku

It doesn’t get more off-the-beaten-track than Pleiku, the Gia Lai province’s capital which is strategically located at the junction of two of Vietnam’s major highways routes 14 and 19 and is a great jump-off point for anyone looking to explore Vietnam’s verdant central highlands. With its lush green beauty, it’s hard to think that just a few decades ago this site was heavily bombed as part of the “Operation Rolling Thunder” but with help of the USSR, Pleiku was rebuilt into what it is now.

It’s possible to access Pleiku via a direct bus from Ho Chi Minh City and there are routes that come in from Quy Nhon, Da Nang, and Buon Ma Thuot. A small airport services the area as well so one could book a flight from one of the country’s major city airports. Once there, don’t be surprised by the lack of attractions but take the opportunity to see the Vietnamese countryside in all its natural beauty. With that, the things visitors could expect to see are the Bien Ho or Sea Lake, the Cong Vien Dong Xanh or the Fossil Tree Waterpark, the Gia Lai and Ho Chi Minh Museums, the Cathedral of Kon Tum, Yaly Falls and the Phu Cuong Waterfall, and the Yok Don National Park.

Do note that if one wishes to see the ethnic villages, they need to obtain a government permit from the provincial office and that a local guide is preferred. Lastly, don’t forget to check out the very famous traditional noodle, Pho Kho Gia Lai with its soup served separately from the noodle.