Khanh Le Pass

Khanh Le, sometimes called the Hon Giao or Bidoup pass, carries road 27C from the coast at Nha Trang up onto the Lam Dong plateau, climbing to about 1,700 metres over some thirty kilometres of switchbacks and cutting the journey to Da Lat from a long detour to a few hours. The pass is a climatic boundary as much as a road: the coastal side is warm and often clear while the plateau side sits under cloud, and the transition happens over a few hundred metres of altitude. It runs along the edge of Bidoup-Nui Ba national park, and the forest either side is intact.

What to look for

• A climb from coast to plateau - about 1,700 metres at the top.
• A climatic boundary - warm and clear below, cloud above.
• Intact forest either side - along Bidoup-Nui Ba park.
• Thirty kilometres of switchbacks - the shortcut to Da Lat.

When to go

December to August; landslides close it in the wet season. Half a day.

Before you go

Landslides have closed this road for extended periods and the surface varies. Fog on the plateau side reduces visibility to very little. Lorries and buses take the bends wide. There are few stopping places.

Nearby

Da Lat is west; Nha Trang and the coast are east.