BUÔN MA THUỘT or sometimes Buon Ma Thuat or Ban Mê Thuột, is the capital city of Dak Lak province - center of the Central Highlands of Vietnam. This is the largest city and unofficial administrative city in this region. It is famous as the regional "capital of coffee".
FACT AND FIGURES
Population: 340,000 people
Total area: 377,18 sq. km
Distance:
Buon Ma Thuot - Hanoi: 1,399km (national road 1A)
Buon Ma Thuot - Ho Chi Minh city: 350km (national road 14)
Buon Ma Thuot - Da Lat: 193km (national road 27)
Buon Ma Thuot - Nha Trang: 194km (national road 26)
Airport: Fly to Buon Ma Thuot by Vietnam Airlines from Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh city (Flight info here).
Ban Me six way crossroads
The majority of the local inhabitants are the Rhade people, one of the several groups of ethnic minority on the Central Highlands. The peculiar trait of the city is that there are many town houses made of wood in the inner city while many other houses in the suburbs are those on stilt. The city is also surrounded by fruit gardens, rubber plantations, coffee gardens, and vegetables.
Lak lake
Dray Nur waterfall
DraySap waterfall
Dak Mil lake
This is our first trip to Buon Me Thuot city where we had never come to before so that we encountered some untruthful problems.
As plan, the time that was ok for us was on holiday: Dec 31 2009 - Jan 3 2010. It was out of tickets so that there were so many passengers had to wait for selling these from bus company hours by hours. Fortunately, we had enough tickets for all members from Rang Dong express. The problem was the driver arranged other passengers 2 our seats regardless of they were sold to us. After an argument, they had to arrange other seats for us. It was unacceptable and we will never use service from this company! Finally, all members had their seats and the bus started. It took about 8hrs to finish the trip from 10:30PM on Dec 31 in Mien Dong bus station.
Arrived at Buon Ma Thuot city in the early morning, it was so cool, not as cold as DaLat. Taking a taxi to hotel to start a few days in the capital of coffee.
Hotel services are ok
After check in hotel, the first work was to enjoy coffee at the Sunrise coffee shop.
Sunrise coffee shop
Sunrise coffee: coffee with ice, milk and an atiso tea cup! So tasty!
The next works? Having receptionist hire 5 moto-bikes 120k VND/day, having breakfast, booking return tickets, coming to the first place: Lak lake.
For us in this strange city, MaiLinh express is the most popular bus company to come back to HCMC. Unfortunately, they were out of tickets. We collected "piece by piece" of hope that they gave, even we rode to their branch. Finally, we called other companies but hopeless! Having no choices, let's use the last chance, coming to Buon Ma Thuot bus station, booked tickets from private company in spite of they will welcome passengers along the road and fill us into their bus. To this time, booking tickets was almost done. Phew... Another good experience to trip on holiday, huh? :)
Contact to bus companies
Riding moto-bike along national road 27 to the first destination about 56km far away from BMT (stands for Buon Me Thuot) at about 12:00PM.
All members (excluded photographer :))
A peaceful valley along national road 27
Riding leisurely along national road, joking together almost arriving at Lak lake bank, suddenly, the rear wheel tube of one iron horse gets flat.
It took almost 30 minutes to replace new rear wheel tube for this motor-bike
Arrived at Lak lake after 2hours riding. Lake lake carrying the legend about Y Lak brave guy. It is said that once upon a time, in scorching season, the rice fields are not planted any trees. Before the scene who died of starvation, because the sun, Y Lak brave guy went looking for water for villages. The young guy follow eels slithering trail that goes, until he met a deep blue lake opened.
On the road to Lake
This charming lake is encompassed the forested hills, famed for trekking, hiking, and fishing activities. Nearby, there situates the Jun minority village which offers a possibility of an overnight stay to visitors. Around the lake, one can take a canoe with one of the locals on the calm lake.
Lak resort
A corner of Lak resort
Everyone got very hungry but still smiled when the camera lifted.
Waiter, please serve us very quickly!!! :D
Oh yeah, we were full. Come on guys. Let's enjoy together!
All members ( excluded photographer again :))
This is "Lak style" hihi
Long house
Gather tamarind in Lak resort :)
There are many small village on the Lak lake bank
This is a huge lake and the wind blowed so strong. It was so cool to take fresh air huh :)
Wow...
Everyone looked so excited.
Walking around the lake and relaxing together satisfactorily. It almost got out of time to visit other beautiful places such as: Emperor Bao Dai palace, Jun villages (reveals an enigmatic slice of traditional M'nong life), the primitive forests of the Chu Yang Sin. But, on the way back to BMT, we got to Giang Son Mary hill where there're many peach trees with flowers along the road to the top of hill. It was a nice place!
This is the end of first day in BMT. Before going to bed, let's enjoy a little stem wine with jerky.
This is the end of part 1! Part 2 will lead you to the new place of Central Highlands: Buon Don.
I usually come to my hometown Tra Vinh along National Road 60 over My Tho then Ben Tre by motor-bike and my group took a short trip a year ago to visit some nice places around the city. Here are some cool pix and information of this beautiful city.
My Tho is famous for its noodle soup Hu Tieu My Tho. Hu Tieu My Tho is typically a clear pork broth with rice vermicelli and wheat flour noodles (mì) combined. Sliced pork, meaty pork bones, offal such as intestines, liver, and heart and fresh shrimp, and possibly deep fried wonton. The soup is then garnished by the diner to the individual taste with salad leaves, garlic chives, beans sprouts, lime, fresh chili, soy sauce, and vinegar. The noodles can be served dry with the soup on the side, or as a noodle soup.
Hu Tieu My Tho
Also famous in My Tho is Bo Vien or beef balls. There are very busy stalls near the My Tho market that serve only Bo Vien in beef broth or with Hu Tieu noodle. It is eaten with very hot chili sauce (tương ớt).
Bo vien
As the regional capital My Tho is the main market dealing in all the produce from the region as well as fish and seafood from My Tho's large ocean-going fishing fleet. The very large and exuberant market is one of South Vietnam's biggest sources for dried fish and other dried seafood products such as Khô Mực (dried squid). At night the market is dedicated to the dealing and sorting of Mekong River fish, particularly catfish for Ho Chi Minh City's wholesale markets. Produce, especially fruit and vegetables, is delivered by boat directly to the market.
My Tho is a popular starting point for tourists to take a boat trip on the Mekong River then be around four islands: Dragon, Unicorn, Turtle and Phoenix. Thoi Son (Unicorn) and Phoenix island - where the path through the island is bordered with fruit trees bearing plums, mangoes, and longans; the tiled-roof houses surrounded by many generations of these fruit-bearing trees, the cozy little restaurants in bonsai tree gardens. Get to there we can enjoy honey tea, fresh fruits while listening to traditional music performance of “Tai Tu” - the lovely and romantic melody of one of the tribes in Mekong Delta, and a short visit to a coconut candy factory and savor the taste of this special.
Thoi Son (Unicorn) island
Longan
Rambutan
Pomelo
On the bridge before getting on the sampans
Rowing on sampans (small boat) along the canals of Mekong River.
Packages of coconut candy are completed and ready for sell
Taking a coach to visit around Phoenix island
VINH TRANG PAGODA is the greatest pagoda of Tien Giang Province, in an area of 2,000m2 with many beautiful trees. It was built in 1849 in My Phong village, My Tho City. The architecture of Vinh Trang Pagoda is a harmonious combination of Asian and European types of architecture, creating the splendid, but simple features of this Buddhist pagoda.
The pagoda is surrounded by gardens of ornamental trees, ancient trees and bonsai, creating a peaceful atmosphere.
Vinh Trang pagoda consists of five buildings, two ornamental yards and 178 pillars. There are two triumphal arches bearing an art of inserting bottle and porcelain fragments which create harmonious pictures illustrating the Buddha’s legendaries. Inside the pagoda, there is a set of pictures “eight angels riding on animals” another set of statues of the Amitabha Holy Trinity carved in bronze, as big as a man, and more particularly, the set of the eighteen Arhants, wood carving work, is the only one, not two, in the west of South Vietnam.
Worship place
Not far from Vinh Trang Pagoda, DONG TAM SNAKE FARM is one of the country’s largest snake-raising centers where venom is produced for local use and export. Located 12 kilometers from My Tho City, Tien Giang Province, the World of Snakes is a place for the animals to have a peaceful life without the impact of man. There are a lot of researched snakes which are extremely aggressive and even capable of spitting poison, and other snake-based medicines are produced to save lives.
Snakes twine the branch
The entire group is on a ferry for barges to cross the Tien river from Unicorn island. This station is about 2km far away from Rach Mieu bridge.
Peaceful road in country side
Enjoy durian, rambutan together
"War booty" :D
Enjoy fresh fruit while listening Don Ca Tai Tu
After a day exciting trip to islands, it's time to have dinner
To see the floating market activities, we must come to Cai Be early (about 5AM) but it rained in the morning, the plan to Cai Be floating market had to be delayed about 2hours so that we can not catch the time. What a pity!
Arrived at Cai Be town, we hired a boat tour to visit wine factory, rice flakes factory, shop sells products from coconut, fruit orchard...
Cai Be church
On a watermelon boat
Making rice flakes
Equipment for making wine
Durian
Ducks in chilli orchard
Get into guava orchard and "mum mum" together ;))
Finish Cai Be tour - it's time to come back My Tho
