Rough Guide to Vietnam - Jan Dodd [142]
The central highlands | Through the highlands | Buon Ma Thuot and around |
The Town
Of central Buon Ma Thuot’s few sights, the Khai Doan Pagoda, built in 1951, is an interesting fusion of E De longhouse and Hué Imperial architecture. Located west of the centre on Phan Boi Chau, it stands on a slope beside a large bo tree, underneath which sits a Buddha image in meditation posture. The front of the building, approached by steps, is made of huge slabs of glossy, painted wood, with the approximate dimensions of a longhouse, but the ornate, double-layered roof is classic Hué architecture. Just below the roof at the front runs a frieze of gold-painted panels depicting scenes from the life of the Buddha. A more recent extension of brick and cement at the back houses the altar with several more Buddha images, while the bright pillars have dragons leaping off them. The pagoda was built to honour Emperor Khai Dinh’s wife, Hoang Thi Cuc, who was also mother of the last emperor, Bao Dai.
With a jeep protruding from its central column, the town’s dramatic Victory Monument on Le Duan is the hub from which all the town’s main roads radiate. About half a kilometre south of here, tucked away down a side street, the town’s former prison (daily 7–11am & 1.30–5pm; small admission fee) seems frozen in time, and the cells contain a few realistic models of prisoners and wardens. To find out more about the cultures of the local minority groups, check out the Ethnographic Museum (daily 7–11am & 1.30–5pm; small admission fee), which is set in a crumbling edifice in a peaceful garden to the south of the town centre. Among the exhibits are a waistcoat made of bark, traditional clothing of the various ethnic groups of the region, funerary statues of peacocks and tusks, and instruments for taming elephants, like vicious mahouts’ spikes and two thorny harnesses.
The tidy E De weaving village of Ako Dhong, on the town’s northern fringes, is also worth a visit. Follow Phan Chu Trinh towards the northeast, then turn left on Tran Nhat Duat, which leads you into the community. The sturdy longhouses on stilts with their tiled roofs spaced out evenly down the road, and the clean-swept yards and trim hedges give the feel of an affluent suburb. The tantalizing aroma of roasting coffee beans often fills the air, and the gentle clack-clack emanating from the buildings signals the weavers at work. The locals are welcoming and are likely to invite you in to watch the process and perhaps to buy a sample of their work, which is generally good quality.
If you’re in need of coolling down, head for Dak Lak Water Park (0500/395 0381; 30,000đ), 4km northeast of town on Nguyen Chi Thanh. Finally, if you’re in town in March, don’t miss the Elephant Race Festival, which takes place on the banks of the Serepok River near Ban Don: ask at Dak Lak Tourist for dates and details.
The central highlands | Through the highlands | Buon Ma Thuot and around |
Eating and drinking
All the big hotels have restaurants, of which the Dam San is probably the best. The Thanh Van at 20 Ly Thuong Kiet is famed locally for its fine nem (spring rolls). Hai Ba Trung’s Bon Trieu cooks up tasty beef dishes that are perennially popular as well as a very passable cari de (goat curry), for around 25,000đ a dish. Although the food on display at Tu Tam Chay, 103 Quang Trang, looks meaty and fishy, all the dishes here are one hundred percent vegetarian; point, sit and eat. For a bit of ambience and some adventurous eating, head to the Quan Ngon at 72–74 Ba Trieu, where you’ll be greeted by a veritable zoo of animals floating in huge jars of exotic wine. Java mouse deer, weasel and conger eel all feature in various preparations, and if you’re having trouble deciding, try the grilled porcupine and pigeon rice soup, washed down with a BGI beer. Back in the centre of town, a big bakery called Banh Mi Hanoi at 123–127 Le Hong Phong can provide all your picnic needs.
The central highlands | Through the highlands | Buon Ma Thuot and around | Eating and drinking |
Cafés
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