Visitors to the Central Highlands province of Dak Lak should make a side stop to Buon Don (Don Village), famous for its natural beauty and legends of wild elephants.

Located in Krong Na Commune, around 50 kilometers northwest from Buon Ma Thuot Town, Buon Don rests on the banks of the Serepok River with its mass of jutting stones rising out of the water.

The passage from Buon Ma Thuot Town to the destination offers tourists a gorgeous view of orchards, gardens and corn fields against the mountains of the highlands.

The village is home to several ethnic minorities, including the E De, M'nong, Gia Rai and Thai, among others, who are well-known for their skills in hunting and taming wild elephants.

The elephant is the symbol of the village.

Visitors can enjoy riding or playing with elephants while idling the afternoon away, as villagers passionately recount tall tales about the giant animals.

Annually, locals host spectacular contests featuring elephants crossing the river, carrying wood or racing.

Buon Don is a wonderful place for those seeking fresh air and a tranquil escape.

Surrounded by green trees in the fresh breeze from the Serepok River, the village is adjacent to the 100,000-hectare Yok Don National Garden which houses diverse flora and fauna.

Locals dish up a variety of culinary specialties, including com lam (soft and aromatic rice cooked in bamboo cylinders) and ruou can (local wine fermented with herbs drank from of a large communal jar through pipes).

Eating com lam with grilled chicken while sipping on ruou can is a longstanding cultural tradition at the village that needs to be experienced firsthand.

Fishing is another activity that visitors can partake in, spending a leisurely afternoon adrift in a wooden boat meandering along the Serepok River.

Prior to leaving the village, tourists should remember to purchase some traditional medicine made from special herbs unique to the Central Highlands.

Reported by Diem Thu

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