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Travel Tips for Gia Lai
1. Gia Lai – The Mountainous Town Amidst the Vast Central Highlands
Gia Lai ranks as the third largest city in the Central Highlands after Da Lat and Buon Ma Thuot. While Da Lat exudes a romantic and dreamy charm and Buon Ma Thuot boasts a vibrant cultural atmosphere, Gia Lai offers a sense of freedom and wilderness like a young maiden of the mountains. Mention Gia Lai, and one immediately thinks of its expansive and majestic nature, along with captivating landscapes that mesmerize the soul.
Gia Lai, also known as Mountain Town, owes its name to being nestled amidst the mountains. @baogialai
The name Gia Lai originates from the word “Jarai,” which is the name of the indigenous ethnic group living in this area. Despite the ups and downs of history, the local people have preserved their distinctive cultural heritage, with the Gong Culture Space recognized by UNESCO as a “Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity” and a vast treasury of epic poems.
Travel Tips for Gia Lai
2. The Ideal Time to Visit Gia Lai
From November to April is the dry season in Gia Lai, also the best time for traveling. November and December are bathed in golden sunlight, with Gia Lai adorned by the golden hue of ripe rice fields, blooming wild sunflowers, and vibrant wildflowers. From around February to April, the mountainous land is blanketed in the pure white of endless coffee flowers.
Traveling to Gia Lai during festival season allows you to explore the local culture of the indigenous ethnic groups here. @baogialai
The end of the year is when traditional festivals of the ethnic groups take place, such as the new rice celebration, new rice eating ceremony, gong festival, village ceremony, buffalo stabbing festival, and more. If you want to experience the local culture, you can travel during these festivals.
Travel Tips for Gia Lai
3. How to Travel to Gia Lai?
The quickest way to reach Gia Lai is by air. You can book cheap flights to Pleiku on Mytour. There are daily flights from Hanoi to Pleiku and Ho Chi Minh City to Pleiku. The Da Nang to Pleiku route operates every day except Monday and Wednesday. The price range for specific routes is as follows:
Pleiku Airport is approximately 3km from the city center. Upon landing, you can pre-book airport transfer services or use ride-hailing motorbike taxis to travel to the city center.
Alternatively, you can travel to Gia Lai by coach if you want to save costs. Most provinces have coach routes to Gia Lai. If you're up for the challenge, you can also organize a motorbike trip to Gia Lai from neighboring provinces. This way, you'll have more valuable experiences than a typical tour.
Exploring the winding streets of the mountainous city by motorbike is an unforgettable experience. @Shutterstock
Travel Tips for Gia Lai
4. Accommodation in Gia Lai
Most tourist attractions in Gia Lai are not too far from the city, so you can visit during the day and return to Pleiku city for accommodation. There are many quality hotels in Gia Lai Province such as:
Finding a good hotel in Gia Lai is not difficult if you know how to book through Mytour @Mytour
Travel Tips for Gia Lai
If you want to book 3-star hotels or budget 2-star hotels, you can book in advance before the tourist season to enjoy discounted prices.
5. Exciting Destinations to Explore in Gia Lai
T’Nung Lake
T’Nung Lake is one of the most beautiful lakes in the Central Highlands. Its clear blue surface and pristine water are the reasons why T’Nung Lake is dubbed the “Pleiku's eyes” in poetry. It's actually a trio of ancient dormant volcanoes that ceased activity millions of years ago and connected together. T’Nung is often called the 'bottomless lake' due to its mysterious depth, or sometimes referred to as the Sea Lake because of its vast area spanning over 220 hectares.
T’Nung Lake is often the first destination for travelers when visiting Gia Lai. @tinhgialai
Chư Đăng Ya Volcano
Gia Lai Travel Tips
View of Chư Đăng Ya Volcano from a distance. @gialai
Yaly Hydroelectric Reservoir
Experience Gia Lai Travel
Yaly Hydroelectric Reservoir is also an icon of Gia Lai. @tapchicongthuong
Kon Jang Rang Nature Reserve
Kon Jang Rang Nature Reserve is likened to a precious gem of the Central Highlands. This place is famous for its most diverse ecosystem in the country. The reserve covers 1.6 million hectares of primary forest with many rare plant species. Here, you can also witness 12 majestic waterfalls with a height of 10 meters.
Kon Jang Rang Nature Reserve seen from above. @tinhgialai
Kon Ka Kinh National Park
If you're a nature lover and adventure seeker, you should definitely visit Kon Ka Kinh National Park. Kon Ka Kinh has been honored as one of the ASEAN Heritage Parks since 2003. On the trekking trails, you'll witness a diverse flora and fauna system and breathtaking natural landscapes. Especially when you reach the summit of Kon Ka Kinh, the majestic scenery of the Truong Son Mountain Range will unfold before your eyes.
Kon Ka Kinh National Park is considered the rooftop of Gia Lai. @baogialai
Delicious Dishes to Try When Traveling to Gia Lai
Travel Tips for Gia Lai
Forest Vegetable Hotpot
Forest vegetable hotpot is a special gift from the forests of Gia Lai to its people. This dish combines various forest vegetables in a skillful way. Each type of forest vegetable has its own health benefits. When enjoying forest vegetable hotpot, it's best to wrap it in fragrant rice paper and dip it in savory sauce.
Rich and Spicy Flavors of Various Leaves Mixed with Savory Nem Thịt and Bold Taste of Dipping Sauce Will Leave a Lasting Impression @vntrip
Fermented Crab Noodle Soup
Fermented crab noodle soup is a dish brought by immigrants from Binh Dinh to Gia Lai. The key ingredient of this dish is fermented crab. People choose fatty river crabs, clean them, mash them, filter the juice, and ferment them to make fermented crab. Fermented crab has a pungent smell, so it's an acquired taste. Fermented crab noodle soup is served with pork belly, noodles, bamboo shoots, nem (fermented pork roll), shrimp crackers, crispy fried pork skin, and fresh vegetables.
Gia Lai's fermented crab noodle soup intrigues many tourists to give it a try @baophunu
Fire Grilled Chicken
Travel Experience in Gia Lai
Fire grilled chicken served with bamboo rice perfectly captures the taste of the Central Highlands @vnexpress
Golden Ant Egg Salad with Papaya
Golden ants are a type of forest ant found in Ayun Pa and Krông Pa regions of Gia Lai. The dry season is the time for hunting golden ants as they are particularly plump during this season. Initially, golden ants have a tangy taste, which then gradually turns into a sweet flavor in the throat. From golden ants, people in Gia Lai can create various dishes, with the most special being golden ant egg salad with papaya.
Green papaya is peeled, thinly sliced, washed, and then pounded together with chili and wild betel leaves. It is then mixed with golden ant salt. When tasting, you will clearly feel the slight bitterness of papaya blending with the tangy taste of golden ants, the spicy flavor of wild chili, and the fragrant aroma of betel leaves. Surely, after eating one, you will want another.
Golden ants are used to make many dishes, among which golden ant salt is often purchased as a gift @blogdulich
Striped pork with pickled vegetables
Striped pig with pickled vegetables originates from wild pigs domesticated by local people. However, because the Bahnar and Jrai ethnic groups still raise them freely like wild pigs, the meat is gamey, fragrant, and sweet just like wild boar. Each pig weighs from 6-7 kg, suitable for ten diners. Chefs can prepare 7 dishes including pickled pork cooked in clay pot, fried pork with fish sauce, steamed pork, crispy grilled pork belly, bitter melon soup, and bamboo shoot soup.
Pork can be found anywhere, but Gia Lai's striped pig with pickled vegetables has a uniquely delicious flavor that makes it unforgettable for tourists @deliciousfood
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