Vietnam Destination - Buon Ma Thuot City - Dak Lak in Vietnam

Geography

Dak Lak Province is in Central Highland in 400 – 800m high above sea. It has border with Gia Lai in the north and east-north, Lam Dong Province in the south, Cambodia and Dak Nong Province in the west, Phu Yen and Khanh Hoa provinces in the east.
Dak Lak has a large natural area. 35% the province’s area is 1,000 – 1,200m high mountain area while the Buon Ma Thuot Highland occupies 53.5%. The rich, flat red soil is a great advantage to develop long day - industrial trees like coffee, rubber, tea, and pepper..., to raise cattle and to grow forest. Alluvia soil is rice paddy and natural grass field. Dak Lak’s forest has abundant wood reserve and various rare animal species as elephant, lion, tiger, beer... There are many beautiful rivers, high waterfalls and lakes.
Climate: The Dak Lak’s climate is temperate with the annual average temperature is 24ºC. There is a difference of only 5ºC between the hottest month and the coldest one. The dry season lasts from November to April next year. It is quite cold, windy, and dry. The rainy season lasts from May to October with high rainy amount.

Tourism

There are beautiful and famous waterfalls such as: Thuy Tien, Trinh Nu, Krong Kmar, Bay Nhanh, among many big lakes such as Lak, Dak Mil…Coming to there, tourists are able to get in the primitive forests of the Chu Yang Sin, Yok Don National parks, visit Buon Don that is a well-known local of hunting and taming wild elephants, or make tour to Dak Lak’s historical vestiges like Bao Dai Palace, Yang Prong Tower, Buon Ma Thuot Prison, Dak Tua Cave…

Ethnic groups

There is not only imposing cultural heritage of native ethnic groups such as E De, M’Nong with remarkable epics such as Dam San, Dam Bri, Xinh Nha, genie lunar New Year pole, but also valuable tangible cultural heritage: dan da (stone musical instrument), gongs, T’rung, Klong Put... 
Dak Lak has 44 brother’s ethnic groups living together. Although the ethnic groups do not form separate inhabiting territories, they are concentrated in certain regions with individual identity and tradition, created unique folk culture of particular characteristics of Central Highlands.
Traditional culture of Dak Lak is very plentiful and really attractive, especially historians, culturists, phonetics. Besides, traditional professions such as sculpting statues in tombs, knitting brocade, and original cultural rituals such as celebrating harvest festival, elephant race, and gong festival.

Transportation

Road: Dak Lak is 183km from Nha Trang (by National Highway No. 26), 180km from Pleiku (by National Highway No. 14), 352km from Ho Chi Minh City (by National Highway No. 14), 200km from Dalat (by National Highway No. 27), and 1,390km from Hanoi.

Air: Buon Ma Thuot Airport is 10km from the city centre. There are daily flights from Danang and Ho Chi Minh City.
The Elephant Race Festival takes place in springtime, normally in the third lunar month. In preparation for the festive day, people take their elephants to places where they can eat their fill. Apart from grass their food also includes bananas, papayas, sugar canes, corns, sweet potatoes. The elephants are free from hard work to preserve their strength.

On the big day, elephants from different villages gather at Don Village. People from near and far in their best and colourful costumes flock to the festival. The racing ground is 500m long and wide enough for ten elephants to stand simultaneously.

After a salvo of tu va (horns made into musical instruments), the elephant handlers called nai take their elephants to the ground, standing in a row at the starting point. The leading elephant stands in front, whirling his trunk and nodding his head in greeting the spectators. Atop each elephant there are two handlers in traditional costumes for generals. The tu va signals the start of the race and the elephants rush forwards amidst the resounding cry of the spectators.
The first handler uses an iron stick called kreo in M'Nong language to speed the elephant. The second handler beats the elephant with a wooden hammer called koc to ensure its speed and to keep it in the right line. Upon seeing the first elephant dashing to the destination the spectators shout boisterously amidst the echoing sound of drums and gongs.

The winning elephant is given a laurel wreath. Like its owner, the elephant expresses its happiness and enjoy the sugar canes and bananas from the festivalgoers. After this race, the elephants participate in the competition of swimming across the Serepok River, of tug-of-wars, or throwing balls and playing football.

Coming to this Elephant Race Festival , tourists have a chance to indulge in the boisterous atmosphere of the festival, of the echo of gongs and the spectacular performances of the elephants from the Central Highlands forest.
When the race comes to an end, the competing elephants bring back the atmosphere of the festival to their villages. Upon returning to their village, they receive warm welcome from the villagers. Very often the elephants from Don Village win the prizes as the village has a tradition of training and tending elephants.

The elephant race constitutes a big festival in the Central Highlands. It reflects the martial spirit of the M'Nong people, an ethnic group famous for their bravery in wild elephant hunting. The magnificent landscape of the Central Highlands further stresses the grandiose characters of this traditional festival.