Mang Den: A Mini Da Lat in the Highlands

Mang Den is a small town, spanning 148.07 km² on a highland plateau. Located in Kon Plong District, Kon Tum Province, it’s approximately 60 kilometers from Kon Tum City. Often dubbed the “mini Da Lat,” Mang Den boasts pristine forests, lakes, waterfalls, pine forests, a cool and refreshing climate, and a peaceful atmosphere.

1. Best Time to Visit

The peak tourist season in Mang Den is from October to December. During these months, Kon Tum experiences a pleasant blend of cool weather and warm sunshine, with dry conditions. Around the New Year, the apricot blossoms are in full bloom, although the exact blooming time may vary depending on the weather.

Mang Den has something to offer in every season. In February, you can admire the mimosa and ban flowers, while March and April are the months for purple phoenix flowers. After that, purple sim flowers come into bloom.

2. How to Getting There

For travelers from Hanoi, flying is the most convenient option due to the long distance of approximately 1,100 km. The nearest airport to Mang Den is Pleiku (Gia Lai), which is about 100 km away. The journey by car takes around 2 hours.

If you’re traveling from Ho Chi Minh City, you can drive along National Highway 14, covering a distance of about 600 km, passing through Binh Phuoc, Dak Nong, Dak Lak, and Gia Lai provinces.

There are also passenger buses from Ho Chi Minh City’s Eastern Bus Station, operated by companies such as Long Van, Minh Quoc, Phong Phu, and Phuong Thu. Ticket prices range from 250,000 VND to 450,000 VND, and the journey takes about 10 to 12 hours.

From Kon Tum City, you can reach Mang Den by taxi, bus, or private car.

3. Accommodation

As a small town, Mang Den doesn’t have many large hotels.
Golden Boutique Hotel is a 4-star hotel with 63 rooms, each equipped with a large window, a balcony, and full amenities. It also features a swimming pool. Dak Ke Mang Den is a 3-star hotel with 4 villas, a stilt house, and two blocks of hotel rooms, totaling 45 rooms.
Besides hotels, homestays are the most popular accommodation option in Mang Den.
Homestays in Mang Den are beautiful and reasonably priced, ranging from 300,000 VND to 800,000 VND per night. Many homestays offer dorm rooms for 150,000 VND to 250,000 VND per bed. Some popular homestays include Toki, Paradiso, May Lang Thang, and Sun Homestay.

4. Things to Do

4.1. Pa Sy Waterfall Tourist Area

Covering an area of 25 hectares, the Pa Sy Waterfall Eco-tourism Area features a network of trails, a communal house, a handicraft workshop, a cultural exhibition house, and a vegetable and flower farm. The centerpiece of the area is the Pa Sy Waterfall, located approximately 1,500 meters above sea level. Formed by the confluence of three of Mang Den’s largest streams, the waterfall is named Pau Suh, meaning “three streams converging into one.”

4.2. Dak Ke Lake

Originally named Toong Ro Poong Lake, Dak Ke Lake covers an area of about 3 hectares in the center of Mang Den town. The lake now offers various recreational activities such as boating, pedalo riding, fishing, and dining. Visitors can rent ox carts or horse-drawn carriages to tour the lake and enjoy the scenery. In the summer, you can see countless purple phoenix trees in bloom, while in the winter, apricot blossoms are the highlight.

4.3. Fruit and Vegetable Picking Experiences at Farms

Mang Den town has been designated by Kon Tum province for the development of high-tech farms, producing fresh and delicious fruits and vegetables. Visitors to Mang Den can experience picking fruits and enjoying them right in the garden. Popular fruits include tangerines, pomelos, avocados, tomatoes, strawberries, honeydew melons, and flowers like chrysanthemums and lilies. These farms do not charge an entrance fee; visitors only pay for the produce they pick.
Some suggested farms include: E Ban Farm, Orfarm, Biophap, Mang Den Xanh Farm, Tam An Organic Farm, and Hung Ly Garden.

4.4. Wooden Statue Garden

Built in 2013 near Pa Sy Waterfall on a hillside of over 1 hectare of primary forest, the statue garden features stone-paved paths and 100 wooden statues created by 33 artisans from various ethnic groups in the province. The statues depict the diverse daily lives and activities of the northern Tây Nguyên region, such as men holding axes, carrying machetes, smoking, hunting, women pounding rice, weaving, carrying children, working in the fields, people playing music, and drinking rice wine. Along with human figures, there are also statues of animals familiar to the local people, such as birds, dogs, cats, pigs, monkeys, snakes, and elephants.

4.5. Khanh Lam Pagoda

Khanh Lâm Pagoda is built on an area of 10 hectares, 1,200 meters above sea level. From the foot of the hill, following the three-gate entrance, after climbing more than 200 stone steps, the majestic pagoda appears, hidden among the trees. Standing out in the green space is the main hall with a three-tiered roof, combining traditional temple architecture with a communal house, bearing the cultural identity of the Tây Nguyên region. In front of the main hall, along with the bell tower and drum tower, is a 17-meter-tall statue of Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva and a symmetrical lotus pond, creating a harmonious landscape.

4.6. Mang Den Walking Street

Mang Den Walking Street and Food Street, also known as Hoang Hon Boulevard, is located on Vo Nguyen Giap Street in the town center. The walking street has a system of hotels and restaurants with fully equipped architecture, along with stunning scenery of mountains, water, and clouds, making it an ideal place for tourists to relax, unwind, and enjoy the local cuisine.

5. What to Eat

5.1. Szechuan Pepper Pot

As the name suggests, this dish is quite spicy, making it perfect for Mang Den’s cool climate. The broth is simmered with various vegetables, fruits, and herbs like wolfberries and red dates. The broth is simmered for hours to create a naturally sweet and clear flavor.
Szechuan pepper pot is served similarly to Sichuan hot pot, divided into two sections with different flavors, one spicy and one not. To fully experience the flavor of this dish, diners should try the spicy section.

5.2. Shredded Chicken Salad with Dried Bamboo Shoots

This salad features two main ingredients: shredded chicken and dried bamboo shoots, along with peanuts, herbs like lemongrass, onion, and carrot. This dish is no different from any other salad, with a sweet and sour flavor. However, this combination creates a unique taste that you won’t find anywhere else.

5.3. Snakehead Fish Noodle Soup

The noodles are made from rice flour, the snakehead fish is steamed and flaked, and bitter melon is soaked in salt water and rinsed clean. Other herbs include green onions, coriander, Vietnamese coriander, and chili. A unique feature of this dish is that each serving is cooked individually in a separate pot on a stove and then served to the customer. This ensures that the dish remains hot and boiling. Each bowl of noodle soup comes with a large piece of snakehead fish and is served with bitter melon. Diners add the herbs to the noodle soup and enjoy.

5.4. Grilled Chicken and Sticky Rice

This is a traditional dish of the local people. The chicken is usually free-range and therefore has firm meat. Before grilling, the chicken is stuffed with wild pepper leaves, onion, lemongrass, and chili, giving it a very fragrant flavor when cooked. The charcoal grill must be very hot, and each batch takes about 20 to 30 minutes to cook. The grilled chicken is best enjoyed hot, with crispy skin, golden color, and fragrant meat. Grilled chicken is often served with sticky rice, peanut salt, or sesame seeds.

Suggested restaurants:

Mang Den Lu Quan: 55 Ngo Quyen
Tay Nguyen Quan: 35 Truong Chinh
Grilled chicken and sticky rice, Cô Sinh: H7RJ+4QQ, AH132, Dak Long
Xoi mang ca: Le Hong Phong – Le Loi intersection
Mang Den A Kay 7 snakehead fish noodle soup: Mang Den market

Note:

The road to Mang Den is quite steep and winding, so be careful if you are driving yourself.
Mang Den is cool in the early morning and evening, so be sure to bring warm clothes.

Cre: Tam Anh/vnexpress