Kon Tum is the most remote province of the Central Highlands, has a border gate with Laos and Cambodia, so it is also known as the “Indochina confluence”. This land not only impresses visitors with a sound of chicken crowing in the three Indochinese countries, but is also attractive by the unique cultural beauty and friendly people. Let us explore Kon Tum travel experience so as not to miss in this worthy land!
What time should I come to Kon Tum?
Kon Tum’s climate is similar to other provinces in the Central Highlands, so December is also a good time for you to come to Kon Tum. This is the dry season, but it is not as hot or sunny as in March and April. In addition, this is the time when the wild crows bloom, the golden rice is ripe all over the streets and the festival season of many ethnic groups in this area.
Transportation to Kon Tum
Planes
Kon Tum does not have an airport, so if you want to go to Kon Tum by plane, you will have to fly to Pleiku airport, 50km from Kon Tum. Pleiku Airport has flights to Hanoi, Da Nang, Ho Chi Minh City of Vietnamairlines, but the prices of these flights are higher than those to Buon Ma Thuot or Da Lat. The average one-way price of Hanoi – Pleiku is about 1,800,000 VND – 2,500,000 VND. Flying from Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang is a little cheaper today.
Flight Hanoi / Ho Chi Minh City – Pleiku has 1 flight every day, but Da Nang – Pleiku has no flights on Monday and Wednesday. Currently flights Da Nang – Pleiku are having promotions of about 800,000 VND / way.
From Pleiku airport you can catch a bus costing about 30,000 – 35,000 VND / way to Kon Tum. Or simply take a taxi.
Coach
From Hanoi and northern provinces
- Bus Dang Khoa: Hanoi – Kon Tum, running from Giap Bat at 8:45, running from Kon Tum at 7:30, phone number: 060 3864606 – 0905 010269.
- Bus Dang Khoa: Hai Duong – Kon Tum, running from Hai Duong at 7am, running from Kon Tum at 15:30, Tel: 060 3864606 – 0905 010269.
- Viet Tan bus: Hanoi – Kon Tum, call phone number 060 3913999 – 0169 6823334 (5) to know when the car is running
Where to stay when traveling to Kon Tum
Kon Tum city is quite small and has main streets such as Phan Dinh Phung, Truong Chinh, Duy Tan … When traveling to Kon Tum, you should choose to stay in central areas like this to facilitate your outing. me.
In addition to the cheap hotels or motels, coming to Kon Tum you can choose to stay at Vuon Thu Homestay . Thu Garden is located next to the romantic Dakla River, in the south of Kon Tum city, next to the residential area of Nam Dakla, 2km from the center of Kon Tum city. Especially, homestay has open space to relax, harmonize with nature to the maximum and it only takes less than 5 minutes to ride a motorbike to the center of dining, cafe, shopping. With the price of only 200,000 VND / day – this is considered the place to stay by many tourists when coming to Kon Tum.
Beautiful Garden Thu Homestay in Kon Tum (Photo source: Collectibles)
In addition, in Kon Tum you can stay at a homestay in cultural villages such as Kon K’lor, Kon K’Tu, about 40k / person. If you go in large groups, you can choose to experience the local culture and save maximum costs.
Attractive places to visit in Kon Tum
Kon Tum Prison
Going from Phan Dinh Phung Street in the southwest direction about 1km is the Kon Tum prison relic. This is where the colonialists used to imprison political prisoners in the years 30-31.
Kon Tum Wooden Church
Located on Nguyen Hue Street in the middle of the city center, Wooden Church was built in Roman architecture and in the style of a Ba Na stilt house made of wood. With impressive architecture in European style, the campus has an orphanage, brocade weaving, sewing. Nearby is the Kon Tum Archbishop, where you can visit the Museum of ethnic cultures in the North Central Highlands for free.
Kon K’lor Rong House
This is the largest cultural communal house in the Central Highlands, located in the heart of the city with many Ba Na communal houses, ornate wooden pillars. In addition, the village also has a team to buy sinuses and gongs for the festivals. Next to the Rong house in Kon K’lor is the Kon K’lor Suspension Bridge with the largest cable stayed in Kon Tum connecting the two banks of the Dak Blar River. Visitors visit this bridge in the afternoon to watch the sunset. Continue 6km to Kon K’Tu Cultural Village with many homestays and cultural services to enjoy wine and listen. gongs. Or in the city center you can take a walk to Kon Tum Park on Tran Phu Street and visit Bac Ai Pagoda.
Bo Y border gate – Dong Duong junction
From Kon Tum city going to the direction of National Highway 14E in the Northwest direction is Bo Y border gate where the border markers between the three Indochina countries are located. To get here you have two ways, one is to reach the right-hand junction, only on the left is Cambodia, on the right is Laos, you go straight. The second way is not to turn right into the gate but go the other way, go straight into the dirt road. This place is about 80km from the city center, you can go back in the day.
Mang Den eco-tourism area
From the city center, follow Road 24 to the East 50km to reach Mang Den eco-area dubbed “the second Dalat of the South”. This is one of the best places to see the stars if the weather is clear in the evening. In Mang Den there are many religious works such as the Statue of Our Lady of Sorrows also known as the Statue of Our Lady of Mang Den.
Dak To victory relic
On the way from the city to Bo Y border gate, the Dak To victory monument is located at a crossroads. Dak To area has 15 cultural, historical and ecological tourist spots, but this monument is the most famous. If you want to learn more, you can visit the ruins of Kon H’Ring Church, Dak To hot spring and Dak Lung waterfall.
Conquering the top of Ngoc Linh
For those who love to explore, climbing can not ignore this mountain “roof of the South”. There are many ways to move here: From Kon Tum city, go to Dak To – Ngoc Lay – Tu Mo Rong – Mang Ri. Continue 10km to Ngoc La village from here you send your motorbike and start your journey. Or you can go to Kon Tum – Dak To – Dak Glei – Lo Xo pass to the junction, then turn on road 673 more than 40km to reach Ngoc Linh commune.
Specialties in Kon Tum
Kon Tum leaf salad
Coming to Kon Tum without eating leaf salad, it is not considered that. Leaf salad is a specialty that anyone coming to Kon Tum wants to once try. This salad dish is special because it takes ingredients from more than 50 different types of leaves and vegetables from familiar to strange and very strange. Among them are mustard greens, fish lettuce, basil, cinnamon, psyllium, guise leaves, figs, polyscias fruticosa, guava, apricots, ginseng, tram, serrated dogs, sesame, rubies … Large dishes can be served when only 40 types are poured, but it is necessary to have fig leaves, polyscias fruticosa leaves and hairy apricots. These are the leaves used to funnel other dishes to make a serving.
Roasted Black Bamboo Pig in Kon Tum
The Mang Den breed of the indigenous people (the Upland Pig) is a natural grazing type of local pig. Pork is roasted whole by charcoal fire until the skin is golden and crispy, giving off a complex aroma. If you come to Kon Tum without trying this dish, it’s a bit of a waste.
Kon Tum weaver ants
Coming to Sa Thay district, Kon Tum where the Ro Mam people live, you have to eat poisonous and strange yellow ant salad. The new dish heard the name many people felt scared, but when it was eaten, they wanted to eat it.
Sour fish Kon Tum
If you have the opportunity to visit Kon Tum once, do not miss the opportunity to enjoy the sour fish specialties of the ethnic Jep Trieng, a dish full of flavors of the mountains.
How to make sour fish is easy but also requires precision. The fish used to process sour fish is a goby, a type of fish like Troi but smaller and flattened in the Central Highlands rivers and streams.
The more sour fish, the more delicious it is because the iron fish is thanks to the spices that have penetrated the fish meat, making people see the salty taste of salt, the spicy taste of wild chili, the sweetness of the leaves, the taste of hearing. corn and sour taste as the mixture is fermented …
Kon Tum sturgeon
In Kon Tum, the Mang Den plateau is home to more lakes. The water here is always cool all year round. Perhaps that is why salmon and sturgeon are very suitable when kept here. Coming to Mang Den, you will freely enjoy the expensive sturgeon with the entire bones of the cartilage, the fleshy white, chewy and fatty fish. Visitors can catch fish by themselves and ask the chefs of the restaurants around here to cook with many delicious dishes from fried, steamed, um, dried … Any dish with Mang Den sturgeon will make visitors fall in love.