Bien Ho Lake

Bien Ho - T'Nung in Jarai - fills the crater of an extinct volcano north of Pleiku, a deep lake of several hundred hectares surrounded by forested rim and pine, and it is deep and cold enough to look almost black in some light and intensely blue in others; the Vietnamese name means sea lake, for its size relative to what the highlands otherwise have. It is the water supply for Pleiku, which is why swimming and boating are restricted. A viewing platform runs out over the water, and the pine-lined road to it and the tea and coffee estates around have become a photograph in their own right.

What you actually see

• A lake in a volcanic crater - several hundred hectares, deep.
• Pleiku's drinking water - which is why access is restricted.
• A platform over the water - the main viewpoint.
• Pine roads and estates around - the approach through the plateau.

When to go

November to April, the dry season. Half a day.

Honest expectations

Swimming and boating are restricted because it is a water supply. The visit is essentially a viewpoint and a walk. Development around the approach has been increasing. Haze in the dry season can flatten the colour.

Nearby

Pleiku is south; Chu Dang Ya is north-east.