Buon Ma Thuot or Ban Me Thuat is located deep in the Central Highlands, about 360 km from Sai Gon. Buon Ma Thuot by far is relatively off the beaten track. But the area is certainly worth the trip.

Buon Ma Thuot offers the travelers the fresh nature beauty characterized by temperate climate, waterfalls, rivers, lakes and national parks. Buon Ma Thuot is home the a number of ethnic minorities of which the century-old traditions are well kept. Traveling in this area the visitor should not miss a memorable night sharing the traditional dance with a local ethnic group by the fire.

The center of Buon Ma Thuot City

You can have a trekking trip through the ethnic villages which are surrounded by peaceful and fresh nature. You can also visit Ban Don Village where wild elephants are still being domesticated and enjoy an adventure with an elephant ride through the green forest.

Buon Ma Thuot is where you can find the best coffee in Vietnam. You may want to enhance your experience of this coffee town with some peaceful moments at a local garden cafe.

Tourist Attractions around Buon Ma Thuot
Ban Don (Buon Don): The village is 45 km north-west of Buon Ma Thuot straddling the Serepok River, Don Village for long has been famous for domesticating wild elephants. Visiting Ban Don you'll learn a lot about their long tradition of taming wild elephants and legends of the elephant-training King. Adventurous enough, you can get a dug-out canoe and drift along the Serepok River to visit the 7-branched waterfalls. There's also an option of riding elephant through the wild of Yok Don National Park.

Tur Village is an Ede Village, located 13 km from Buon Ma Thuot. The village still preserves many of the Ede century-old customs.

Ako Dhong Village is 2km north of Buon Ma Thuot City, home to a number of ethnic groups including: Mnong, Ede...The village is the richest one in the region.

Lak Lake is 56km south-east of Buon Ma Thuot City, on the way from Buon Ma Thuot to Da Lat. The lake covers an area of 500ha with elevation of 500m.

Jun Village is home to the M'nong Rlam People who live in long houses. The village is located by the Lak Lake. The travellers to the village have the options of riding elephant, rowing in dug-out boats and staying with a local family overnight.

A long house at Jun Village (Buon Jun) of the M'nong People

M'Lieng is another village of the M'Nong People. Nestled in the shadows of the mountains and decorated with the Lak Lake and Kron Ana River, M'Lieng still preserves most of its untouched traditions and customs. M'Lieng can only be reached by a dug-out boat trip or an elephant ride from Jun Village.

Dray Sap Waterfall is 27km from Buon Ma Thuot. The name of the waterfall means “Waterfall of Mist” which is just how the fall looks like when you face it. The waterfall can be heard from far away.

Dray Nur Waterfall is located near Dray Sap Waterfall. Dray Nur is of 250m in length and 30m in height. The waterfall is created by the water of Krong Ana and Krong No Rivers. There's a cave underneath the waterfall that brings exotic experience to the adventure travellers.

Gia Long Waterfall is 7km from Dray Sap & Dray Nur. Gia Long Waterfall also offers stunning beauty of nature.

Dray Sap Waterfall

Travel and Tours
By far, Buon Ma Thuot is well off the tourist paths. There are some fans of adventure travel who visit the city though. Around Buon Ma Thuot, the traveler can have a day trekking in Yok Don National Park, a day to explore the stunning waterfalls and a day by the serene Lak Lake. Whitewater rafting is also possible if planned carefully.

Also PVT has got a number of biking and motorbiking tours for our adventure travellers to discover the secrets of the Central Highlands. Please contact us for further details.

Accommodation
There are many hotels in Buon Ma Thuot City ranging from standard to 3 star standard. For the adventure travellers you may like to stay at one of the ethnic villages which could be an unforgettable experience.

Getting there and away
By air: There are daily direct flights between Ho Chi Minh City – Buon Ma Thuot and Da Nang – Buon Ma Thuot. The direct flight time is about 1 hour.

By road: Buon Ma Thuot is 190 km from Nha Trang, 210 km northwest of Da Lat, 197 km from Pleiku, 350km from Ho Chi Minh City and 230km southwest of Quy Nhon.