Pleiku a truly wild region that is in the most peaceful time and “off the beaten track”.iku, located at an altitude of nearly 800 m, is a great stopover for discovering the Central Vietnamese Highlands. By traversing the dusty roads of red earth you will have the chance to discover.
What to do in Pleiku?
The city of Pleiku does not have a great tourist interest but will immerse you in a Vietnamese life without frills. It is above all a good base for visiting the surrounding province.
Trek
It is indeed a natural and cultural immersion in question. As you venture into the plains; you admire landscapes of plateaus planted with rubber trees, coffee trees, tea trees, or pepper trees in which some hamlets reveal communal houses with very impressive pointed roofs. By approaching more closely you can observe the most authentic, wild and unusual scenes of life that animate these places of life with ancient ways of life.
These are the ancestral habits and customs that testify to the strong community cohesion of the Gia Rai, Bahnar and Sedang ethnic groups inhabiting the region since the most distant times.
Indeed, Pleiku has plantations, forests, and above all pretty remote villages. The area seems to be for hikers only.
Dektu, Derol, and Bahnars villages are recommended.
The Phun village of the Jarai ethnic group, meanwhile, is best known for its traditional cemetery: the funeral rites of the Jarais are based on their beliefs and last for months or even years after the death of the deceased (the time necessary for his spirit leaves the village). Real little miniature villages are built: collective tombs with sculptures, and bamboo shelters. Nothing is more rewarding than coming one evening to a show of gongs – the musical instruments representative of the souls of men and the earth, and tasting rice alcohol.
The prettiest natural scenery in Pkeiku is around Tnung Lake – a natural lake in an ancient volcano crater. From this lake, you can take a panoramic look at the surroundings.
Outdoor activities like excursions aboard a wooden canoe also promise to leave you with unforgettable memories compared to city tours which are more historical.
Pleiku is often suggested to travelers who have already made a classic route along the Vietnamese central coast but who want to make detours in more remote lands for more authentic discovery.
Where is Pleiku?
The city of about 200,000 inhabitants is located in Gia Lai Province, central Vietnam, Pleiku is 337 km from Da Nang and 304 km from Nha Trang.
How to get there?
The fastest way to get to Pleiku is by plane. There are direct flights three times a week from the two closest cities, namely Ho Chi Minh City in the South and Danang in the Center. Count 2 hours of journeys.
You can also get there by road, bus or private vehicle. From Ho Chi Minh the distance is about 400 kilometers and it takes 11 to 12 hours by sleeper bus.
Best time to go to Pleiku
The most favorable period for tourists wishing to go to Pleiku is from November to April when it is much drier. On the other hand, it rains quite a lot between May and October.
History of Pleiku
Pleiku was strategically important during the Vietnam War as it was the main terminus of the military supply logistics corridor from the Qui Nhơn port facilities. Moreover, its central location on the plateau, between Kontum in the north, Buôn Ma Thuột in the south, and the bases of the North Vietnamese army inside Cambodia in the west made Pleiku the main center of defense throughout the mountainous region of the Republic of Vietnam.
The United States established an armed presence very early in the conflict at Camp Holloway, and Việt Cộng’s attack on this base in early 1965 was one of the major escalating events that brought American troops into the dispute.