So back with my latest trip abroad, this one a short week but pack plenty in it. This time out of HCMC went out to a new area in my 4th trip to Vietnam in the last 8 years. I went to visit Buon Ma Thout in the Dak Lak province and the major area of coffee plantation in Vietnam.
A bit on the place first: or a bit of history I like!
Buôn Ma Thuột is the capital city of Dak Lak province in the Central Highlands of Vietnam. The city is famous as the regional “capital of coffee ,which they show as the world. Buôn Ma Thuột is served by the small but practical Buon Ma Thuot airport. If you care by car it is 350 km from Ho Chi Minh city. However, by airplane is about 40 minutes and by car can be 10 hrs! so I am told by locals. We left late pm and arrived by night direct into eating and hotel.
In 1904 Dak Lak Province was established by the French and Buôn Ma Thuột was selected as the provincial administrative center. Buôn Ma Thuột was originally settled by the E De, but due to the incoming Viet settlement after the Vietnam war and the active acculturation policy, less than 15% are still mountain people. The place is historically relevant because it was the site of the last major confrontation between the North Vietnamese and South Vietnamese armies back in March 1975.
Coffee is sold everywhere in town and you can buy whole coffee beans, ground coffee, even the ready-to-drink variety. The best place to buy coffee beans is at the intersection of Hoang Dieu and Phan Chu Trinh Streets. Trung Nguyen is considered as the ‘Coca-Cola’ of Vietnamese coffee and is sold in many places, but its main store is on Nguyen Tat Thanh Street. And the world museum is here and I drank traditional coffee and it is wonderful…
The Buon Ma Thuot , 7th annual Coffee Festival will be held on March 9 – 16, 2019. Vietnam is the second-largest coffee producer in the world, following Brazil. More here: https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/top-coffee-producing-countries.html
OF course, we came here by Vietnam Airline, from HCMC taking only 40 minutes on time. I was picked up by driver upon arriving and went on a tour of the place. I had the opportunity to eat local dishes many done with ginseng as ingredient but as usual me forgot the name of the place just a photo to remember later maybe…
I did stayed at the nice 3 start Damsan Hotel. An old fashion house still in good condition and not far from the city center. We had an all you eat breakfast with traditional faire. This is in country Vietnam so you see it as it is no foreigners seen while there. The hotel has some info in English here: Damsan Hotel
Just a layback ambiance in country with some nice folks made it all worthwhile and another spot of the world I can say was there. Those spots hard to remember them all, but I know it has been 81 countries so far ! Hope you enjoy this post on exotic Buon Ma Thout as I.
A bit more to help you visit this area is here with Vietnam Online: Vietnam Online on Buon Ma Thout
Thank you for reading my blog and remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!
Paris1972-Versailles2003 