Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Sankara 78 Nguyen Dinh Chieu. Sankara does its best to
promote itself as “Swankara”, with its intimate gazebos
and chillout couches around a tiny beachside pool,
upmarket international bar snacks, extensive cocktail list
and DJs spinning tunes into the small hours. Daily
noon-late.
Wax 68 Nguyen Dinh Chieu. A popular little beach bar
whose dancefloor and serious sound system can make
for a rowdy night out. Their beach bonfire is particularly
popular with revellers. Daily 5pm-late.
piled high with bomb shells and rusting
weapons betray the hardships endured
during the American War; a major battle
was fought here between the North and
South Vietnamese in 1972, which ended
in defeat for the South, the soldiers joined
by many civilians in the “Convoy of
Tears”. Going back further in time, a
stroll along Nguyen Hue still reveals
red-tile terraces of shophouses left over
from the French era. At the base of Tran
Phu stands the grand, whitewashed bulk
of Tan Huong Church. Further east is the
so-called Wooden Church , built by the
French in 1913. In the grounds, there's a
scale model of a communal house.
The southern and
central highlands
After a hot and sticky stint in the Delta
or by the coast, you'll find that the
southern and central highlands , with
their host of ethnic minorities, mist-laden
mountains, vast plantations and trickling
waterfalls, provide an enjoyable contrast.
Many of the highlands' inhabitants are
montagnards (“mountain folk”) from
Bah Nar, E De, Jarai, Sedang, Koho and
Mnong ethnic minorities , but visiting
their villages independently can be
di cult and is best done by basing
yourself in the highland towns of Buon
Ma Thuot and Kon Tum . For most tourists,
the main target is the former French
mountain retreat of Da Lat , with its
refreshingly cool climate, an abundance
of fruit and veg, and its prime setting for
motorcycle tours of the region and visits
to one of Vietnam's biggest natural
treasures - Cat Tien National Park .
11
Kon Ko Tu
here are dozens of Bah Nar villages
encircling Kon Tum, but one of the most
accessible is KON KO TU , a relatively
timeless community 5km east of town.
Follow Tran Hung Dao east, crossing
Duong Dao Duy Tu and passing an
impressive high-roofed rong (communal
house) just before you cross Dakbla River
over the suspension bridge. Turn left at
the first crossing after the bridge and
continue for 3 to 4km to reach the
village. Many of the dwellings are still
made of bamboo and secured with rattan
string, but it's the village's immaculate
rong , with its impossibly tall thatch roof,
that commands the most attention.
Constructed with wood and bamboo,
and without the use of any nails, the rong
is used for festivals and village meetings,
and as a village court at which anyone
found guilty of a tribal offence must
KON TUM
Some 174km south of Hoi An as the
crow flies, southbound Highway 14 runs
into the northern limits of diminutive
KON TUM , a sleepy, friendly town that
serves as a springboard for jaunts to its
outlying Bah Nar villages , or as a brief
stop en route to Laos.
INTO LAOS: BO Y
The easiest option to reach the border
crossing at Bo Y , 86km northwest of
Kon Tum, is to catch a direct bus to
Attapeu in Laos, which passes through
Kon Tum daily at 9.30am (7hr;
260,000VND). From Attapeu, the bus
continues on to Pakse (12hr; 350,000VND).
Alternatively, Mai Linh Express ( W mailinh
.vn) also run more comfortable daily buses
to Attapeu. One-month Lao visas are
available at the border for about $40,
depending on your nationality.
WHAT TO SEE AND DO
Phan Dinh Phung forms the western edge
of town; running east above the river is
Nguyen Hue, and between these two axes
lies the town centre. Scrap-metal yards
 
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