Buon Ma Thuot - 10/07 -
Buon Ma Thuot is the provincial capital of Daklak province but its main interests for visitors are the natural surroundings and the thirty or so ethnic groups in the area. There are numerous ethnic minority villages and also some spectacular waterfalls, all of which are within day trip distances.
 Location: 363km from Ho Chi Minh City (on NR14), 182km from Nha Trang, 200km North of Da Lat
Access: 55 minutes by plane from Ho Chi Minh City
Main attractions: villages of M’nong and Ede ethnic groups, elephant ride to Yokdon National Park and to the Ban Don elephant-training village, dugout ride on Lake Lak, visit to waterfalls, trek through jungles and gong show
The town itself is nondescript apart from the Khai Doan Pagoda, an unusual combination of the features of an Ede long house with a roof designed in accordance with Hue imperial architecture. It was built to commemorate the wife of Emperor Khai Dinh – her son was Emperor Bao Dai, the last of the dynasty.
Riding elephants to cross Lak Lake Most of Buon Ma Thuot’s attractions lie well away from the town. They include the excellent Gia Long and Dray Nur waterfalls, both little visited. Gia Long is adjacent to ancient forest – Emperor Bao Dai used to hunt there. Dray Nur is a complete contrast. Set in dry, arid land, its waters thunder over black volcanic rock. Its comparatively barren surroundings enhance the impact of the falls – standing at the bottom among the swirling mist, the noise is deafening.
Serene Lak Lake offers travelers a dugout canoe journey across the lake to ride working elephants and meet their mahouts through ethnic villages, some with home-stay facilities. This great body of water, hemmed between low mountains, is home to many kinds of wading birds. On shore stands a magnificent palace of King Bao Dai, from the 2nd floor of which a panoramic view of the valley and lake below can be contemplated. About thirteen miles from the town there is a settlement of Ede people who live in distinctive longhouses on stilts, which make the trip to Buon Ma Thuot worthwhile.
The very interesting Hill Tribe museum shows valuable information about the culture of the Ede tribe and some of the local equipment they use to hunt elephants. The most typical ethnic village is Ban Don, appealing not only with its magnificent landscape and customs that bear the deep imprints of the Central Highlands but also with tradition of hunting and taming elephants. Coming to Ban Don will give you a fascinating experience as riding elephant to cross Lak Lake, and interact with the local cultural customs as spending a night in their stilt house, especially in spring to join their Elephant Racing Festival.
Further away to the northwest is Yok Don, Vietnam’s largest national park. Several ethnic groups live within it, notably the M’nong people who traditionally specialized in hunting and domesticating the wild elephants that roamed in the area. In addition to a fantastic elephant riding, visitors may take a two-day safari-style foray into the deep forest. |
