Dak Lak Province

Đắk Lắk Province Vietnam, the name is also spelled Đắc Lắc, which is more in keeping with Vietnamese spelling, and occasionally Darlac, but the official spelling is Đắk Lắk. It is located in Vietnam's Central Highlands, and is home to a high number of indigenous people who are not ethnically Vietnamese (Việt).

Demographics

The population recorded in the 2009 census was 1, 733, 624 inhabitants. The capital city Buôn Ma Thuột had a recorded population of 175, 742 inhabitants. Covering an area of 13, 125.5 km² (5, 067.7 sq mi)

Administrative divisions

Đắk Lắk is subdivided into 15 district-level sub-divisions:

• 13 districts:
  • Buôn Đôn
  • Cư Kuin
  • Cư M'gar
  • Ea H'leo
  • Ea Kar
  • Ea Súp
  • Krông Ana
  • Krông Bông
  • Krông Buk
  • Krông Năng
  • Krông Pắk
  • Lắk
  • M'Đrăk

• 1 district-level town:
  • Buôn Hồ
• 1 provincial city:
  • Buôn Ma Thuột (capital)

They are further subdivided into 12 commune-level towns (or townlets), 152 communes, and 20 wards.

Economy

Coffee, fruit, and rubber play an important part in its economy. Recently, there have been efforts to harness the province's considerable potential for hydroelectric generation. The Jun people take advantage of the small tourist trade that passes through; giving elephant rides through the village and across the lake.

History

The area now known as Đắk Lắk was originally controlled by the Kingdom of Champa. When Champa was conquered and annexed by Vietnam in the 15th century, Đắk Lắk was brought under loose Vietnamese rule. Later, in 1540, a noble named Bùi Tá Hán was appointed by the Vietnamese authorities to direct the settlement of the area by ethnic Vietnamese, bringing the highlands under more effective Vietnamese control. Military outposts were established in the area to guard against possible aggression from the west. Later, when Vietnam was occupied by the French, the French established a large number of plantations in the area.

Resistance to French rule was strong in Đắk Lắk, with various minority tribes leading a number of significant rebellions. The most notable was a 23-year campaign led by N’Trang Lơng, a M’Nông tribal leader. Later, Đắk Lắk was part of South Vietnam, and saw considerable action in the Vietnam War.

Until recently, Đắk Nông was a part of Đắk Lắk, but is now a separate province.

Geography

Đắk Lắk is based around the Đắk Lắk Plateau, around six hundred metres above sea level.

About 60 km south of Buôn Ma Thuột the capital of the province is Lăk Lake. Overlooking the lake is the old summer residence of Emperor Bảo Đại which has been renovated into a hotel. Surrounding the lake is Jun Village, home of the Jun people. The villagers have a peculiar form of fishing where they attach metal rods to a car battery and run the rods through the water zapping and stunning the fish and then collecting them to keep in a tank at the village until they are needed.

Tourism

Despite its quiet appearance, this area and Buôn Ma Thuột City is very quickly developing. However, most of this development is from internal investment rather than the tourism industry. There are very few tourist sites, but the people are friendly, the coffee is great, and a stop here is well worth it to get off the beaten track and see Vietnamese city life that does not revolve around tourism. It is also an excellent base of operations to visit Yok Don National Park, Ban Don Village, and Lak Lake.

See

Dray Sap Waterfall is perhaps the most impressive waterfall in Central Highland Vietnam (in Ede ethnic language, “Dray” means “waterfall” and “Sap” means “smoke”). The falls get the name as its water falls from 10m height, creating an amazing veil of mist like a mirror of smoke.  All year round, the area’s atmosphere is stirred by roaring sound of Dray Sap, which can be heard from afar.

Dray Sap is actually a system of three waterfalls; the others are Dray Nur and Gia Long. Dray Sap is situated in Dak Min - Krong No District, 30km from Buon Ma Thuot city. Dray Nur can be found just 100m from Dray Sap. The Gia Long Falls is in the upper area, around 3km from the main one.

Gia Long waterfall is about 6.2km from Dray Sap waterfall and about 13km from National road no 14. It is in the middle of jungle, rivers and mountains. The water in the waterfall runs very fast and the water curling flows from the height of about 50m with the 100m width of Serepok, which overflows the waterfall area to make it look like the boiling oil pan flowing to the lower section.

King Gia Long (1762-1820 – the king established Nguyen dynasty and came to this land and ordered the construction of the road to the waterfall. He also had a stone embankment to prevent the water eroding the land. The relic shows that the concrete embankments are still firm and do the job.

Dray Nur waterfall in Kuop Village is about 25km south of Buon Ma Thuot City. The waterfall, which is 250m long and 30m high, is the most beautiful and largest of the three waterfalls on the Serepok River. From afar, Dray Nur offers a spectacular panorama.

Dray Nur is renowned for its purity and for its incredible legends. For adventure lovers, visiting the waterfall is an impressive experience. Quang Quy is a tour guide: “Dray Nur consists of three levels creating three lakes. You can swim in the first lake because the water is shallow. In the second lake, you must be careful because the rocks are very sharp. In the third lake, the water is quite deep, between 8 and 10m. From this lake, walking along the rock bank, you can enter a cave. Also from here, there is a panoramic view of the waterfall”.

The cave extends more than 3,000 square meters. Stalactites and stalagmites in the cave create an extraordinary scene that delights visitors. It is also possible to hike forest trails and contemplate centuries-old trees whose roots embrace the rock or admire bats flying at sunset.

In the villages near the waterfall, you can observe the daily activities of E De ethnic minority people - rice grinding, brocade weaving or and making hunting tools. You can also taste the local rice wine and local food specialties and hear numerous legends about the Central Highlands and the Dray Nur Waterfall.

Lak Lake: the mother lake of the Central Highlands. Around 1h to go there on bus 12 (bus stop is close to the church, on Nguyen Tat Thanh Street).

A hundred and fifty kilometres north of Da Lat and 40km south of Buon Ma Thuot, Highway 27 passes serene Lak Lake, a charming spot that has become very popular with tourists. Five thousand people, mostly from the Mnong community, once lived on the lake itself, but have since moved into distinctive longhouses in shore side villages. There are a number of activities available here, including musical gong performances and elephant rides; note that the latter can no longer be recommended, since you’ll be sitting atop a metal cage that’s doubtless extremely painful for the poor pachyderm. Still, the lake itself is a glorious place, as once attested by Emperor Bao Dai himself who owned a palace here; now a small hotel.

The largest natural body of water in the central highlands, Lak Lake (Ho Lak) is surrounded by bucolic rural scenery. There are several minority villages scattered around the lake, two of which often receive visitors. You can get paddled out into the blue, reed-covered expanse for around US$15 an hour.

DakLak Tourist has a small office by the lake and can organize trekking guides (US$20 per day). They also offer elephant rides.

The second village of M’lieng is on the southwestern shore and can be reached by elephant, boat or new dirt road; enquire at Dak Lak Tourist.

Ethnographic museum: nice place to learn about BMT and around (history, population, biodiversity). 20 000 VND/pax (50% discount for aged or disabled people)

A minority community on the northern end of BMT. It's reachable on foot, but ask how to get there first. It's a nice part of town with longhouses surrounded by flowery yards, although now being part of town it can't really be called a village any more. Maybe 'longhouse suburbia' is more appropriate.

Do

Jun Village: elephant rides through the village and across the lake.

Yok Don National Park (YDNP) is located in the Central Highlands of Vietnam and occupies 3 districts:
    - Krong Na commune-district  Buon Don ,
    - Ea Soup  (province  of Dak Lak )
    - Ea Po District  Cu Jut  (province  of Dak Nong ).

YDNP is bound to the West by the Vietnam-Cambodia border, East to the junction of Provincial Highway 1A from Chu M'Lanh to Ban Don, Srepok River upstream to the adjacent Cu Jut district boundaries; North by the provincial road from junction 1A through border posts Chu M'Lanh 2 to the border of Vietnam and Cambodia and to the south by Cu Jut district and crosses at Km 22 +500 6B, 6B way to Dak Dam stream bordering Vietnam-Cambodia border

Yok Don National Park has many options for sleeping:

Those who enjoy comfort can stay in one of the guest houses in the buffer zone headquarters. All rooms have private ensuite and start from 300,000VND per room per night. If you prefer to sleep in nature you can choose to stay at one of the forest protection ranger stations, camp in tents or sleep right in the forest in one of our army grade hammocks. Prices for forest sleeping options are included within tour prices.

Canteen with full menu is available in the headquarters. Opening hours are 0700h – 1930h.

Guests are welcome to bring their own meals on tours. Food can be purchased early morning from the local market.

Tours

• Walk through mixed evergreen forest
• Learn fascinating uses of some of Yok Dons  medicine plants
• Visit Seven-Branch rapids
• Swim or fish at Daktol stream, Buddha’s waterfall and Dakkel stream near Yok Don Mountain
• Enjoy a swim or fishing at Buddha Cascade,
• Lunch with Kim Lam (Rangers) at Forest Protection Guard Post No.03.
• Cross the river by boat to Tri village to explore the famous suspension bridge which was built to mimic traditional ethnic bridge building design.
• Ride a wooden boat back to headquarters where you can view riverside activities of the Ede and Lao people of Zang Lanh village. 
• 3.5km hike to Seven -Branch cascades, the only area where the Srepock breaks into 7 branches
• Walk to Daklau stream, to enjoy a swim and indentify bird songs
• Walk through semi-deciduous Dipterocarp forest
• Night time spotlighting walk
• Sleep in Forest guard post No.05 or camp nearby

Visit Ban Don village, ride elephants. From center of Buon Ma Thuot, you can catch a bus every 30 minutes to go to Buon Don (Ban Don). Note that you should wait for the bus at Coop Mart in order to have a seat. Otherwise, the bus is normally full.

Buy

Coffee! You can find coffee everywhere, but there is a coffee museum in a shop, cafe run by coffee company "Trung Nguyen". Nice quiet place in town, but high prices to drink a coffee there (start to 45,000 VND for an espresso). Products in main shop are affordable.

Eat

Despite what the guidebooks say, Buon Ma Thuot has a very solid selection of good eats. Fast development and not much tourist infrastructure mean that the guidebooks are behind the times and sorely misleading. A wander just northwest of the main roundabout after around 6pm will turn up a truly great selection of street stalls and small restaurants, offering up very tasty standards such as hủ tiếu, phở, bún, cơm, and nem. Check Ly Thuong Kiet nearby for a selection of roll-your-own spring rolls.

A very tasty cơm hến, the Hue specialty, is available at a simple-looking place across the street from the Co-op Mart that also advertises Bún bò Huế. Walk past the shabby looking front room into a spectacular little back home, complete with garden, birds, and an internal waterfall.

Lang Chai Quan - great seafood restaurant on Ba Trieu street. Tasty, good value food, great atmosphere busy with locals drinking and enjoying themselves

Of course, KFC is available in the Co-op Mart building, if you really need it.

Vegetarian food:

• Vegetarian street restaurant, 98 Le Quy Don Street (If you stay at Thanh Ngoc it is around 15 minutes on foot). 20-30 VND.   Depending on the daytime, choose between around 20 different dishes, you get a soup, too.

Drink

Coffee, coffee, coffee. Buon Ma Thuot is the capital of coffee in Vietnam, a country that is second only to Brazil in coffee exports. Because of this, cafes are on every street corner, and most are spectacular. Many offer several different varieties of bean and roast. Standouts include Emerald's Cafe in Tan Loi and, just east of town, Trung Nguyen's flagship coffee gardens (a huge pleasure garden complete with man-made mountains and waterfall, lined with coffee trees and boasting both traditional Viet and Ede designed buildings). However, it's very difficult to find a bad cup of coffee.

• Drink the local brew "ruou can".
• Homemade coffee to go, 21 nguyen cong tru st. (Near the market), open from 8 am - 9pm. Serving coffee, hot chocolate, Italian soda and ice-blended green teas, yoghurts and flavoured mixes. The atmosphere is very relaxed with a simple and elegant layout accompanied by worldly popular music. Food is also available, drinks are 12.000 to 24.000 VND.

Get in

By road

Buon Ma Thuot is 194km from Nha Trang, 197km from Pleiku (note: the road from Buon Ma Thuot to Pleiku has just finished being improved and is now very good), 223km from Qui Nhon, 350km from Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon), 196km from Dalat and 1427km from Hanoi.

By air

There are connections with Danang and Hanoi (via Danang) three times a week, daily flights to Ho Chi Minh City. Vietnam airline and Vietjet has recently opened a direct flight from Hanoi to Buon Ma Thuot. Buon Ma Thuot Airport is 10km from the city.

By bus

There is a bus service to Buon Ma Thuot from Danang and Ho Chi Minh City (departs from Mien Dong Bus Station in Ho Chi Minh City). Buon Ma Thuot Bus Station is 3km east of the center. Several buses travel daily to Pleiku and Danang (buses will stop in Pleiku), Qui Nhon (11 hours), Nha Trang (6 hours), and Ho Chi Minh City (18 hours).

Mai Linh Express now operate their hunter green Mercedes Sprinters out of Buon Ma Thuot, which cut down travel times considerably, even with short breaks at mealtimes. For example, the journey to Nha Trang is 90,000vnd four times daily and takes approximately 3.5 hours.

From Kon Tum, 3 daily buses (6h, 7h, and 13h) and 1 evening bus (17h, terminus Ho Chi Minh City). Daily buses = 100,000 vnd + 50,000 vnd for 1 big bag. Takes approximately 4 hours. Evening bus = 200,000 vnd (+50,000 / bag?) Rạng Đông, Miền Đông Coach Station. 150,000 VNĐ.

Source https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C4%90%E1%BA%AFk_L%E1%BA%AFk_Province