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 Home>Regions
& Provinces>Central Highlands>Dak Lak |
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Provinces
of Mid Central Region |
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Dak Lak Province
+84-(0)-50 |
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Basics |
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Capital city: |
Buon Ma Thuot |
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Area (sq km): |
19,800 |
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Population: |
1,901,400 |
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Average temp: |
20 - 25°C |
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Ethnic data: |
Viet/Kinh, E De, Gia Rai, M'nong, Nung, Tay, Gia Rai. |
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Districts/wards: |
Buon Don,
Cu Jut, Cu M'gar, Dac Mil, Dak Nong, Dak R'lap, Dak
Soong, Ea H'leo, Ea Kar, Ea Sup, Krong Ana, Krong Bong, Krong Buk, Krong Nang, Krong No, Krong Pac, M' Drac,
Lak. |
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Map |
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Description |
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Dak Lak Province, the largest in Tay Nguyen or Central Highlands, is located southeast of the Truong Son Mountains,
with 11.030’–13.025’ North latitude and 107.030’–109.030 East longitude, and shares a 240 kilometre border with Cambodia
on the west.
Dak Lak has many beautiful lakes such as Ea Kao, Eas No and Eo Don. Lac Lake is
where the M’nong minority has been living for many generations and has
relatively flat terrains with average altitude 500 – 800 metres above the sea
level lowering from the southeast to the northwest.
Buon Ma Thuot, which is 536 metres above sea level, is the provincial capital of
Dak Lak. The majority of the local inhabitants are the E De people, one of the
several groups of ethnic minority on the Central Highlands. The peculiar trait
of the city is that there are many town houses made of wood in the inner city
while many other houses in the suburbs are those on stilts.
Buon Ma Thuot means 'Thuot's father's village' in the Ede language. And Ban Me
Thuot, means the same in M'Nong.
There are two notable sounds that awaken residents of Ban Me Thuot and that is
the sound of the Roman Catholic Church bell calling signalling the morning mass.
This is closely followed by the daily exercise 'program' from loudspeakers
followed by world news, as viewed by Ha Noi.
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Economy |
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Bamboo, coffee plantations, fruit orchards,
rubber plantations, vegetable farms and hydro-power generation. |
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Natural beauty sights |
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Buon Don, Draysap Waterfall. Dak Lak has many beautiful lakes such as Ea Kao,
Eas No, Eo Don. |
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Ecological |
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The forests of Dak Lak are of two eco-regions; the wetter areas support Eastern
Indochina Moist Forests and, extending into Cambodia, Central Indochina Dry
Forests; the largest representative area of this forest type in VietNam.
Dak Lak province is located in the Dak Lak plateau, one of the three large
plateaus in the Central Highlands. Dak Lak plateau, 600 metres above sea level,
is blessed with basaltic soil. The southern area of the province is lower and
has several large bodies of water.
A large area of this semi-deciduous forest type is under protection at Yok Don
National Park. The province also has four other protected areas; the Nature
Reserves of Chu Yang Sin, Nam Ca, and Nam Lung with one Cultural and Historical
site at Ho Lac.
Approximately 1,061,020 hectares (or nearly 56%) of the total provincial area is
covered in natural forest but only 185,933 ha (9.7%) is under some protection.
The forests of Yok Don support and protect populations of the endangered Black-shanked
Douc Langur, Asian elephants, tiger, banteng, and the vulnerable gaur. |
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Historic sights |
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Khai Doan Pagoda (2). Dak Lak’s
historical vestiges include Bao Dai King’s building, Buon Ma Thuot Prison and Dak Tua underground tunnels.
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Buon Don
(1)
Buon Don is located northwest of Da Lat in Dak Lak Province, close to the
Cambodian border, the commune
is located on the bank of the Serepok river, approximately 50 kilometres from Buon Ma Thuot. Buon Don is well known
as the native land of elephant hunters and trainers throughout Southeast Asia.
The reason why, unlike other regions throughout the Central Highlands,
there has never been an exodus of immigrations to the area nor a nomadic
lifestyle ever existed there is due to the continuing development of hunting
elephants and other big forest animals from time immemorial has made Buon Don
regionally reputed as the leading trading centre on the Central Highlands.
Buon Don has been famous for its Kru, powerful elephant tribe leaders, for a
long time, and is well known in India and France for its elephant. Y Pui, a
102-year-old man (1883-1985) who tamed over 450 elephants, spent part of his
life as Bao Dai King’s mahout. Elephant training and hunting has been passed
down through generations.
It takes 67 months to domesticate a wild elephant. In the last few years,
tourists have been more eager to visit Buon Don, the elephants’ home in Dac Lac.
Their main interest being to admire the animals and to understand their delicate
situation. Surveys are now being conducted throughout the country to evaluate
the elephant situation and to better organize protection projects.
Visitors to Buon Me Thuot can see big wooden structures are meticulously
chiseled and carved. There are other wooden houses on stilt the simple
structures of which are brightly decorated with different coats of red paint.
The long prosperity brought about from international trading in the city can be
seen through the location of moss-covered 13th Century Cham towers along side
the construction of tombs where were the burial ground of ancient rich and
powerful tribal chiefs whose influence and wealth had been learnt by words of
mouths as far as Myanmar, India and France.
If you are lucky enough on your visit to Buon Don you will be able to talk to
the hero of the mountain Kru. Kru is man has made a record in the elephant
hunting circles by successful trapping of as many as 300 elephants. |
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Lac Lake (3)
Lac Lake, some located 56 kilometres sou'-southwest of Buon Ma Thuot, is in the
southern part of the province, close to National Highway 26. The great body of
water bordered by low mountains has been home to many kinds of wading birds
for a long time.
On the lakeside of Lac Lake is a magnificent palace owned by the last Nguyen
King, Bao Dai. Standing on the balcony of the second floor, visitors get a
panoramic view of the valley and the lake below. The remains the royal boat
which was boarded for short cruises by Bao Dai,
whenever he stayed in the palace. |
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D’raysap Waterfall (4)
The waterfall is 30 kilometres from Buon Ma Thuot. D’raysap is the name in the E
De language which means the Fall of Mist.
This name derives from observation that the raging flow of water is so powerful
that when it hits the water surface below, the water is aerated. The continuous
aeration of the water causes a vaporous cloud of mist to form over the
falls. The echo of the falling water is heard from a long distance throughout
the year. (Note: Not wishing to disparage the awe that Vietnamese regard
these waterfalls, they pale considerably against Niagara Falls or the Victoria
Falls.)
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Giu Yok
National Park
The park is a preserved area of 58,200 hectares of primitive tropical forest. It
is 40 kilometres from Buon Me Thuot.
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Buon Jun (Jun
Commune)
It is on the lakeside of Ho Lac. It is the typical commune of the M'Nong, one of
the several groups of ethnic minority on the central Highlands.
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Khai Doan
Pagoda
Khai Doan is a pagoda of the Viet people living in Dak Lak Province. It was
built between 1951 and 1953, in a large open area in the town of Ban Me Thuot.
The pagoda’s architecture is in tam character style, with a three-entrance gate
at the front. In the middle there is a central chamber, and at the back there is
a house for worshipping ancestors. The three-entrance gate consists of two
floors with three arched doors, 7-m high and 10.5-m wide. The sanctum of Quan Am
was constructed separately from the pagoda’s main structure, and has six sides
featuring cloud and dragon decorated pillars.
The central chamber is comprised of two sections; the front is built in the
long-house style of the Western Highlands, with the pillars and rafters of the
Viet. The back of the chamber was constructed in a modern style. |
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Museums |
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Ethnographic Museum
Thong Nhat Street, Buon Ma Thuot
Tel:
+84-(0)-50-850-426
Open Monday through Saturday from 07.00H to 11.00H and 13.30H to 17.00H.
(Đ10,000)
Revolution Museum
1 Thong Nhat Street, Buon Ma Thuot (Đ10,000) |
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Festivals |
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Le Lon Khon Festival, Spring Festival.
Cultural Centre, Thong Nhat Street, Buon Ma Thuot
Occasional minority dance performances
Stadium
Le Loi Street, Buon Ma Thuot
Elephant races during minority festivals. |
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Markets |
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Transport |
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Buon Ma Thuot is 1427 kilometres south of Ha
Noi, 194 kilometres east of Nha Trang, 197 kilometres south of Plei Ku, 223
kilometres southwest of Qui Nhon,
350 kilometres north of Ho Chi Minh City/SaiGon and 396 kilometres northwest of Da
Lat. It is serviced by air and road transportation.
Air
The Buon Ma Thuot Airport (BMV) is 10 kilometres outside the city. There are
scheduled flights to Ha Noi - transiting at Da Nang and Ho Chi Minh City/SaiGon.
Bus
Bus services depart the Buon Ma Thuot Bus Station - 3
kilometres
east of downtown linking with Da Nang,
via Plei Ku, and Ho Chi Minh City/SaiGon
(Mien Dong Bus Station). Several buses depart for Plei Ku and
Da Nang daily, as well as Qui Nhon (11 hours), Nha Trang (6 hours),
and Ho Chi Minh City (18 hours). Express buses cut these times considerably. |
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