Buon Ma Thuot and the Central Highlands

Vietnam'S Coffee Capital In The Central Highlands, With Plantations, The Coffee Museum, The Dray Nur And Dray Sap Waterfalls And Ede And M'Nong Villages Near Buon Don Where Elephant Rides Were Once The Draw And Have Been Replaced By Ethical Alternatives. A Stop For Coffee Lovers And For Trekkers In Yok Don National Park · Buon Ma Thuot, Dak Lak

Buon Ma Thuot is the capital of Dak Lak province and the centre of Vietnam's coffee country, a red-soil highland city about 350 km north-east of Ho Chi Minh City. Vietnam is among the world's largest coffee producers, mostly robusta, and this is where much of it grows. The city holds the Coffee Museum, often called the World Coffee Museum, plus tasting rooms, roasters and plantations that welcome visitors. Around it lie the Dray Nur and Dray Sap waterfalls, the Ede longhouses of Ako Dhong village, Lak Lake, and Buon Don and Yok Don National Park, where elephant riding has been phased out in favour of ethical alternatives; confirm what is offered now. It suits coffee lovers, slow travellers and trekkers already in the Highlands. It is worth the detour in the coffee blossom weeks of February and March. It is not an easy add-on from a coastal trip, because roads are long and sights are scattered. Allow time and a hired driver.

Buon Ma Thuot city and the Buon Don and Yok Don area, in the Central Highlands about 350 km north-east of Ho Chi Minh City, Buon Ma Thuot, Dak Lak, Vietnam

The Coffee Museum and the larger plantation tasting rooms commonly open daily from morning to late afternoon, with a midday pause at smaller places; confirm before travelling. Waterfall parks charge a gate fee and close at dusk. Ede villages are open to walk through, and a village stroll is FREE, but longhouse visits and cultural shows are by arrangement and charged. Yok Don National Park charges entry and guided treks are booked at the office, with some trails CLOSED in the rainy months. Cafes open very early, often by 6 am. Tet brings widespread closures.

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