Pleiku is the capital city of Gia Lai province, in the Central Highlands region of Vietnam. Pleiku has rich tourism resources, especially beautiful natural scenes, historical relics, man-made works, and unique cuisine. Traveling to Gia Lai, we cannot ignore this capital city. Hopefully, “Guiding to travel to Pleiku” will be useful luggage for you to have a perfect Pleiku trip.
Table of Contents
The Ideal time to travel to Pleiku
Similar to the climate in other Central Highlands regions, Pleiku has two distinct seasons: the rainy season and the dry season. The terrain of the highland is quite rugged and difficult to travel, so you will have difficulty going during the rainy season, from May to October. The best time to come here is definitely from December to March because this time there will be coffee flowers and wild sunflowers blooming in the whole plateau.
Transport to Pleiku
Plane: You can book tickets easily at famous airlines such as Vietnam Airlines, Vietjet Air, Jetstar…
- Ho Chi Minh City – Pleiku: If you “hunt” for cheap tickets, you will only need to spend 800K for a return ticket.
- Hanoi – Pleiku: You can easily book round-trip tickets for only about 600K.
Coach:
- Ho Chi Minh City – Pleiku: Ticket price: about 200K, traveling in about 11 hours.
- Hanoi – Pleiku: Ticket price is about 550K, traveling for about 21 hours.
The Most Beautiful places in Pleiku
Che Lake (Tea Lake)
The green beauty of Che Lake .
Che Lake is a tourist destination in Pleiku, combining a lake and green tea hills. In 1919, this place was cleared to grow tea. Located 13km from Pleiku city, going along the national highway, leading to the tea hill is a small road running parallel to 2 rows of pines. When coming here in the summer, you will be able to see the poetic scenery with the green color of the tea hills, the faint smell of tea leaves dispel all sorrow. When the sunset falls, it is also the time when this place blends many colors.
T’nung Lake
The view of the Lake will truly captivate you. This place was created by an extinct volcano. Follow Highway 14 about 7km to the northwest of the city. Pleiku, you will have the opportunity to admire the lake, with its wild beauty and crystal clear water.
The scenery of T’nung Lake at dawn.
The water surface is as clear as a mirror.
Pleiku Prison
You will get to explore the prison with the most brutal forms of torture. In 1925, the French colonialists built a prison mainly to house ethnic minority prisoners. In 1940, they turned this place into a detention center for patriotic revolutionary activists. When the US captured the prison, it still held pretty revolutionaries. After 1975, the Central Highlands campaign liberated the prisoners and this place became a place of education for the young generation. Today, prison is a place of education for the young generation.
The prison is a place to keep communist soldiers.
Ham Rong mountain peak
Ham Rong Mountain is home to the famous and majestic Chu Dang Ya volcano. To climb to the top of the mountain, you will have to overcome more than 1000m of mountain road. However, you will be rewarded for your efforts, you will be able to see from the top of the mountain to the vast surrounding space of clouds and sky. Coming here in the wild sunflower season, you will be able to see the whole Ham Rong mountain area brilliantly yellow.
Ham Rong mountain is floating in the clouds.
Buu Minh Pagoda
Buu Minh Pagoda is located 15km north of the city center, in the middle of immense tea hills. With a history of more than 50 years, the temple has many cultural and historical meanings associated with the tea hill. This is one of the earliest pagodas formed on the Pleiku plateau. The main hall of the temple is nearly 500m2, worshiped solemnly.
The ancient beauty of the pagoda.
The main hall is the largest place of the temple.
Nine Floor Waterfall
Nine Floors Waterfall is about 20km from Pleiku city, the name Nine Floors originates from a special feature of this waterfall, which is the waterfall divided into 9 separate floors flowing down to the rock boxes below and making white foam. Visitors here are curious to admire this waterfall because of its unique feature.
Nine Floors Waterfall.
Yaly Hydroelectricity
As the second-largest hydroelectric plant in our country (after Hoa Binh hydropower plant), Yaly hydroelectricity is the focal point of electricity supply for a large area. Yaly Hydroelectricity is located on the Sesan River Hydroelectric Dam, here you will learn about the life and work of the workers working day and night to maintain light for the people here as well as watching the Sesan River beautiful and majestic.
Yaly Hydroelectricity.
Chu Dang Ya Volcano
There are still vestiges of an active volcano here. Coming here, you will see lush fields of reed grass growing on the fertile basalt red soil. During the blooming season of wild sunflowers, this place is truly a paradise for flower lovers.
Wild sunflower season in Chu Dang Ya.
Rubber forest
Located in Chu Se District, 40km south of Pleiku is a straight rubber forest. Thanks to the fertile basalt red soil and low-temperature winter climate, the rubber forest here is green, with rubber trees covered with algae. If you come to Pleiku, you should not miss exploring this rubber forest.
The poetic rubber forest in Pleiku.
Minh Thanh Pagoda
Minh Thanh Pagoda is a spiritual tourist destination in Pleiku that attracts a lot of tourists from all over the world every year. The temple has a harmonious architecture between Japan and China, with exquisite and special architecture.
A corner of Minh Thanh Pagoda.
Ha Tam Pine Hill
Located at an altitude of 1150m above sea level, the pine trees here are strong and straight with various designs. Coming here, you will realize that this place is as beautiful as the famous pine hill in Da Lat. Walking under the dark green pine trees, watching the sunlight pass through the forest will make you feel lighter and healthier.
Sunshine through Ha Tam pine forest
Dong Xanh Park (Green Field Park)
Dong Xanh Park is located in Dong Xanh tourist area, where you can both explore the interesting culture of the Central Highlands and have moments of relaxation with fun games. The scenery in harmony with the poetic nature will also be a plus point for you to choose this place as a destination for yourself in the journey to discover Pleiku.
The Scenery of Dong Xanh Park.
Dien Hong Park
Along with Dong Xanh park, Dien Hong park is also an interesting attraction for you to explore Pleiku. The main area of the park is Dien Hong village, where exhibits and houses clearly show the culture of the Central Highlands. The bungalows with Indian architecture are also the ideal place to enjoy highland coffee.
Dien Hong Park
Kon Ka King National Park
Kon Ka King National Park is an important national park in the chain of animal and plant conservation areas of our country. This place has been recognized as an ASEAN heritage garden with the main role of ensuring irrigation water for pepper trees and thousands of hectares of coffee in the Central Highlands.
Kon Ka King National Park.
Phu Cuong Waterfall
The waterfall has a height of 45m, flowing above the extinct volcano, making this waterfall more majestic and magnificent. When coming here in the rainy season, the high water column billows like a silk band wrapped around the waterfall. In the dry season, you will be able to ride an elephant to explore the beauty of the forest scenes here. The ticket price here is about 15,000 VND / person, you should bring food and necessary medical supplies.
Phu Cuong waterfall flows like silk.
Dai Doan Ket Square (great unity Square)
Located in the city center is Dai Doan Ket Square with a width of 12 hectares. In the middle of the square is a statue of President Ho Chi Minh, behind are sculptures depicting the rhythm of life, culture, and people of Central Highland. This is very suitable for you as a place for walking, sightseeing, enjoying the wind after traveling to visit waterfalls, pine forests, lakes…
Dai Doan Ket Square.
Delicious cuisine
Fermented fish sauce rice noodle
It is a dish that is prepared very simply but is easily addictive for diners. The special point lies in the fermented fish sauce, which is made quite sophisticatedly. When eaten, add roast pork, lemon, chili, and chopped cucumber to create a strange and delicious taste.
Fermented fish sauce rice noodle.
Two-bowl noodle soup (Pho hai to)
This special name comes from the fact that you will always be served two different bowls when ordering this dish, one is pho and the other is broth, not mixing together like the way we normally eat. The broth is made from chicken. Pho part is added shredded chicken and a bit of dried onion. This is a specialty that can only be found in Pleiku, so you definitely have to try it when visiting this city.
Two-bowl noodle soup.
Fermented Crab rice noodle
The most notable feature of this dish is that fermented crab is made from crab with a strong taste and not everyone can eat it. However, its strong taste is restrained by the aroma of vegetables. when coming to Pleiku, you should also try this specialty dish once.
Fermented crab rice noodle.
Grilled chicken-lam rice
The chickens here are moved in the mountains, so the meat is tough and quite firm. Chicken is marinated with a little salt for flavor, added chili, lemongrass, and a little honey, and then grilled on the fire. The sweetness of honey mixed with the sweetness of the meat, the spicy taste of chili when eaten with lam rice having a buttery taste because it is placed in the bamboo, there is nothing more delicious. Grilled chicken-lam rice is a dish of the people of the Central Highlands that you should try to feel once.
Grilled chicken-lam rice.
Grilled Lui
The crispy Lui piece is dipped in sour tamarind juice, when you eat it, you will understand why this is the most popular snack in Pleiku. This dish is sold a lot in sidewalk shops, so you will not be difficult to find.
Grilled Lui.
Quang noodle with fish cake
Quang Noodle dish must be a dish that is no longer strange to everyone. However, the special feature of the bowl of Pleiku Quang Noodles lies in the fish cake added to the regular bowl of Quang noodles and its surprisingly cheap price. A bowl of fish noodle soup makes you remember forever but the price is just over 10K.
Fish cake Quang noodle dish in Pleiku.
Mot nang beef (one-day beef)
Another dish with a unique name is beef one sun. After being thoroughly marinated with spices such as sugar, salt, monosodium glutamate, chili, lemongrass, the beef will be exposed to the sun for only one day. After being dried, the beef is grilled as the traditional way of the Central Highlands people, which is grilled on a charcoal stove. The crispy yellow beef rolled with raw vegetables, is extremely attractive.
Mot nang beef.
Forest leaf salad
Forest leaves are selected very carefully so that they do not contain toxins harmful to health, when eaten with other leaves, they will not be in conflict. The rolled salad includes spring rolls, boiled meat, shrimp, forest leaves. when eaten, it will be dipped with dipping sauce, which is delicious without causing boredom.
Forest leaf salad.
Buying gifts in Pleiku
The coffee
Going to the land of thousands of hectares of coffee without buying coffee as a gift is really a pity because the coffee here is grown in the fertile basalt red soil. The Central Highlands is the birthplace of many famous coffee brands. It is not only sold domestically but also exported to all five continents, such as Trung Nguyen Coffee, Ban Me Coffee. Coming here, you can also buy coffee beans as gifts for relatives and friends… Surely everyone will like them because they come from the “coffee capital”.
Central Highland Coffee.
Dried bamboo shoot
Pleiku dried bamboo shoots are famous for being young bamboo shoots, not using sulfur to dry but using charcoal, then drying in the sun. After buying it, you just need to soak it in water to soften it and then process the dishes.
Dried bamboo shoot.
Dried banana
The bananas are grown abundantly on this land, so the people here have taken advantage of the abundant resources available to process different foods, in which dried bananas are a very popular snack. The dried bananas are bought as gifts for relatives, friends. They will be satisfied because the dried bananas have the taste of Pleiku.
Dried banana.
Gia Lai pepper
Pepper is grown a lot in Pleiku.
The Places to stay in Pleiku
Duc Long Gia Lai Hotel 2
- 01 Cu Chinh Lan, Dien Hong, Pleiku City, Gia Lai.
- Price from 650,000 VND / night.
- Duc Long Gia Lai 2 Hotel – 3-star hotel.
Duc Long Hotel is located in the heart of Pleiku city, an ideal location. around here, there are many restaurants, cafes, entertainment areas for you to freely walk, enjoy coffee and eat and drink. This hotel is also only 6km from Pleiku Airport, only 10km from the famous tourist destination of the lake, so it is quite convenient for your travel to attractions. In addition, the hotel service is quite comfortable, thoughtful, and complete facilities.
Room at Duc Long Hotel Gia Lai.
Tre Xanh Hotel (Green Bamboo Hotel)
- 18 Le Lai, Tay Son, Pleiku City, Gia Lai.
- Price from 660,000 VND/night.
- Tre Xanh Hotel – 3-star hotel.
Green Bamboo Hotel is located right in the city center, very close to the World Coffee Museum, where you can enjoy the taste of coffee from many lands around the world. The service and attitude of the staff here are highly appreciated by the travel websites as well as the customers who have stayed here.
Green Bamboo Hotel.
Khanh Linh Hotel
- 232 Nguyen Tat Thanh, Pleiku City, Gia Lai.
- Price from 769,482 VND/night.
- Khanh Linh Hotel – 3-star hotel.
Located near Pleiku Airport, Khanh Linh Hotel will be an interesting and convenient place for your travel. With the facilities of 52 rooms and different price points, you will have a wide choice for different accommodation needs. Khanh Linh Hotel with luxurious decoration will surprise you more than its 3-star standard.
Khanh Linh Hotel.
Queen Hotel
Queen Hotel is an ideal location for those who want to book a room at an affordable price with good quality. Queen Hotel is also very close to famous attractions in the city, so you don’t have to worry about long-distance transportation. The rooms are decorated in a simple but warm style will also be a plus point to conquer you.
Queen Hotel.
Above is the Pleiku travel guide that we want to send to you so that you have a perfect journey in the sunny and windy highland.
