Gia Lai: The Wild Heart of the Central Highlands — Volcanoes, Waterfalls & Bahnar Rông Houses

The Untamed Highlands

Gia Lai province is the wild heart of Vietnam’s Central Highlands — a land of volcanic plateaus, cascading waterfalls, vast rubber and coffee plantations, and indigenous Bahnar (Ba Na) and Jrai (Gia Rai) communities who maintain some of the most distinctive cultural traditions in Southeast Asia.

Bahnar Rông Houses

The most iconic structures in the Central Highlands are the towering Nhà Rông (communal houses) of the Bahnar people. These remarkable buildings reach up to 20 meters in height, with steeply pitched thatched roofs that resemble the prow of a ship or the blade of an axe. Each village centers on its Nhà Rông, which serves as a meeting hall, ceremonial space, and social hub. The architectural engineering — achieved entirely with natural materials and without nails — is extraordinary.

Phú Cường Waterfall

One of the Central Highlands’ most powerful waterfalls, Phú Cường drops over 45 meters from a basalt cliff surrounded by dense tropical forest. The sheer volume of water (especially during rainy season) creates a thunderous roar and a permanent rainbow in the mist. A viewing platform offers safe access to spectacular photo opportunities.

Biển Hồ (T’Nưng Lake)

This volcanic crater lake, known as the “Sea Lake” for its vast, mirror-like surface, sits at 800 meters elevation just outside Pleiku. Biển Hồ is considered sacred by local indigenous communities — according to Jrai legend, it was formed when a great village sank into the earth. The lake is hauntingly beautiful at dawn, when mist clings to its surface and surrounding pine forests.

Gong Culture — UNESCO Intangible Heritage

The Space of Gong Culture in the Central Highlands was inscribed by UNESCO in 2005 as a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity. Gong ensembles — sets of flat bronze gongs played by 3 to 12 musicians — are central to Bahnar and Jrai spiritual life, accompanying every major ceremony from rice harvests to funerals. The sounds are believed to communicate with gods and ancestors. Community gong performances can be arranged through local tourism offices in Pleiku.