AMAZING CENTRAL HIGHLAND VIETNAM

Day 1: Hoi An – Kham Duc- Kon Tum – Overnight in Kon Tum

0800h: Your guide and driver will meet you at your hotel and together you start off on your exciting journey to Kon Tum traveling on the Ho Chi Minh Highway (AH17)

After leaving Hoi An and making your way out into the country, you will stop at several small villages along the Ho Chi Minh trail to view how the locals make incense, rice paper, ceramics and have the opportunity to enjoy a fresh pineapple.

There will also be an opportunity to stop at some of the places like Charlie Hill that were made famous during the American war.

Arrive Kon Tum and check into your hotel.

Overnight in Kon Tum

Day 2: Kon Tum to Pleiku (B/L) – Overnight in Pleiku

After breakfast it will be time to get on the road again and journey towards Pleiku which is situated 600km from Saigon and 200km from Buon Me Thuot.

You will spend a pleasant day on gentle rolling hills passing numerous small villages and rubber plantations and making several short stops to visit some places of interest along the way.

Some of the places you may visit are: an old wooden church, Vinh Son Orphanage, Bana Minority village and a traditional Rong house (communal house).

Lunch will be at a local restaurant along the way.

6 Km from Pleiku you will stop at Sea Lake which is considered the Eyes of Pleiku. The lake is a flooded crater of a long extinct Volcano formed millions of years ago. There are spectacular mountain views and many photo opportunities in the area that will leave a lasting impression.

Overnight in Pleiku.

Day 3: Pleiku to Buon Me Thuot (B/L) – Overnight in Buon Me Thuot

0730h: An early start to begin the drive to Buon Me Thuot and enjoy the scenery of the lush jungle and passing by rubber, coffee and black pepper plantations.

Time permitting, there will be an opportunity to stop at the Trung Nguyen coffee showroom and the Draysap and Gia long waterfalls.

Arrive Buon Me Thuot and check into your hotel.

Overnight in Buon Me Thuot.

Day 4: Buon Me Thuot to Dalat (B/L) – Overnight in Da Lat

Leaving early, to start your 200km journey to Da Lat, there will be little traffic and even though the road is narrow, it is quite good and offers some nice views of vast coffee and rubber plantations that grow well in the fertile red soil.

After traveling approximately 60 km heading south from Buon Ma Thuot, you will have the opportunity to visit Lak Lake which is the home to a wide variety of wading birds. The former summer residence of Emperor Bao Dại is located over looking the lake and has interestingly been transferred into a hotel.

Overnight in Da Lat.

Day 5: Da Lat City Tour – Elephant riding (B/L) – Overnight in Da Lat

0800h: Your guide and driver will meet you at the hotel and travel with you to Prenn Water Fall at the base of Prenn Pass. The falls were named after the former village of Prenn which was located up stream of the 9m high and 20m falls.

You will then visit Datanla Falls which are often said to be the most beautiful and spectacular of the falls in the Da Lat area. Datanla means “water under the leaves” and 3 different legends have been put forward to explain the name. The most common refers to how ancient enemy invaders sank into the waters as they tried to cross as the water was hidden beneath the leaves.

Please note: entry fee into the near by adventure park is not included.

The waters from Datanla Falls flow into Tuyen Lam Lake (also known as Paradise Lake) which will be your next stop. Waters of the lake stretch over a large area of approximately 350 hectres. Its clean green waters flow from the beautiful Tia Spring and from the Da Tam River, which flows down Elephant Mountain. Tuyen Lam is known as the lake where rivers, springs and forests meet. The lake was enlarged by damming the rivers in the late 1980’s to form a reservoir and as a result, it is one of the largest and most beautiful lakes in town.

Once there you will find many photo opportunities and may have the opportunity to go riding on an elephant.

After a short drive, you will arrive at the Truc Lam Zen Monastery – one of most beautiful pagodas in the south of Vietnam. While making your way up the winding road to the temple, the bell tower is clearly visible from afar and the tiled roof of the pagoda is also easily seen contrasting against the pine forests that surround it.

A set menu lunch will be provided at the Nhat Ly Restaurant in Da Lat.

After your lunch you will be taken to visit the Art Deco style Da Lat train station with it’s fascinating roof design and arching ceiling, old French Villas and the Da Lat Embroidery centre before returning to your hotel at approx 1630h.

Overnight in Da Lat

Day 6: Da Lat – Cat Tien (B/L) – Overnight in Cat Tien

0830h: Leave Da Lat to make your way to the Co Ho Minority Village (also known as Chicken Village) where you will have the opportunity to view the life of local people as you walk around the village. It is known as the chicken village due to the giant concrete chicken which stands at the entrance of the village to scare away predators from the real chickens.

Moving on you will visit the 40m high Pongua Water Fall which is the largest and most powerful water fall in the area approximately 50Km from Da Lat.

Located at 1,000m above sea level, the village of Di Linh will be your next stop where you will visit a coffee plantation and enjoy a lunch break.

After lunch you will take a walk through the deep jungle to view one of the largest surviving trees in Vietnam. In the evening you will get to take a night safari in the park which is great way to finish off your day.

Overnight in Cat Tien.

Day 7: Cat Tien National Park – Ho Chi Minh (B/L)

Cat Tien originally consisted of 2 areas that were protected in 1978. Later in 1992 a third area was protected as Rhinoceros reserve after a small colony of Vietnamese Javan Rhinoceros was discovered and made the area known to the world. However, it wasn’t until 1998 that the 3 areas were combined and designated a National Park.

Covering an area of approximately 71,900 Hectares, Cat Tien is one of Vietnams’ largest and most important National Parks.

0800h: After breakfast you will be driven to visit Rubber, Pepper and Cashew plantations on your way to HCMC. You will also visit fish farms at the La Nga fishing village and view how the locals manufacture rice paper before arriving in HCMC at approximately 1630h.

Tour the end.