Buon Ma Thuot
The caffeine capital of Vietnam, the biggest buzz you’ll get in Buon Ma Thuot (also known as Ban Me Thuot) is from the beans. There’s not a lot to do here, but it makes for a good base to explore Yok Don National Park and several stunning waterfalls in the vicinity. Before WWII, this was a centre for big-game hunting, but the animals have all but disappeared – along with most of the region’s rainforest.

The capital of Dac Lac province, the city has grown exponentially over the last few years, with the coffee industry largely responsible for its improving fortunes. The major approach roads are currently being upgraded to cope with the extra traffic, but it can still be a crawl in and out of town.

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Getting there & around
Bus & tram
Bus
Buon Ma Thuot’s bus station (71 Ð Nguyen Chi Thanh) is about 4km from the centre, with plenty of services to Dalat (65, 000d, four hours) and Pleiku (46, 000d, four hours).

Air
There are daily Vietnam Airlines (955 055; fax 956 265; 67 Ð Nguyen Tat Thanh; 8am-5pm) flights from both HCMC and Danang. The airport is 8km west of town. A taxi should cost less than 20, 000d.

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See more Viet Nam

About Hanoi Vietnam | Around Ho Chi Minh City | About Halong Bay Vietnam | Ba Be National Park | Ba Vi National Park | Bac Lieu | Bai Tu Long Bay  | Bo Nau Cave (Pelican cave) |  Beaches North of Nha Trang |  Ben Tre | Buon Ma Thuot | Ca Mau  | Dien Bien Phu | Dong Hoi | Ha Giang | Haiphong | Halong City | Ho Coc Beach | Dong Hoi | Kon Tum | Kim Quy Grotto | Lang Son | Lao Cai | Long Hai | Luon Grotto | Long Xuyen | Mai Chau | Mekong Delta | Mui Ne Beach | My Tho | Phan Rang & Thap Cham | Phan Thiet | Phat Diem | Phong Nha Cave | Phu Quoc Island | Pleiku | Quang Ngai | Rach Gia | Soc Trang | Song Cau | Tam Coc | Tam Dao  | Tay Ninh | Thay & Tay Phuong Pagodas | Tra Co Beach | Tra Vinh | Tuy Hoa  | Van Don Island  | Vinh Long | Vung Tau |
Car & motorcycle
Car & motorbike
The road linking the coast with Buon Ma Thuot intersects Hwy 1A at Ninh Hoa (157km), 34km north of Nha Trang. The road is surfaced and in good condition, though fairly steep. Hwy 14 to Pleiku is excellent. There’s also a scenic sealed road connecting Buon Ma Thuot with Dalat (via Lak Lake). Though full of twists and turns, it’s mainly in good condition.