English
French
Spanish
ItalianKon Tum
Traveling to Kon Tum as part of Quang Ngai Province and experiencing wonderful things will make you love and appreciate the people and land here even more. Asia King Travel will provide more information about this beautiful land in the article below.
Kon Tum used to be a province in the northernmost part of the Central Highlands of Vietnam. It is located at the Indochina Junction, mostly in the west of the Truong Son Mountain Range. Regarding the origin of its name, in the Ba Na language, “Kon” means village, “Tum” means lake, referring to a village near a lake.
Wooden church in the old Kon Tum, now a part of Quang Ngai Province. Source: VnExpress
Long ago, Kon Tum was a vast and quiet land, home to ethnic groups such as the Xo Dang, Ba Na, Gia Rai, Gie Trieng, Brau, and Ro Mam. Each group lived in their own area, surrounded by forests and mountains.
In the 19th century, Catholic missionaries began arriving in the Central Highlands, including Kon Tum, to spread their faith. Later, on July 4, 1904, the French colonial government established Plei Ku Der Province with two administrative centers: Kon Tum and Cheo Reo.
After many changes through history, Kon Tum was merged with Gia Lai in 1975 to form Gia Lai - Kon Tum Province. Then, on August 21, 1991, Kon Tum was officially re-established as a separate province.
Gong performance at Pa Si Waterfall. Source: bvhttvdl
By 2015, Kon Tum Province had developed into a modern administrative unit with one city and nine districts, with Kon Tum City serving as its political, economic, cultural, and social center.
But that's not the end. In 2025, Kon Tum Province is altered again: instead of Kon Tum Province, we are now getting to know a new unit that retains the name Quang Ngai Province. This event marks an important milestone in Vietnam’s efforts to streamline the state administrative apparatus.
Beyond structural reform, the change also opens up opportunities for comprehensive development in both coastal area and Central Highlands. Since then, Quang Ngai Province is expected to enhance its economic and social growth faster than ever before.
Read more: Vietnam Tour 9 days: Nature of the highland
This destination has a typical highland climate with cool temperatures all year round. Here, there are two distinct seasons: rainy season and dry season. The rainy season usually lasts from April to November, and the other season lasts from December to March of the following year.
Mang Den is considered a miniature Da Lat in the heart of Kon Tum. Source: MIA
This is the ideal time to visit famous tourist attractions such as Wooden Church, Kon Klor Communal House, Kon Klor Suspension Bridge, and Pa Sy Waterfall. The dry, warm weather will make it easy for you to move and explore.
The rainy season often has sudden showers, but it is also the time when nature becomes green and lively. You can participate in traditional festivals of locals, admire the golden rice fields, as well as enjoy the fresh air of the mountains and forests.
Coffee flowers bloom in Dak Ha in late March and early April. Source: VnExpress
If you want to experience the vibrant festival atmosphere and learn about the unique culture of the local people, come to this tourist destination during the following festivals:
Kon Tum is now a mountainous area located in the east of Quang Ngai Province. This place was also the only province that borders both Laos and Cambodia.
To get here from Saigon, follow National Highway 14. For shorter trips, most tourists choose to go to this part of Quang Ngai Province by plane to save time. To be more specific, you will have to fly to Pleiku Airport, which is 50 kilometers from the old Kon Tum province.
Kon Tum has many breathtakingly beautiful scenes. Source: Easygo
After arriving at Pleiku Airport, visitors continue to take a passenger car, taxi or bus from the airport to the Kon Tum Ward. Normally, this trip will take about 1-2 hours to arrive. You will have the opportunity to explore the poetic Central Highlands mountains and forests more comfortably.
When coming to the Central Highlands in general or the Kon Tum area in particular, visitors should try Red Noodle. This dish has a unique preparation method that you can hardly find anywhere else in Vietnam. A bowl of Red Noodle usually includes the main ingredients of field crab, meatballs, and boiled quail eggs.
Red noodles always win the hearts of many tourists when they come here. Source: Tour Taynguyen
The name Red Noodle comes from its appearance. At first it is white, but after being cooked in a pot of broth, spices, annatto, and shrimp paste, they becomes red. You can find Red Noodle dishes in both luxury restaurants and roadside stalls.
To make bamboo shoot sticky rice, people first soak sticky rice with turmeric powder for many hours. Thanks to that, when steamed, the sticky rice will have an eye-catching yellow color. Sticky rice is then served in bamboo shoots along with sesame or braised pork.
In the past, leaf salad could be considered a specialty not to be missed when coming to Kon Tum. In the dry season, leaf salad only has about 30-40 types of forest leaves. When the rainy season comes, leaf salad will have at least 70 types, and people even count that if it is complete, it must be at least 100 types of leaves.
Kon Tum leaf salad was also voted as one of the 10 Vietnamese dishes that achieved the culinary quintessence of Asia. Source: VietnamNet
Leaf salad is eaten with boiled meat, shrimp, and pork skin. The special dipping sauce of leaf salad is made from a mixture of fermented sticky rice, incubated with dried shrimp and pork belly, with a light yellow color and rich flavor.
The locals often eat bamboo rice with grilled chicken. This is also a habit as well as a typical cultural feature here. In the cold Central Highlands, after a long day, enjoying hot and fragrant grilled chicken with bamboo rice is really worth it.
This is a great combination of the distinctive flavor of sticky rice and delicious chicken. Source: Tour du lich Mang Den
Kon Tum is a land that promises interesting experiences, with the flavor of the sunny and windy Central Highlands mountains and forests. Hopefully the above information will stimulate your curiosity to set foot in this new part of Quang Ngai Province. What are you waiting for? Contact Asia King Travel to schedule your upcoming trip now.
Read more: South Central highlands Vietnam Tour 4 days: Tay Nguyen discovery
Explore the culture of the Gia Rai and Sodra people in Kon Tum Tour 3 Days. Trek...
Explore the Gia Rai villages, visit waterfalls and pagodas, and enjoy cultural e...
