Buon Ma Thuot City
Buon Ma Thuot is a destination in the Central Highlands of Vietnam. While it can be a bit warmer than Da Lat, it’s also very windy and attracts a lot of clouds covered even in the dry season, which tends to cool things down.
There are some decent places to stay, and some sites to see which are worthwhile, but not exactly first rate. It’s enjoyed by travellers who want to get away from the circus of tourism that characterises the more popular destinations in the region. Most importantly, Buon Ma Thuot has some great coffee.
There’s a heavy concentration of ethnic villages in the region, and while the Vietnamese government has been trying hard to encourage them to assimilate into mainstream society, their efforts have been only partly successful. Most of the Montagnards now speak Vietnamese, but retain a strong sense of their separate identity, leading to an uneasy relationship with the powers that be. In 2004 they all made their way to Buon Ma Thuot and filled the streets in a mass demonstration against government policies.
Since then, the government has been particularly paranoid about any westerners visiting these villages. Without a permit, the only villages you can visit are the ones close to town, and Ban Don to the north, little more than a Potemkin’s village giving tourists a taste of Ede culture while steering them away from the real thing. Buon Ma Thuot is also referred to as Ban Me Thuot or Buon Me Thuot all the same place.
Buon Ma Thuot spreads out from its central roundabout where a large victory monument and a replica of a tank are on display. It makes sense to base yourself in the roundabout area, where services, cafes, and basic eats are within easy walking distance.
