Vietnam Central Highlands

Vietnam’s somewhat mysterious Central Highland region is often missed off the usual tourist routes across Vietnam. It is a land full of mountains, primitive forests and small ethnic minority communities clinging to their identity amidst mass colonization of the region. The rugged wilderness of the Central Highlands is the perfect place for those who want to discover the undisturbed beauty and isolated communities of Vietnam.

<>Top cultural attractions in the central highlands

The seven best things to see and do on your visit to the central highlands.

1, Dambri Waterfalls

The most impressive waterfalls in the highlands – stand right below them and feel the spray on your face.

2, Da Lat

Abseil down a waterfall, pose for pictures on a pony or just enjoy some cooler nights in this popular hill city.

3, Ride the rails

Chug your way through highland scenery on the short train ride to Trai Mat village, 7km east of Da Lat.

4, Lak Lake

Paddle around Lak Lake in a dugout canoe at dawn and watch the sunrise sweep across its surface.

5, Coffee country

Enjoy a cup of fresh coffee in Vietnam’s capital of caffeine, Buon Ma Thuot.

6, Kon Tum

Kick back in the small, agreeable town of Kon Tum, which deserves more tourists on account of the minority villages on its doorstep.

7, Bahnar villages

Overnight in a dramatically tall communal rong in a Bahnar village near Kon Tum.

 Bao Loc and around

The vast majority of travelers pass straight from Ho Chi Minh City to Da Lat, but buses sometimes screech to a brief halt on the causeway traversing La Nga Lake, from where the houseboats cast adrift on the water are only a zoom lens away. Locals use foot-powered rowing boats to access their homes, which also double as fish farms.

Eventually, the hills yield to the tea, coffee and mulberry plantations of the Bao Loc Plateau. Here, the town of Bao Loc is the best place for a pit stop between Ho Chi Minh City and Da Lat, and it’s also a jumping-off point for visits to nearby Cat Tien National Park and the Dambri Waterfalls. Though there are no sights of interest in the town itself, the undulating hills nearby provide fertile soil for the cultivation of tea and coffee, and locals also grow the mulberry bushes that silkworms are fond of. Those with their own transport will be able to scoot around this highly attractive area; alternatively, rent a taxi or xe om for half a day.

Dambri Waterfalls

Surrounded as they are by dense forest, the Dambri Waterfalls are much more attractive than any of those in the vicinity of Da Lat, and the only ones worth visiting in the dry season. The road to the falls, which branches north from Highway 20 just east of Bao Loc, bisects rolling countryside carpeted with coffee, tea and pineapple plantations.

Once you arrive, there are two paths leading to the falls. The main one to the right leads to the top of the falls, where some ugly fencing stands between you and a precipice over which a torrent of whitewater tumbles 80m. From here, you can descend to the base of the falls by the steep steps or take a lift. A second path, to the left by the restaurant, leads down a steep stairway amid towering trees to a superb view of the falls from the front. A bridge links the two paths over the river, and here you’re likely to get drenched by the spray even during the dry season. The path continues downstream to a smaller cascade, Dasara Falls, but the trail can be slippery after rain.

Cat Tien National Park

The area’s outstanding attraction is Cat Tien National Park, a protected area situated 150km north of Ho Chi Minh City and about 50km west of Bao Loc. The park covers the largest lowland tropical rainforest in south Vietnam, and hosts nearly 350 species of bird, over 450 species of butterfly and over one hundred mammals, including wild cats, elephants, monkeys and the rare Javan rhinoceros. Don’t bank on seeing a rhino, as the few residing here are in a secluded reserve that’s closed to visitors. Crocs are a different story since a clutch resides in an area around 12km from the park entrance (8km by boat, 4km on foot).

Da Lat

Vietnam’s premier hill station, Da Lat, sits tucked into the mountain folds of the Lang Bian Plateau at an altitude of around 1500m. A beguiling amalgam of winding streets, picturesque churches, bounteous vegetable gardens and crashing waterfalls, this quaint colonial curio is a great place to chill out, literally and metaphorically; if it’s cool air gets you in the mood for action, you could try trekking to minority villages, mountain-biking and rock-climbing. Find out more about Da Lat.

Lak Lake

A hundred and fifty kilometers northwest of Da Lat and 40km south of Buon Ma Thuot, Highway 27 passes serene Lak Lake, a charming spot that has become very popular with tourists. Five thousand people, mostly from the Mnong community, once lived on the lake itself, but have since moved into distinctive longhouses in shoreside villages. There are a number of (slightly cheesy) activities available here, including musical gong performances and elephant rides; note that the latter is not recommended since you’ll be sitting atop a metal cage that’s doubtless extremely painful for the poor pachyderm. Still, the lake itself is a glorious place, as once attested by Emperor Bao Dai himself – he grabbed some of the best sites in southern Vietnam for his many palaces, so it comes as no surprise to learn that he had one here, in a prime spot on a small hill overlooking the lake. The palace is long gone, but the site is now home to a small hotel.

<> What to see in Vietnam’s central highlands

Bounded to the west by the Cambodian and Lao borders, the central highlands’ fertile red soils yield considerable natural resources, among them coffee, tea, rubber, silk and hardwood. Not all of the highlands, though, have been sacrificed to plantation-style economies of scale – pockets of primeval forest still thrive, where wildlife including elephants, bears and gibbons somehow survived the days when the region was a hunting ground for Saigon’s rich and Hue’s royalty.

Most visitors who ascend to these altitudes set their sights on Da Lat, an erstwhile French mountain retreat that appears very romantic from afar, especially when the mists roll over its pine-crested peaks. Some find it disappointing close-up, with its dreary architecture and tacky tourist trappings, but the city itself 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.

Heading northwest from Da Lat, you’ll pass pretty Lak Lake, an attractive body of water surrounded by minority villages. Then comes a series of gritty highland towns whose reputations restless on tourist sights than on the villages and open terrain that ring them. First comes Buon Ma Thuot, a surprisingly busy place considering its far-flung location. While the city itself has little to detain visitors, the surrounding waterfalls and E De minority villages certainly do, and it’s also the gateway for treks into Yok Don National Park.

Pleiku to the north is another less-than-lovely city, though again encircled with a ring of delightful minority villages – this time Jarai and Bahnar. Further north again is Kon Tum, by far the most attractive and relaxing of these three provincial capitals; you’ll be able to take in three Bahnar villages on an afternoon’s walk from the city center and visit several other minority groups farther afield. Read about the best places to visit and things to see in our Vietnam central highlands travel guide.

 

<> Best time to visit Vietnam’s central highlands

Your highland experience will vary enormously depending on when you visit. The dry season runs from November through to April. The best time to visit the central highlands to see the region at its atmospheric best is during the wet season between May to October. Bear in mind that the rain can make some outlying villages inaccessible during this time.

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