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Tucked deep into the Central Highlands, about
360 km from Saigon, Buon Ma Thuot (pop. 200,000)
is much farther off the beaten track than Dalat
and sees far fewer tourists. But Buon Ma Thuot
is certainly worth the trip. The area is an
elephant training center (here's where to ride
an elephant in Vietnam!).
The region is home to a number of ethnic minorities, including the
Rhade and Jarai groups. The area also boasts
some impressive waterfalls. Buon Ma Thuot has
the distinction of being the site of the last
major battle between the North Vietnamese Army
and South Vietnamese troops during March 1975.
As a testament to that battle, the first North
Vietnamese Army tank to enter the city is
perched in the center of town as a monument to
Buon Ma Thuot's "liberation." There has been
talk of moving the tank into a museum, and
indeed, some travel publications say it already
has, but the tank still has it's turret pointed
skyward, looking still quite capable of spitting
out a 120mm shell.
Buon Ma Thout makes a great base for trekking to ethnic villages.
The longhouses of the Rhade and M'nong groups
are particularly impressive - try to spend a
night or two. A popular stop is at the Rhade
village of Buon Tuo, about 13 km from town.
Thirty-five kilometers to the north, in the
village of Ya Liao, can be found a 13th-century
Cham tower. In town, visit the hilltribe museum
on Me Mai Street, which houses artifacts,
ancient weapons, clothing and other relics of
the Montagnard and Rhade ethnic groups.
The local minority villages are also great for
elephant rides. Elephants can also be found in
the wild at nearby Yok Don National Park, at
58,200 hectares, Vietnam's largest. Don village
is the gateway to the park and has turned into
something of a tourist trap (at least for these
parts). Elephant rides are available for a few
hours or a few days from local M'nong and Lao
trainers, who descend from generations of
families training elephants to transport logs
and, more recently, tourists. Expect to cough up
about US$15 per hour or US$60 per day. Four-day
expeditions into the jungle will set you back as
much as US$500.
Surrounding waterfalls worth a visit include
Drai Sap, Draylon, Drayling and Draynor
Waterfalls. The best are found at Drai Sap. The
fodder of picture postcards, these are the falls
you see on most Vietnamese calendars. About 12
km from Buon Ma Thuot, the falls aren't
particularly tall but are expansive and
dramatic. It's tempting to swim in the river
pools formed at the base of these falls - and
many folks do take the plunge - but the
surrounding and submerged rocks are jagged and
treacherous. It's easy to get yourself quite cut
up. There's also a disappointing amount of
litter, but Dac Lac officials seem to be
cleaning the place up. The Drai Sap falls are
accessible by hired car or minivan, followed by
a moderately strenuous half-kilometer hike.
Though located about 200 km farther north than
Dalat, Buon Ma Thuot is at a lower elevation and
is warmer year-round. Neither does it possess
Dalat's over commercialization (nor Dalat's
beauty, on the other hand). Coffee is the major
cash crop here, however, this mountainous region
is heavily deforested, the hillsides bald and
brown during the winter months. Much of the
region's wildlife has been driven away by
deforestation or through the misfortune of
getting stuffed by wannabe taxidermists. The
best time to visit Buon Ma Thuot is during the
dry season, between November and May. Though the
scenery isn't as lush as it is during the rainy
season, it's a lot easier to get around!. |
