Once a small, rustic town and the site of a decisive battle in the Vietnam War, Buon Ma Thuot has emerged from its war-torn roots to become the bustling capital of Dak Lak Province. The region now prospers thanks to the richness of the surrounding countryside, the fertile soil producing rubber, clay, minerals, and above all a lot of coffee.
Buon Ma Thuot does not have an immeasurable charm but remains a good base for visiting the magnificent surroundings of Dak Lak. Considered the center of culture in the central highlands, Dak Lak attracts visitors with its huge coffee fields, majestic waterfalls, or the beauty of the legendary Ea Kao Lake.
With Horizon Vietnam Travel, explore Buon Ma Thuot to prepare for your trip to Vietnam.
Buon Ma Thuot does not have an immeasurable charm but remains a good base for visiting the magnificent surroundings of Dak Lak. Considered the center of culture in the central highlands, Dak Lak attracts visitors with its huge coffee fields, majestic waterfalls, or the beauty of the legendary Ea Kao Lake.
With Horizon Vietnam Travel, explore Buon Ma Thuot to prepare for your trip to Vietnam.
Summary
Geography: Where is Buon Ma Thuot located?
A three-hour drive from the seaside town of Nha Trang and a five-hour drive from the renowned city of Da Lat is Buon Ma Thuot, the capital of Vietnam’s Central Highlands coffee region.
Seasons: When to go to Buon Ma Thuot?
The region has two distinct seasons, dry and rainy (May to November). In the rainy season, the roads are quite difficult because many paths are still dirt roads. The dry season generally corresponds to the first months of the year, the weather is cool, not too hot.
In the central highlands, there are many festivals and festivals in the central highlands.
The Ban Don Elephant Race Festival is held annually in March
Routes: How to get to Buon Ma Thuot?
Buon Ma Thuot is about 350 km from Ho Chi Minh City, and about 1400 km from Hanoi. You can choose to take the road or the plane.
Flight
There are many domestic flights to Buon Ma Thuot Airport with Vietnam Airlines, VietJetAir, and Jetstar.
By the road
From Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. There are direct bus services to Buon Ma Thuot and other districts in Dak Lak province. You can buy bus tickets at Mien Dong bus station or Giap Bat bus station. The time is around 8 hours from Ho Chi Minh City and 1 day from Hanoi.
Map of Buon Ma Thuot
Where to stay in Dak Lak?
Most hotels and homestays meet in the city center. Staying in the city is a good base for visiting the surroundings.
To give you an idea of the cost for one night in Buon MA Thuot and the accommodation budget to be expected, please refer to the prices below:
– Youth hostel (Hostel): 4 to 5 € in dormitory
– Guest house (Guesthouse): 8 to 10 € per person
– 3* hotel: 15 to 30 € for a double room
What to eat in Dak Lak?
There has been a good choice of restaurant for a few years here. On the main street, there are many good local cafes, the best of which is the Trung Nguyen cafe in the city center.
Street food and small restaurants are particularly affordable here. You can for a few euro cents taste one of the local skewers, or for 1 or 2 euros satisfy yourself with a simple meal.
If you want to eat in a more “conventional” establishment, count 3 to 8 euros per person. Tourist restaurants will be more expensive and are not necessarily recommended.
Here are some addresses recommended by the little smart!
THANH TRAM
22, Ly Thuong Kiet – Buôn Ma Thuôt – Vietnam
Gargote is renowned for its spring roll specialties.
PHO NUONG
150, Hung Vuong – Buôn Ma Thuôt – Vietnam
Very popular restaurant, frequented mainly by local customers.
HOTEL RESTAURANT DAM SAN
212-214, Nguyên Cong Tru – Buôn Ma Thuôt – Vietnam
The restaurant is a little more expensive than the previous ones. Local specialties, are highly appreciated by the notables of the region.
Culture: History of Buon Ma Thuot
Buon Ma Thuot under French occupation was the center of Dak Lak province. Also the center of the central highlands.
The city has a long history, many documents have shown that this land was inhabited very early. Archaeologically there is evidence of life dating back at least 4,000 years.
Buon Ma Thuot was previously called “Ede Kpă”. This land at the end of the 19th century had a single village with about fifty houses, each house has 30 to 40 people led by the chief of Ama Thuot.
At the beginning of the 20th century, the city’s policy was not limited to trade but developed into dozens of additional professions. However, Buon Ma Thuot was still a major trading center in the region at that time ruled by Ama Thuyen, a powerful and prestigious ruler. The name Buon Ma Thuot also derives from it. Buon Ma Thuot is the village of Ama Y Thuot – the village of Father Y Thuot.
After the invasion and pacification of the central highlands. The French colonialists immediately embarked on the construction of infrastructure to install their power. After signing the treaty of Dak Lak province (22-11-1904), and Ban Don province in Buon Ma Thuot, they controlled the city.
Activities and attractions: What to visit in Buon Ma Thuot?
Cascade of DRAY SAP
The Dray Sap waterfall is located 39 km from the city. You can travel by motorbike rented in town or by car to get there.
The height of Dray Sap Waterfall is around 20m and the width is quite impressive reaching almost 100m. The majestic jet of water flows majestically and offers a very pleasant freshness. The water is always clear and clean, very suitable for an outdoor picnic.
If you visit the waterfall during the rainy season in summer, the water is even more powerful, you will fully feel the tropical exoticism. However, the rain in the afternoon is often very heavy, so beware.
To reach the waterfall you have to enter the virgin forest, pass the streams, the rocks sometimes meet a waterfall falling from the cliffs! The deeper you go, the more the gurgling of the stream, the rustle of leaves, or the chirping of birds are replaced by the sound of powerful flowing water.
EA KAO Lake
From the center of Buon Ma Thuot town, tourists drive along highway 14 for about 4 km, turn left and continue for 8 km until they meet the Y Wang junction, to enter the Ea Kao Lake tourist area.
Ea Kao Lake means the lake that never runs out. Because the lake is always full of water at any time of the year. When the rainy season comes, from May to November, the water rises to the irrigation dam. While in the dry season, the water goes down to the middle of your calf. The surrounding landscape is wild and rustic with green, green forests and mountains. Soft red strips of land covered in grass and flowers…all create a vivid picture that you can admire equally during the rainy or dry season.
Covering an area of up to 120 hectares (excluding the lake area). Although it is built with a modern structure, the whole project still carries a national cultural identity with natural diverse terrain.
The surrounding green space, the large lake, and the fresh air create an ideal ecological environment. The interior is divided into many small areas meeting all the needs of visitors, such as entertainment areas, motels, flower gardens, restaurants, botanical gardens, children’s areas, campsites, and nature reserves. …Each area is conveniently landscaped, rich and attractive the landscape.
GIA LONG Waterfall
As one of the beautiful waterfalls of the Serepok River, it is located on the border between the two provinces of Dak Nong and Dak Lak. Gia Long waterfall is also known as Dray Sap Thuong. The origin of the waterfall’s name is derived from when King Bao Dai arrived here to travel. Inspired by the natural beauty of the waterfall, it took its name from King Gia Long – the first king of the Nguyen Dynasty.
This site attracts visitors for its pure and rare beauty. On a trip to explore Gia Long Waterfall, you seem lost in a “forgotten world” with a vast and majestic natural landscape. From the top of the waterfall, which is more than ten meters high, the water flows day and night, spurting white foam. The sound of waterfalls and birds singing in the surrounding verdant primeval forests makes you feel like you are in Wonderland!
TROHBU Botanical Garden
Not only is the place known as the new eco-tourism area of Dak Lak province. But Troh Bu is also known as the most beautiful landscape garden in the central highlands.
The garden is located just 13 kilometers west of the center of Buon Me Thuot. Due to the natural landscape filled with trees and cool streams. The Troh Bu ecotourism area was born. The main objective of Troh Bu is to preserve the beautiful orchids of the forest, as well as other rare plant species in the Vietnamese highlands. Although it is a private botanical garden, people have made great efforts to recreate the ancient forest environment and landscape of this place.
Once in the grounds of the Troh Bu garden. Visitors cannot help but appreciate the many rich species of forest trees and the landscape is very beautifully decorated and whimsical.
The entrance gate of Troh Bu is quite special since it is grafted from many wooden trunks, the bright red color brings joy and luck to visitors.
As an ecotourism area, the space of Troh Bu is filled with plants and trees combined with an artificial lake to bring harmony and comfort.
SAC TU KHAI DOAN Pagoda
Located in the heart of Buon Ma Thuot, it is a prominent building with sophisticated architecture, imbued with the imperial appearance of Hue mixed with modern features, and a long history. While stopping in the sacred central highlands, be sure to visit the famous Sac Tu Khai Doan Pagoda.
Coming to Sac Tu Khai Doan Pagoda,. Visitors can not only learn about the significant birth story and special architecture of the temple. But also discover more “unique” works. The Shakyamuni Buddha statue in the middle of the main hall was built in bronze with a height of 1.1 m; 0.35m high wooden lotus. Many Buddha statues have been built in many areas around the temple.
Not to mention the bronze bell 1.15 m high, 2.7 m in circumference, weighing 380 kg, cast in January 1954, a symbol of Sac Tu Khai Doan.
Until now, although it has passed through many decades, Sac Tu Khai Doan Pagoda still retains the inherent ancient architectural features and added new more elaborate works.
Currently, Sac Tu Khai Doan is the largest Buddhist place of worship in Dak Lak. It is a must-visit destination when traveling to Buon Ma Thuot City.
THANH TAM Cathedral
Thanh Tam Church is located at Phan Chu Trinh Street, Tan Loi Ward, Buon Ma Thuot City. It is the cathedral of the diocese of Buon Ma Thuot, the first missionary establishment in the highlands.
Coming to Thanh Tam Church, visitors will appreciate the design of this building. It is made entirely of wood, bringing the unique characteristics of the inhabitants of the central highlands. Thanh Tam Church is 45m long and 12m wide, located in an area of 828m2, where there is a spacious area that can accommodate up to 1,200 people. The church has a unique and delicate architecture so that visitors can take souvenir photos with their friends, relatives and family.
Initially, about 45 households lived in the area near Thanh Tam Church, scattered in the plantations, who came from many other localities to live. It was only after the migration movement of 1954 that the number of parishioners reached 4,000. To date, the number of parishioners exceeds 11,000 people, of which the Kinh has 10,579 people, the Ede ethnic group is 521 people.
Residence of the Bishops of Dak Lak
The residence of the bishops in Dak Lak is an old architectural work, built mainly with wooden materials, with a roof of fish scale tiles. In terms of creativity, the bishop’s building is considered a highly creative and artistic work, when it very skillfully combines the architecture of the central highlands communal house of the Gia Rai people, with the longhouse of the E-de ethnicity. In it, spaces such as guesthouses, dwelling houses and chapels are inspired by the longhouse of Ede.
Coming here, visitors will be amazed by the unique and harmonious beauty of this project.
Surrounded by a green garden with many trees. The site is considered a unique architectural work located in the middle of the landscaped garden. Both simple and unique, very close to the cultural and religious life of local people, the Bishops of Buon Ma Thuot have always been an attitude that captures a lot of love from far-away visitors.
The house of exiles
Located in the center of Buon Ma Thuot town, Buon Ma Thuot (Dak Lak) exile house was one of the most brutal prison camps the French built to imprison and exile Vietnamese patriots.
Although he was held in harsh conditions and brutally tortured. The brutal wiles of the colonial government could not crush the resilient and indomitable will of the patriot soldiers.
At the exile house of Buon Ma Thuot, the communist prisoners united overcame their physical and spiritual sufferings, and organized numerous struggles against the harsh French colonial regime.
Until now, the monument has kept the old architectural model intact, including the gates, cells, bins, prison house, infirmary, kitchen, and fence. After many restoration works, the exiled house of Buon Ma Thuot has become one of the captivating places to visit in Dak Lak. The current cells are the place to exhibit pictures and some artefacts to help visitors better imagine the difficult but heroic years of the revolutionary soldiers here.
TRINH NU Waterfall
Coming to Trinh Nu waterfall, visitors will experience the legend of M’nong village, local people. A long time ago, there was a beautiful young girl who fell in love with a handsome, healthy boy from the village. They love each other but face many difficulties. The maiden then immerses herself in the waterfall to keep it full of beautiful love, so this waterfall is called the Virgin Waterfall.
Follow the winding roads, and stone steps, you can walk along the stream of the waterfall of the Virgin to see the blue-green landscape here. When tired, visitors can take a break in the pretty leaf huts to mingle with nature, plants, and cool water. The waterfall is simply a rapid in the river. In the dry season, the waterfall seems to be nestled on the steep rock steps to wait for the rain, the water flows freely, wild, and extremely intense. All bring to the place a wild beauty that captivates human hearts.
Around the waterfall are quartz rocks of various shapes, making the water clearer. Visitors can feel the purity of the mountains and forests of the central highlands. The flat rocky beaches are often chosen by tourists as a camping ground to grill the fragrant meat after struggling under the cool stream.
DAK LAK Museum
Also known as the Museum of Ethnic Culture in the Central Highlands. Built on the main palace of Bao Dai – a historical relic of Dak Lak.
The museum has around 1,000 objects and images, organized into 3 main exhibition spaces (biodiversity, ethnic culture and history). It is a cultural architecture built in a modern style combined with particular ethnic cultural traditions.
Dak Lak Museum is also one of the pioneer museums in exhibiting indigenous languages
Conclusion
Adventure Travel Lover, Solo Traveler, Young and Old. Here are the most beautiful tourist destinations of Buon Ma Thuot – Daklak. Hopefully, with the information provided, you will design yourself an attractive trip when you have the opportunity to stop in this “coffee capital”.