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Kon Tum is the central highland province of Vietnam, bordering with Laos and Cambodia at the triangle of Indochina. Kon Tum is the land of several ethnic villages of Xơ Đăng, Bana, Gia Rai, Jẻ minorities. Each of them has their own way of living, culture and tradition. 

Kon Tum's relaxed ambience, friendly locals, river setting and relatively traffic-free streets make it a great stop for travellers intent on exploring the surrounding hill-tribe villages, of which there are 700 or so dotting the area – mostly Bahnar, but also Sedang and Jarai. This is a far better base than Pleiku for delving into indigenous culture, and there are a few intriguing sights in Kon Tum itself.

Best time to visit

In Kon Tum, the wet season is overcast, the dry season is mostly cloudy, and it is hot and muggy year-round. Over the course of the year, the temperature typically varies from 16°C to 35°C and is rarely below 13°C or above 38°C.

Based on the tourism score, the best time of year to visit Kon Tum for warm-weather activities is from late November to mid-March.

Check the below table for the general idea of Kon Tum weather throughout the year.

Month Avg. High (°C) Avg. Mean (°C) Avg. Low (°C)
Jan 25.1 21.5 18.3
Feb 28.6 23.4 19.1
Mar 30.3 25.2 20.8
Apr 31.5 26.5 22.3
May 30.2 26.1 22.7
Jun 29.1 25.5 22.5
Jul 28.1 24.8 22.1
Aug 28.3 24.9 22.1
Sep 27.5 24.4 21.8
Oct 27.3 24.2 21.4
Nov 26.2 23.4 20.8
Dec 25.1 22.1 19.4

Kon Tum’s current weather and 7-day forecast

KON TUM WEATHER

Unlike busy Buon Ma Thuot and concrete-heavy Pleiku, Kon Tum is a sleepy, friendly province attracting people to come here and visit. Not only playing its own important part in the Vietnam War, nowadays it also has a number of interesting sights outside of the city.

Surrounding Kon Tum is covered by the hills, which is one of the features attracting tourist from both domestic and international tourists.

Wooden Church – an interesting architecture in Vietnam

This church, also known as Kon Tum Cathedral is mix architecture church built in a style that reflects both traditional Vietnamese architecture and the view of the French church. In addition, it is not the Church, it is an amazing place to visit and also to gain more about knowledge in the past. Visitors will find it easy to back to the past for understanding. You will have a peaceful feeling when coming here.

Ethnic Minority Villages

Vietnam has more than 54 ethnic minority groups, each with their own individual language, culture, and way of life. In Kon Tum, there are a variety of ethnic minorities living together. For travelers, access to authentic experiences is a challenge to explore the culture and the lifestyle of Vietnamese ethnic minorities.

Kon Tum Museum

Kon Tum Museum helps visitors understand the culture of the Central Highlands. The museum has exhibits about the history of minority people and it is very informative. It also has exhibits of the local animals and geography.

Cemetery and Rong House

Rong House, also called Kon Tum Communal House, is a special architecture of the ethnic minorities living in the North of Central Highlands region. Visiting this unique house, visitors will have a chance to experience the traditional beauty of Highlands Region. If lucky, visitors will have a chance to take part in some communities such as such as meeting, wedding ceremonies, praying ceremonies at Rong House. It is also the place for welcoming guests.

Chư Mom Ray National Park

Chư Mom Ray National Park is a national park of Vietnam in the province of Kon Tum, Central Highlands region. With the Area of 218.6 mi², Chu Mom Ray National Park is the highest biodiversity in the system of national parks in Viet Nam, which is the home to 1,500 flora species belonging to 154 families and 551 branches, of which 131 rare species such as orchirds, gymnosperms, dipterocarp, etc.

At Chu Mom Ray National Park, visitors will have the chance to discover wild natural landscapes, visit such tourist sites as Truong Son Path, Bo Y International Border Gate, Yaly Hydroelectric Plant, etc and learn about manners and customs of local ethnic people.

Kon Tum Market

Due to the home to a lot of ethnic minority groups in Vietnam, Kon Tum is also famous for its typical market with a lot of fresh colourful products which only have in the North of Central Highlands region.

Ba Na Villages

Located in the central highlands, Kon Tum province, Ba Na Villages has a special feature of beautiful wooden houses with unique staircases made by the local people themselves. Traveling to Ba Na Village and exploring the culture here is an unforgettable experience especially when you have opportunity spend a night there.

There is no luxury hotels in Kon Tum and Indochine Hotel Kon Tum seems to be the best option to stay in this town. However, we recommend that you experience homestay at Konkotu village which will be a memorable time.

Budget options

Konklor Hotel 

Add: 38 Bac Can, Kon Tum

Konklor Hotel is located in Kon Tum (2). Free WiFi access is available. Each room here will provide you with a TV, air conditioning and a minibar. Featuring a shower, private bathroom also comes with free toiletries and slippers. Extras include a seating area and cable channels.

At Konklor Hotel you will find a 24-hour front desk and a garden. The property offers free parking. Guests can explore the surrounding using chargeable motorbike or bicycle rental service.

Window Hotel

Add: 06 Doan Thi Diem, Quyet Thang Ward, Kon Tum

Set in Kon Tum, 1 km from Bishop's House of Kontum, Window Hotel features accommodation with free WiFi and free private parking. This 2-star hotel offers room service and valet parking. The accommodation offers a 24-hour front desk, a shared kitchen and currency exchange for guests.

At the hotel, the rooms are fitted with a wardrobe. At Window Hotel the rooms are equipped with a desk, a flat-screen TV and a private bathroom.

The accommodation offers a terrace.

Hotel Window 2

Add: 131 Thi Sach, Thang Loi Ward, Kon Tum City, Kon Tum Province

Hotel Window 2 in Kon Tum has a garden and a terrace. This 2-star hotel offers free WiFi. The accommodation provides a 24-hour front desk.

Mid-range option

Indochine Hotel

Add: 30 Bach Dang, Quyet Thang Ward, Kon Tum City, Kon Tum

Located in Kon Tum, 1.4 km from Bishop's House of Kontum, Indochine Hotel provides accommodation with a restaurant, free private parking and a garden. Among the facilities at this property are an ATM and valet parking, along with free WiFi throughout the property. The accommodation features a 24-hour front desk, room service and currency exchange for guests.

Guest rooms are equipped with air conditioning, a flat-screen TV with cable channels, a kettle, a bidet, a hairdryer and a desk. Featuring a private bathroom with a shower and free toiletries, rooms at the hotel also offer a river view. At Indochine Hotel each room is equipped with a wardrobe and a shared bathroom.
A buffet breakfast is available daily at the accommodation.

For those who have traveled to this mountain area, it is for sure that they will remember unique specialties of Kon Tum which can’t be found anywhere else such as bitter fish or Mang Den toasted pig.

Mang Den toasted pig

Mang Den pig is a kind of pig of local tribe. Pigs are fed with natural foods so its meat is very firm and nutritious. Pigs are cleared, its organs are taken out, and then marinated with spices which are ingredients from the mountains of Mang Den. The whole pig is toasted on charcoal fire until skin turns golden, crunchy and fragrant.

Kon Tum vegetables salad

It can’t be considered to have been in Kon Tum without eating vegetable salad. Although there is only one dish, it covers almost the whole tray because actually, there are up to 40-50 kinds of vegetables from common ones such as cabbage leaves, perilla, dinh lang, fig leaves, stink vine, onions, basil to less common ones such as mango leaves, guava leaves, tomato leaves and a wide variety of unique leaves of Tay Nguyen.

Porcupine meat

Porcupine meat with sweet savor, cold nature is nutritious and laxative, can be processed into attractive dishes. Grilled porcupine, bamboo tube –stuffed porcupine meat, porcupine bone soup cooked with cornstarch, porcupine packed with dong leaves. All dishes are unique and delicious because porcupine flesh is firm, fragrant but not fat; its dermis is thick but brittle.

Sticky rice with bamboo shoots

It is only familiar sticky rice, cleverly combined with bamboo shoots, but became familiar breakfast dishes for every people in Kon Tum.

Sour fish

If you have chance to visit Kon Tum, do not miss the opportunity to enjoy sour fish-the specialty of Je Trieng ethnic group- with the bold flavor of the region. The longer the dish is stored, the more delicious it is because the pieces of fish become smaller thanks to spices permeating into the fish meat. This makes people feel the saltiness of salts, spicy of chili, sweetness of bep leaves, fragrance of corn and sourness of the fermented mix.

Fried crickets

When visiting Kon Tum someday, remember to try fried crickets to feel its bold taste. Dishes from crickets are quite unfamiliar to people in plain region, but to the ethnic minority in Kon Tum, these dishes have become familiar and much-loved. 

Fish and yellow ants salad (Ca goi kien vang)

Traveling to Sa Thay district where Ro Mam ethnic group live, you should enjoy a unique and strange salad of fish and yellow ants. If just hearing its name, you may feel afraid, but when you have eaten, you will want to eat again.

Field mouse meat

Je Trieng people in Dak Glei district have another specialty. It is field mouse meat, processed into two dishes: grilled field mouse meat and dried field mouse meat. Harvesting season is also the time when field mice become fat; the locals start to hunt mice. Roll a pile of straw to fire mouse. By this way, mouse radiates aroma and keep the sweetness of meat.

Bitter eggplant

Bitter eggplant is a rustic dish of Kon Tum ethnic minority. Bitter eggplant is cut into thin slices. Bitter eggplant is cut each slice and skewered through each grill stick. When eggplant turns dark brown, and radiates aromatic flavor is when it is medium cooked. Eating with forest salt or forest grilled meat is very tasty.

Sim Mang Den sweet wine

The source of materials used to produce sim wine – the specialty of Kon tum is wild sim growing naturally in the highlands of Mang Den village in Kon Tum. From this precious source of materials combining with French modern technology of producing wine, all make a rustic and natural aroma for Sim Mang Den wine.

By road

Kom Tum is 600km from Ho Chi Minh city, 215km from Quy Nhon, but the best travel route is from Danang to Kon Tum which is around 320km and it takes 6-7 hours by bus. For the Vietnam discovery tour to Kon Tum, we advise tourists to book a tour package from Hoi An - Danang - Kon Tum - Buon Me Thuat - Da Lat.

By plane

There is no airport in Kon Tum, but there is an option to fly from Hanoi, Danang or Ho Chi Minh city to Pleiku Airport of neighboring province of Gia Lai then transfer to Kon Tum, 50km away.

Contact us for the latest flight schedule and price. Or you can check via some online platform such as SkyScanner.com or Kayak.com

Here you can find some tips to book the cheapest flight

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