The World Coffee Museum

Chairman Vu, Vietnam’s “Coffee King” and owner of the Trung Nguyên coffee company, opened The World Coffee Museum in 2018 with one mission: to build the coffee capital of the world. Vietnam is, after all, the world’s second-largest exporter of coffee. 

The result is a 100-acre property in the central highland province of Dak Lak that boasts spectacular views and a museum like no other. The building, engulfed in curved archways, is inspired by long-houses, a local architectural style of the Ede, an ethnic minority group in the country. Inside, the museum—in partnership with Germany’s Kaffeemuseum Burg (Museum of Coffee)—displays more than 10,000 coffee artifacts from around the world. Visitors are encouraged to smell, taste, and touch coffee beans as they learn about the history and migratory patterns of the drink. Some of the earliest objects come from Vietnam, showcasing tools and instruments used by farmers to harvest the bean before its industrialization. 

To round out your experience, visit the Trung Nguyên coffee shop located in the museum, whose specialty coffees include weasel, or kopi luwak, one of the most sought-after luxury beverages in the world.