Valley of Love, dalat travel, Vietnam

The Valley of Love is 5km north of Da Lat, Vietnam. Its former name is Valley of Peace. In 1972 with the creation of lake Da Thien, its name was changed.

The Valley of Love is in the temperate central highlands of Vietnam. The cool temperatures attract natives and tourists to the area. The temperature high in the summer is 25 C! 

The Valley of Love is the Vietnam honeymoon destination. Couples from all over the country travel here. It is the Niagara Falls of Vietnam. 

There are cowboys wearing guns and riding horses. The relationship between love and fierce western cowboys is unclear, but they are there. 

The man-made lake is beautiful. Sailboats and paddle boats ply the waters. People scoff at the swan-shaped paddle boats. Yet, I see a relationship between love and couples in paddle boats. 

The lake is surrounded by hilly slopes with pine trees. The shore is wide, offering a large area to stretch out and picnic.
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Hang a Da Lat, Vietnam poster in your home or office. Enjoy the verdant fields every day.

BUON MA THUOT - DAKLAK

I. Geography & Climate

Daklak is one of the five provinces in the Central Highlands, located at an average altitude of 500m. Dakalak covers an area of 13.093 square km, bordered with provinces: Gia Lai in the north, Phu Yen and Khanh Hoa in the east, Lam Dong in the south, Binh Phuoc and Cambodia in the west with 250km border with Cambodia.

Climate: average 23⁰C – 33⁰C with two distinct seasons: rainy season from May to November and dry season from December to April next year. Rainfall: 2,000mm/year.

II. Nature

In Daklak, there are 2 nationala parks including Chu Giang Sin and Yokdon. Yok Don National Park, is about 40 km from Buon Ma Thuot city to the west, with an area of 115.545ha, where conservation of natural resources of precious forest ecosystem. Especially, deciduous forest, with many species of rare animals and there are many natural lakes, rivers, waterfalls. This park has a diversity flora, many species of birds, rare animals, many varieties of unique orchids, many species of herbs.

Nam Ka natural conservation forest, a sample of mountainous humid tropical forests, is very special about the richness of habitats and diversity of terrain, populations of plants and animals. The abrupt change and alternating between sceneries: high mountain and dense forests, low hills and glade, valleys and fields, marshes and lakes ... it makes the sense of nature is very interesting.

In addition, a famous cluster of the landscape including Dray Sap, Dray Nur and Gia Long waterfall, is about 30km from Buon Ma Thuot city the South-West. all of these waterfalls are located on the Srepok river, the mixing of Krong Kno river (Husband river) and Krong Ana river (Wife river). With a high cliff, water fall down and makes so loud rushing, powerful sound impressing the visitors.

III. Ethnic minorities

Dak Lak province has a population of 1,7 million including 44 ethnic minority groups (the Viet-70%, the Ede-15%, the M’nong-5% and the others-10%)., each group has its own traditional culture. Especially, the traditional culture of Ede, M'Nong, Gia Rai ethnic group, etc ... with the Gongs festivals, buffalo-eating, elephant racing in the spring; architecture of house-on-stilts and other musical instruments known as the gongs, rocks, T'rung and many ancient songs... are valuable cultural tangible and intangible products. In which, the cultural space of The Central Highlands Gongs was certificated as a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO.  In Daklak, all unique cultural traditions of ethnic groups make the general culture diversified and rich.

IV. Travel activities

Come to Buon Ma Thuot - Daklak, visitors can have a good opportunity of riding an elephant around tribal villages, rowing a pirogue on Lak Lake or tasting some “ Can Wine” and then joining the dancers in “gong-dance” shows in the evening. You can make trekking trips in untouched forests of Nam Ka or Yokdon national park and stay with an ethnic family in a remote village. Visiting the famous place where wild elephants are caught and tamed that is Ban Don, and legendary stories about the King of elephant catchers are told by the old villagers who were members of the catching team as well. Come to Buon Ma Thuot - Daklak, you will enjoy and discover the mysterious features of nature and people of the region.

V. Accommodations

Almost hotels are standard and some of them are superior such as Dakruco hotel, Damsan hotel and Bach Ma hotel. You can spend the night in a long house on stilts in ethnic village or in some tourist sites. There is one resort named Lak lake resort, located by lak lake that is about 60km from Buon Ma Thuot.

VI. Getting there & Away

-          Land Routes: from Buon Ma Thuot to Nha Trang via National Route 26: 188km; to Dalat via National Route 27: 200km; to Pleiku via National Route 14C: 188km; and to Ho Chi Minh City via 14A: 350km.

-          Airline: you can come to Buon Ma Thuot from: Ho Chi Minh City (45 minutes), Ha Noi (90 minutes), Danang (45 minutes).

Dak Lak Province and its Elephants

Buon Ma Thuot is the capital city of the province of Dak Lak, a province of lakes and waterfalls, rich forests, and ethnic minorities. During French rule, Dak Lak was a region of plantations, and coffee is still the main export from Dak Lak today, but when the Vietnamese rebelled against their colonisers during the First Indochina War, the region's minority tribes led quite a few of the rebellions themselves. The tribes had the same response to the American forces who came in during the Vietnam War; fighting was heavy in the 1960s and 70s during the war, and the first North Vietnamese tank to enter Buon Ma Thuot remains in the centre of the city as a reminder of this era.

The most famous residents of Dak Lak Province, however, are its elephants. The people of the Central Highlands have been known as phenomenal elephant riders and trainers for centuries now, and most tourists who visit Dak Lak can't pass up the opportunity to go for a ride on the back of one of these elephants.

In 2009, the province began work on a 200 hectare elephant sanctuary to protect both wild and domestic elephants. Located in Yok Don National Park, the elephant sanctuary is designed to protect one of the region's most precious natural resources. Dak Lak only has less than 115 wild elephants remaining, and even the domesticated elephant population is starting to rapidly shrink due to improper care and breeding techniques.

Yok Don National Park

Yok Don is one of the largest national parks in Vietnam - however it must be said it is not one of the most exciting to visit. A large part of the area reserved as parkland - and the area you are most likely to see on a short visit - has been replanted recently, and so there is none of the impressive old-growth forest with old trunks and creepers intertwining, more a fairly regular plantation of trees.

While it is commendable that the government is making an effort to replant forest that has been lost, it is unlikely the casual visitor will get as much out of a trip to Yok Don as they might from Cuc Phuong or Cat Tien parks where on arrival the visitor is already in fairly deep jungle, and the wilderness lies not to far from where you sleep. That being said, the area outside the park, around Yok Don and Buon Ma Thuot - and in particular the waterfalls - is stunningingly beautiful and definitely worth exploring

Lak Lake, Buon ma thuot, Đaklak

A little more than fifty kilometres from Buon Ma Thuot is Lak Lake. Home to one of the palaces of the last emperor of Vietnam, Bao Dai, the valley and the 500 hectare lake is used as a resort getaway for wealthy Vietnamese. Today you can visit the palace of the emperor, and enjoy a panoramic view of the valley from his second floor balcony.

Tourists often enjoy traversing the lake in a dug-out canoe, travelling to different spots to see the lake's beautiful lotuses. Even though the lake is a very popular tourist destination, it's still wild, providing the local population with an abundance of fresh fish each year.

The Central Highlands region of Vietnam is filled with ethnic minorities and hill tribes that have inhabited the area for many centuries, and the area around Lak Lake is no different. On the south shores of the lake lies Jun Village, a traditional village of the M'nong people. With wood and rattan houses propped on stilts, and farm animals wandering through the street, Jun Village provides an educational glimpse into the daily lives of some of these rural hill people. For the adventurous visitor, you can rent a mattress for the night in one of the stilt longhouses for a mere £3.50.

Buon Ma Thuot and the surrounding area provide an intimate look at Vietnam that the tourists who stick to the big cities never get to see. If you're planning on exploring the Central Highlands, Buon Ma Thuot provides an excellent base of operations. From there, it's easy to trek out into various parts of Dak Lak Province, including Dray Sap falls, Lak Lake, and other popular spots.

Getting to and from Buon Ma Thuot

Buon Ma Thuot is a short but visually stunning 3hr drive from Nha Trang. The road from Dalat is also incredibly beautiful, though the road is extremely windy so it is not great for those who suffer from car sickness (read: most of your fellow passengers). From Buon Ma Thuot you may wish to continue on to Kon Tum or head back down to the coast at Nha Trang or Quy Nhon.

For exploring the region you are likely to need your own transport. Motorbikes can be hired in the town and there are numerous travel agents that can book tours, however you may wish to arrange these before you arrive.

Dray Sap Falls

Not far from Buon Ma Thuot are the Dray Sap falls, beautiful, broad waterfalls set in a horseshoe shape. Beyond the first set of falls are two more, all equally impressive. Although the falls aren't particularly high, they are very long. Swimming in the pools beneath the falls is not advisable, although some people enjoy trying anyway.

The area around the waterfalls include old growth forests, including banyan trees and willows, crisscrossed by vines and other plant foliage. A variety of birds and other wildlife can be spotted amongst these older trees. At the entrance of the falls is a kiosk area, which sells cold beverages and plenty of postcards.

Although it's not as famous, the close by Gia Long waterfall is also worth seeing while you're visiting the Dray Sap falls. During the dry season, Gia Long disappears to a mere trickle, but even then the steep rock formations around the falls are worth climbing and exploring for adventurous types.

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