Blogs from Kontum, Central Highlands, Vietnam, Asia
March 19th 2012
Pleiku to Kon Tum On our way to Kon Tum we took in a couple of beautiful sites, the ride wasn't long and we had some opportunity to explore some backroads. The main road had been fairly busy with trucks and buses, and we passed through a stretch of a rubber plantation. The hills in the distance were as bleak as ever but we decided to seek out a lake marked on the map. The back road that took us there went through Tea and Coffee plantations dotted with happy Vietnamese ladies toiling in the fields. It was the first time we have seen tea growing and Kathryn was quite excited! We also passed a seemingly isolated Chinese temple. The lake was very quiet and almost a little boring but we were happy to see a ... read more
March 5th 2012
10. den / 4.3.2012 - Kon Tum Kdyz jsme se rozhodovali, jestli se z provincie Dak Lak presuneme do Kontumu, ci do Nha Trangu na plaz, jistou roli hrala i doprava. Pro "Na Cang" mluvila bezproblemova doprava normalnim, velkym, dalkovym autobusem, kdezto do Kon Tumu jezdi jen male autobusy. Jelikoz jsme z Mui Ne do Dalatu mensim autobusem uz jeli (cca 25lidi), a bylo to v pohode, rozhodli jsme se vybrat si neturisticky Kon Tum. OOO, jaka to chyba ... No, je fakt, ze jsme meli jet 6hodin, a nas rychlosofer to dal za 4.5hod, ale: jeli jsme tranzitem, puvodne pro 16 lidi vc.ridice - no, tak nas jelo 29 vc.ridice...V kufru jelo cosi, co neskutecne smrdelo, usoudili jsme, ze to ti hybajici se cervici (napytlikovani - asi urceni do restauracd, kazdopadne nase bagly byly na ... read more
February 17th 2012
Last time we were in Vietnam, we missed the Central Highlands, so we were glad to make the trip this time. The highlands are in the west of the country, right along the Cambodian border. For several reasons, mostly political, the government requires that tourists travel with both a permit and a guide – and you can’t have the same guide for the whole trip. We had a VERY pleasant experience at the Saigon airport boarding our plane to Pleiku – no body scanners, no separation of your lip balm or electronics. We were met at the Pleiku airport by our guide, Banh, and a driver and driven to the town of Kontum. It was late, and we walked the streets for a while, looking for water and beer (of course). Public transportation in the highlands ... read more
Central Highlands - Kham Duc to Kontum
Published: January 30th 2012Asia » Vietnam » Central Highlands » Kontum
October 25th 2011
The next day we were back on the bike and headed deeper into the highlands, this time to check out some of the minority villages on the way and offer a chance for me to learn a bit about the history of the area and how people make a living there. Quang recounted a little of his life also for me and of his family. His father had moved to the South before the Viet Nam war and was an officer stationed out of then, Saigon. His Uncle remained in the North and was a General in the Viet Cong. A family feud ensued as brothers essentially battled each other across enemy lines, but thankfully lived to tell the tale. Quang was only about 11 in the war and remembered that everyone was so poor they ... read more
June 7th 2011
Our second day in Vietnam was starkly better than the first, and oh so welcome! We woke up to a sunny day in Hoi An, rented bicycles and went about our day enjoying the city, which is recognized as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. It used to be an international trading port so it has a really unique style with a mix of Vietnamese, Chinese, Japanese and European architecture. After touring the Old Town, bargaining for a few t-shirts, getting tailor made sandals (there are over 200 tailors in this small city), we enjoyed delicious coconuts then headed to the beach for the afternoon. There was a bakery that sold to-die-for pastries that touched just the right spot… pure bliss! Two bites in and I had already forgotten about the crab stinking journey that had ... read more
Heerlijk, de geur van rauw vlees in de morgen!
Published: January 27th 2011Asia » Vietnam » Central Highlands » Kontum
January 20th 2011
Eigenlijk heb ik niet veel meer te vertellen over Vietnam maar heb nog wel wat foto's die ik zeker nog moest posten. Mijn laatste dagen heb ik doorgebracht in het bergdorpje Kon Tum, geweldige plek! Eindelijk weer zon, eindelijk weer geen getoeter en eindelijk weer een beetje rust. Het dorpje is omringt door kleine dorpjes met minderheidsvolken, erg gaaf om doorheen te lopen. Ook zitten er meerdere weeshuizen in het dorp met een hoop lieve kindjes. Maar vooral heb ik weer genoten van de lokale markt. De place to be, van 's ochtends vroeg tot 's avonds laat. Altijd is het druk en smerig, maar vooral in de ochtend is het een te gekke plek om te bezoeken. Al helemaal in Kon Tum omdat niemand je echt verwacht om 6 uur 's ochtends op een markt. ... read more
January 14th 2011
Here we are in vietnam in a small city called Kon Tum in the highlands of vietnam. we just spent the last few days riding through the most amazing mountains with jungles and came through to the dryer grass like open countryside. we experience so much by motorbike going through small villages where we see by the side of the road children playing (and waving at us and saying "hello"), chickens, goats, waterbuffalo and small dogs running everywhere. bikes on the road, a few cars, and the surprising loud horn of a bus or truck rumbling past us and with belching black smoke from exhaust. we are wearing light jackets, pants and running shoes and always a bandana covering our faces to protect from the exhaust fumes and dust on the roads. we have to stay ... read more
December 27th 2010
This morning I felt a lot better due to yesterday's total shut down and I was at least 80% ready for another 200km day... I really didn't want it to turn out like the last! I took it easy, made loads of stops and it planned out just perfect. Riding up through the clouds really helped too as it was cool and refreshing and I really was on cloud 9 today and through it too!! The ride was truly breathtaking, it felt like I was in the land of the gods. Everything was on such a gigantic scale (even the spiders which you'll see in the next part!) and it was so peaceful, I didn't come across another vehicle for around 40 minutes at times. The pass was a 5 hour climb which could easily turn ... read more
December 26th 2010
I can't put into words just how I felt when I woke up.... but...I've found a picture that leaves nothing else to be said!! My day: breakfast....bed...lunch....bed.....dinner....bed.... read more
December 25th 2010
The big 250km over very bad roads meant a very early set off at 6am. It was going to be a long day of slow riding which in my head was all planned out perfectly....... But let me tell you what really happened!! Alarm clock didn't go off, woke up at 7:30!.... Dropped a whole mug of coffee in my diary!....The piston seized 4km out from Tuy Hoa!.....Got pushed out into the middle of a main junction full of rush hour traffic of juggernauts!!! (Hahaha it's all quite funny though)....The rear tyre exploded into pieces whilst I was doing 30kmh through a town, scary moment as it snaked across the road like the Nemesis at Alton Towers! If I'd filmed it, it would've gone down as the all time number 1 on YBF!!.... and to finish ... read more
