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Region: Central Highlands> Province: Gia Lai>Location: Pleiku

Pleiku sights and attractions

Cong Vien Dong Xanh (Fossil Tree Water Park) - Okay on a slow day

10km from Pleiku

Description
About 10km outside of Pleiku is a small tourist attraction where some fossilised trees are on display, though they've been shipped in here from elsewhere and made into monuments. Diversions include water slides (only open on weekends) and something of a zoo that the kids might enjoy, along with two ostriches running around in an enclosure near the entrance. There's also a crocodile pond that offers 'feeding shows,' again, only on the weekends. If you get here on a weekday, it's still a pretty spot.

Bien Ho Crater Lake - Scenic

6km north of Pleiku

Description
If you've got time on your hands, about 6km north of Pleiku there's a lake that was formed by a volcanic crater. Head north on Pham Van Dong, and take a right at Ton Duc Thang -- the road to the lake is on the left and hard to miss since it's lined with trees and descends downwards into the crater. A jetty has been built out into the lake, with a gazebo on top from which you can take in the views.

Museums - Worth a peak (if open)

Description
There are two museums in town: The Gia Lai and the Ho Chi Minh Museums. The museums are closed for a wide selection of holidays -- including Tet, which is when we were in town.

Opening Hours: Weekdays 07:30 to 11:00, and 13:30 to 16:00

Tours - Overhyped, overpriced

Description
The trickle of tourists that do come through Pleiku tend to do so as part of pre-arranged tours, mostly through Gia Lai Tourist in the Hung Vuong Hotel. Half-day tours of Banhar and Jarai Ethnic Minority villages are available, as well as a day-long city tour, and a day-long tribal village hiking tour.

There are boat tours of Ayunha Lake, including a stop at Bat Cave island and a peek at Phu Cuong waterfall. Other tours include elephant rides and folk shows. Veterans tours are also on offer, but as ever, they're only of real interest if you happen to have actually fought in the war.

We found that almost all of these tours were overpriced and over-hyped. You can see all the sites on the city tour, for instance, on your own and you'll be glad you didn't pay anyone to show them to you. In our experience the ethnic village tours are the most interesting, and the one-day hiking tour through four Bahnar villages was the most tempting.

Gia Lai Tourist Travel Service Centre: 215 Hung Vuong St, Pleiku. T: (059) 874 571;(059) 873 354. F: (059) 824 891. travelcenter@gialaitourist.com
http://www.gialaitourist.com