Suspension bridge "virtual life" for tourists to the Central Highlands

Bang Phuong, born in 1972, from Ho Chi Minh City, came to Kon Tum in November on a business trip combined with tourism and was taken to visit Kon Klor village, located next to the Dak Bla river.

"I feel like I'm lost in Hang Tau in Moc Chau or Da Lat. The weather is changing seasons, the temperature is below 20 degrees Celsius so it's very pleasant," Phuong said. The scenery here is wild, with rivers, streams, and rice fields.

One of Mr. Phuong's impressive destinations is the Kon Tu Rang bridge connecting the two banks of the Dak Bla River leading to Kon Klor village. The bridge is 292 m long, 4.5 m wide, and was built in 1994. In this area, there are three suspension bridges: Kon Tu Rang, Pa Sy and Dak Ke, but only Kon Tu Rang bridge takes the best photos because it combines with the surrounding space and scenery. The bridge is orange-yellow at both ends, creating a highlight on the river. The bridge is not only an important traffic structure, but also a cultural and tourist symbol of Kon Tum province.

Mr. Phuong said that to get here, it is convenient to travel by many means such as motorbike, car or bus. However, to get to the bridge, you can only walk. "Please follow safety regulations when crossing the bridge such as not riding motorbikes on the bridge, not jumping up and down or swinging on the rope bridge, not carrying heavy or sharp objects," Mr. Phuong said.

There is no fee to enter Kon Tu Rang suspension bridge, but if you want to visit Kon Klor village on the other side of the river, you have to pay 10,000 VND per person. The time to visit Kon Tu Rang suspension bridge is about 1-2 hours, depending on whether you want to take pictures or explore the surrounding area.

Mr. Phuong said that Kon Tu Rang suspension bridge takes beautiful photos, many of the photos are "virtual" as if taken somewhere other than Vietnam. To have the most beautiful check-in photos taken with the bridge, Mr. Phuong said that first of all, you need nice weather, clear sky to see the surrounding scenery clearly. If you want to invest in a beautiful photo set, you should have a telephoto camera or flycam, otherwise, you just need to take photos with your phone, tripod, or "selfie" stick.

Use a flycam to take panoramic shots from above. To take long shots, stand higher than the bridge railing (on top of the slope) at both ends of the bridge to create the effect of length and depth in the photo. In addition, if you need to highlight a detail (for example, the cable or wooden planks on the bridge floor), choose a close-up angle, using the close-up or macro style. If you want a photo of the bridge that looks like it is "moving", choose a tilted angle from the bottom of the bridge up or from the top of the slope down. If you want to take a "selfie" with facial expressions and body shape while walking on the bridge alone or with friends, use a timer camera mounted on a tripod or a phone mounted on a "selfie stick" to have a suitable shooting distance.

At the foot of the bridge is the Dak Bla River, winding 157 km long. Seen from above, Dak Bla looks like a silk strip embracing the mountain town with a history of hundreds of years. Dak Bla flows to Gia Lai, joins the Po Ko River, then forms the Se San River and continues its journey towards Cambodia.

In the village there is Kon Klor communal house. From the city center to the village, visitors only take about 10 minutes by car. Previously, this house was only a place for cultural activities of the indigenous people. With its unique design, Kon Klor communal house has become a tourist destination.

In addition to consulting on taking photos on the way to Kon Klor village to check in the bridge, Mr. Phuong said that it is possible to visit other famous tourist attractions of Kon Tum, such as the wooden church, Linh Son pagoda, and Kon Ko Tu ethnic village.

Because this place is near the famous tourist destination Mang Den, Mr. Phuong recommends combining a trip to Mang Den with an overnight stay in Mang Den. On New Year's Day, the cherry blossoms are in full bloom. However, depending on the weather, the flowers may bloom later or earlier. If you come here in February, you will see mimosa and bauhinia flowers, and in March or April, there will be purple phoenix flowers. After this time, there will also be sim flowers.

One of the "specialties" here is cloud hunting. To hunt clouds, you should wake up early, around 4:30 to 5:30. This is when the clouds are still low and the sun has not yet risen.

Tourists from Ho Chi Minh City drive themselves along Highway 14, a distance of 600 km, through Binh Phuoc, Dak Nong, Dak Lak, Gia Lai. Passenger vans from Ho Chi Minh City depart from Mien Dong Bus Station with companies such as Long Van, Minh Quoc, Phong Phu, Phuong Thu. Ticket prices range from 250,000 VND to 450,000 VND. Travel time is about 10 to 12 hours. From Kon Tum city to Mang Den, there are many means of transport such as taxi, bus or self-driving car.