Pleiku, Vietnam

Pleiku (Vietnamese: Thành phố Pleiku) is a small city in the central highlands of Vietnam. Covering 261 sq km, it has a population of around 200,000 people (2011 estimate). The city is on the crossroad between two highways, National Road 14 running north-south and National Road 19 running east-west.

Pleiku played an important role during the Vietnam War. Today it is one of the gateway cities to the Central Highland of Vietnam. From here, you can continue west to reach Stœng Trêng in Cambodia.

Pleiku Airport, Pleiku, Vietnam


The Central Highland of Vietnam, also called Tây Nguyên or Western Highlands, is an area in the hinterland of Vietnam covering the provinces of Dak Lak, Dak Nong, Gia Lai, Kon Tum and Lam Dong. It is a plateau bordering Laos and Cambodia. The area is still densely forested. There are a number of national parks here including Cat Tien National Park, Yok Don National Park, and Kon Ka Kinh National Park. Tây Nguyên has a number of coffee plantations. It also has the third largest source of natural bauxite in the world.

Although off the beaten path for the casual tourist, Pleiku is visited by scientists and researchers studying the flora, fauna and geology of the area. Among the wildlife of the Central Highlands include the Wild Asian Water Buffalo, the Asian elephant and other endangered species of animals.

Visiting Pleiku

There are small planes to Pleiku from Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi and Da Nang. You can also take a bus to Pleiku from Da Nang. There are also buses from the Laotian towns of Attapeu and Pakxe to Pleiku.

Places of Interest in Pleiku

More information for visiting Vietnam

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