A vast plateau lying at the southern end of the Truong Son Mountain range - a few hundred very hilly kilometers inland from Nha Trang, a bumpy ride north from Ho Chi Minh City, or over the recently paved and very scenic Ho Chi Minh Trail south from Hoi An, Central Highland is best known for its people’s strong-heartedness and unyielding nature during the nation’s resistance wars. Physically, the region is full of jungles, idyllic waterfalls and breathtaking mountain landscapes.

Amidst the immense mountains and forests of Lam Dong province, suddenly emerges a beautiful city which has been likened as "Little Paris” of Vietnam – That is Dalat. With the wind rustling through the pine leaves, the roar of waterfalls, the chirping of birds, the clatter of horse hoofs, the pure and wholesome atmosphere..., this place captivates all those who have been there once.

Dalat – Ideal Climate

Dalat has unique flavor among Vietnamese towns partly due to its temperate mountain climate. The annual temperature averages at 18°C, and even in the hottest day of the year, the highest temperature is only about 31°C, while the yearly lowest is about 5°C. Sunny season is from December to March of the following year, and rainy season from April to November.

Nearly all minority groups living in the central highlands are indigenous peoples: most are matrilineal societies with a strong emphasis on community life and with some particularly complex burial rites. Catholic missionaries enjoyed considerable success in the central highlands, establishing a mission at Kon Tum in the mid-nineteenth century, and then early in the twentieth century Protestantism was also introduced to the region. Most converts came from among the Ede and Bahnar, though other groups have also incorporated Christian prac tices into their traditional belief systems. Likewise, Vietnamese influence has been stronger here than in northern Vietnam, while the American War caused severe disruption. Nevertheless, their cultures have been sufficiently strong to resist complete assimilation.

Kon Tum province is a mountainous area of Central Highlands region of Vietnam, lies in the boundary of Vietnam-Laos-Cambodia. Most of its territory belongs to West of Truong Son Range. Its topography is a combination of hills, mountains, highlands and valleys, with sloping mountains dominating north and east. There are many montagnards, mainly Banhar, but also Rengao, Jarrai, Xedang, Jolung, Rade, Ede and Jet.

Tourism in Kon Tum is the combination of natural beauty and traditional culture. Coming there, visitors do not only seize the opportunity of admiring the beauty of nature and steeping in the vibrant history of war monuments but also enjoy the traditional living activities ethnic minorities and their festivals such as Đâm trâu (buffalo stabbing), Cồng chiêng (festival of gongs),….

Pleiku is the capital of Gia Lai province that seated in the north of central highlands. The city lies at the junction of several highways - the northern road to Kontum and the highway west to Stung Treng in Cambodia.

Once in the American War, it was strategically important because of the presence of military firebases: “The American Seventh Cavalry, an air brigade and the unit featured in the film Apocalypse Now as the Wagner-blaring helicopter squadron that rains terror in its path, touched down south of Pleiku near famed Camp X-Ray in the La Drang Valley on November 14, 1965, for what would be the first open combat between American and North Vietnamese regulars after full American deployment at Danang. The bloody battle pitted 450 U.S. ground forces against nearly 2,000 North Vietnamese regulars, and the 48-hour fight caused many casualties before a tentative U.S. victory.