Pleiku – The Misty Highland Capital of Gia Lai

Pleiku is the capital of Gia Lai Province in the Central Highlands, sitting at around 800 metres altitude amid coffee plantations, rubber estates and pine forests. The city is best known for Bien Ho (Sea Lake) – a stunning volcanic crater lake 7 km from the city centre – and its vibrant Jarai ethnic minority culture, including communal rong houses and the carved funeral effigies (nha mo) of the cemetery villages. Pleiku was the site of significant Vietnam War battles, with several historical sites. The city is also a good base for exploring the broader Gia Lai Province, which borders both Cambodia and the northern Central Highlands. Daily flights from Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.