Kon Tum

Things to see and do

An organised trips around Kon Tum

There's a limited amount of sight-seeing you can do on your own just by walking around Kon Tum, with or without a guide -- mostly it's all about the vestiges of the French colonial period. There's the Wooden Church with its adjacent rong house (you'll see a lot of those), the Seminary with its hill ... read more
Dong Phung Massage

We ran across so many dodgy massage parlours in Kon Tum, we set out to find the real deal, and were rewarded for our efforts. This new, beautifully designed place on the edge of town offers wet and dry saunas, a soothing eucalyptus Jacuzzi bath, and a 45-minute massage for only 60,000VND. VIP rooms ... read more
Jarai Cemetary

There are several Jarai cemeteries in the area -- the one we visited was 16km from town, after crossing the Dakbla River bridge. The Jarai have an interesting and very practical way of undertaking ancestor worship. The spirits of the recently deceased should be honored with a feast day and, ... read more
Other Tribal Villages

With so many villages in the immediate area, you can 'roll your own' tour based on what interests you, and with some advanced planning, there are many more things to do and see than we were able to cover on our visit. Options include an afternoon trip to Khon'ngor Village, 7km outside town, to ... read more
Diem Cao 601 (Skull Hill)

Seventeen km from Kon Tum along the road to Dak To is monument by the side of the road. It's known as 'Skull Hill' because of the large number of human remains unearthed here after the war. Skull Hill was the south's last line of defence before it was broken by North Vietnamese forces in 1975, ... read more
Dak To Victory Monument, Charlie Hill

The town of Dak To, 47 kilometres from Kon Tum, features a monument to the critical North Vietnamese victory on nearby Charlie Hill. The hill itself is difficult to access, and, in any case, there's nothing there to see. But two North Vietnamese tanks were salvaged whole from the battle remnants -- ... read more
American Airstrip and Foxholes

The victory monument in Dak To is at a fork in the road, and if you take the left fork, the road leads, six kilometres on, to an airstrip used by the Americans during the war. It's tricky to find on your own, but if you're up for it, you can try asking locals for 'tham san bay' (Vietnamese for ... read more