Paddling around Central Highlands’ largest lake
Sitting in a hollowed tree trunk has never been this cool.
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| Lak Lake 60 km south of Buon Ma Thuot city is the largest natural freshwater lake in Dak Lak Province with an area of about 500 ha. It is the second largest in Vietnam, after Ba Be Lake, a UNESCO recognized site in northern Bac Kan Province. A trip on a pitpan boat allows visitors to discover local life. |
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| Kayaking in boats made from hollowed tree trunks is an ideal way to get a close look at the diverse flora of the lake. |
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| In the distinctive wooden boats, the M'nong boatmen and women tell visitors about the legend of Lăk Lake as they paddle the boats. Once upon a time, after a battle between the fire god and the water god, a young M'nong boy named Y Lăk caught a small eel and took him home. Strangely, the eel grew bigger and bigger at bewildering speed. Before Y Lăk knew it, the pond where the eel was housed transformed into an immense lake. The M'nong people thus named it after him. |
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| Some visitors find it amusing that the villagers let their elephants graze freely along the lake shore. |
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| Despite warnings about declining populations, the elephants here are still used to serve tourists. |
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| Elephants are not the only thing you can ride here. Bicycles are available for rent and the village has interesting landscapes worth exploring. Cottages, stilt houses and the community culture are just some of the features of Jun and M'ieong villages of the M’Nong people. |
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| To have a panoramic view of the lake, visitors should go to Bao Dai Palace, the resort on the hilltop behind the town of Lien Son. This is where King Bao Dai often came for sightseeing and hunting. Bao Dai is the final Emperor of the Nguyen dynasty, the last ruling family of Vietnam. |
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| Yang Tao Commune, which is less than 10 km from Lăk Lake, is the only place in the Central Highlands where the ancient pottery making of the M'nong Rlăm people is still practiced. Visitors coming here are left in awe after seeing locals make ceramics from clay. A variety of ceramic products are sold as souvenirs at reasonable prices. |
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| The area around the lake has untouched nature that guarantees a charming setting for trekkers. |
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| September is harvest month. Walking along the road from Buon Ma Thuot city to Lăk Lake gives you a view of golden rice fields, people harvesting the fields and spectacular nature. |
