Kontum: a quiet gem in Vietnam's highlands

There are few places in Vietnam that I’ve not previously visited. Until this week, Kontum in the central highlands was one such place. Last Tuesday I headed to Kontum from Hoi An along the old Ho Chi Minh Trail - now the Ho Chi Minh Highway - to see something new. Kon Tum was surprisingly interesting and enjoyable. I spent 3 days there and didn’t see another tourist the whole time. It’s a delightfully relaxed, friendly town. And while it’s devoid of any tourism big hitters, I found it very easy to amuse myself over a few days visiting ethnic minority villages and the amazing early twentieth century churches and seminaries that Catholic missionaries built in this remote outpost. This shot was taken at Kon K’Tu, a small ethnic Bah Nar village a short picturesque ride from town and features the traditional communal house, known as the “nha rong”. Perhaps Kontum’s biggest future tourism opportunity is logistical - it’s right by Vietnam’s border with southern Laos at Bo Y and it could easily become a popular gateway from Vietnam’s central coast to Pakse and the beautiful scenery of southern Laos. Over the next few days I’ll be posting more on Kontum.