About

Discover Kon Tum

Kontum is a relaxed little town with few sights. What nevertheless puts it on the map of interesting places in Vietnam are the surrounding minority villages, including settlements of the Sedang, Bahnar, Jarai, Gieh Trieng and Rengao ethnic groups. Each village has a rong, a huge and impressive communal house where the villagers gather for special occasions. Strangely enough, French Catholics missionaries were quite successful in this remote part of the country, converting some of the minorities and leaving churches behind. Kontum is on Hwy 14, the inland road parallel to ever-congested Hwy 1. In an effort to transfer traffic from that route to here, the road has been upgraded, so the place is now easily reached. Northbound to Da Nang it runs along the northern part of the famous Ho Chi Minh Trail, winding through some of the roughest mountainous jungle terrain in the country.

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What to Experience in Kon Tum

Bahnar Orphanage (behind the Wooden Church). Visitors and donations welcome.

Happy Wedding my sister Love u <3

Catholic Seminary, 56 Tran Hung Dao. Houses a small minority museum, but the colonial

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Tan Huong Church (West end of Tran Phu).

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Nghia, 12 Le Loi. Solid vegetarian option with rice, pho, and bun dishes. 20,000 dong.

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Hoang Van Hotel, 1A Hoang Van Thu St, ☏ +84 60 3917555. Broken English

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Cuisine

Taste of Kon Tum...

There is the usual selection of hole-in-the-wall restaurants or street side stalls, mainly on Tran Phu, around the market and on the road running parallel to the river. On the northern parallel to Tran Phu (Phan Chu Trinh?), just a few houses from the corner with Phan Dinh Phung, there is a small vegetarian restaurant (an chay). They serve excellent faux-meat with dishes described as tuna, chicken, crab, and the like. All over town you'll find beautiful garden cafes to while away the hours. The Central Highlands are a high-risk region for malaria. Wear long trousers and shirt sleeves after dusk. From Kon tum you can get to Attapeu or Pakse in Laos with a bus that leaves from Pleiku. Details about schedules and right bus stop can be had from Kon Tum Tourist. More adventurous travellers can get a local bus to Ngoc Hoi and a moto ride to the border (about 20 km from Ngoc Hoi). On the Lao side you might have to hitch a ride to Attapeu (120 km). In Oct 2007, there wasn't any public transport here. Be warned that traffic on road going from Bo Y border crossing to Attapeu is sparse and there aren't any villages until only 30–40 km before Attapeu.

Plan Your Trip

Essential Information

Getting There

Multiple Options

Kontum is on Hwy 14, the inland road parallel to ever-congested Hwy 1. In an effort to transfer traffic from that route to here, the road has been upgraded, so the place is now easily reached. Northbound to Da Nang it runs along the northern part of the famous Ho Chi Minh Trail, winding through some of the roughest mountainous jungle terrain in the country. Kontum's bus station is on the north side of town, just off the highway. Buses arrive here from every coastal city between Da Nang and Nha Trang, while the neighbouring towns of Pleiku and Dac To are en route from Dalat/Buon Ma Thuot to Da Nang and thus see some through traffic. The local buses are dangerous as they race each other down the mountains in order to collect the passengers (and their fares) first, and can overfill the minivan to as much as double its capacity....

Travel Tips

Getting Around & Staying

Getting Around

Kontum's major draw are the villages of the indigenous hill-tribes (called montagnards by the French). It is recommended you go with a guide, since he or she will be able to communicate in the minority language and keep you from inadvertently breaking taboos. There is the usual selection of hole-in-the-wall restaurants or street side stalls, mainly on Tran Phu, around the market and on the road running parallel to the river. On the northern parallel to Tran Phu (Phan Chu Trinh?), just a few houses from the corner with Phan Dinh Phung, there is a small vegetarian restaurant (an chay). They serve excellent faux-meat with dishes described as tuna, chicken, crab, and the like. All over town you'll find beautiful garden cafes to while away the hours. The Central Highlands are a high-risk region for malaria. Wear long trousers and shirt sleeves after dusk. From Kon tum you can get to Attapeu or Pakse in Laos with a bus that leaves from Pleiku.

Where to Stay

The Central Highlands are a high-risk region for malaria. Wear long trousers and shirt sleeves after dusk. From Kon tum you can get to Attapeu or Pakse in Laos with a bus that leaves from Pleiku. Details about schedules and right bus stop can be had from Kon Tum Tourist. More adventurous travellers can get a local bus to Ngoc Hoi and a moto ride to the border (about 20 km from Ngoc Hoi). On the Lao side you might have to hitch a ride to Attapeu (120 km). In Oct 2007, there wasn't any public transport here. Be warned that traffic on road going from Bo Y border crossing to Attapeu is sparse and there aren't any villages until only 30–40 km before Attapeu.

Money & Budget

There is the usual selection of hole-in-the-wall restaurants or street side stalls, mainly on Tran Phu, around the market and on the road running parallel to the river. On the northern parallel to Tran Phu (Phan Chu Trinh?), just a few houses from the corner with Phan Dinh Phung, there is a small vegetarian restaurant (an chay). They serve excellent faux-meat with dishes described as tuna, chicken, crab, and the like. All over town you'll find beautiful garden cafes to while away the hours. The Central Highlands are a high-risk region for malaria. Wear long trousers and shirt sleeves after dusk. From Kon tum you can get to Attapeu or Pakse in Laos with a bus that leaves from Pleiku. Details about schedules and right bus stop can be had from Kon Tum Tourist.

Stay Safe

Safety Information

Safety Overview

From Kon tum you can get to Attapeu or Pakse in Laos with a bus that leaves from Pleiku. Details about schedules and right bus stop can be had from Kon Tum Tourist. More adventurous travellers can get a local bus to Ngoc Hoi and a moto ride to the border (about 20 km from Ngoc Hoi). On the Lao side you might have to hitch a ride to Attapeu (120 km). In Oct 2007, there wasn't any public transport here. Be warned that traffic on road going from Bo Y border crossing to Attapeu is sparse and there aren't any villages until only 30–40 km before Attapeu.

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