Waterfalls, forests, rivers and mountains are the pride of locals in the Central Highlands region. For people in Daklak, along with Buon Don Tourist Village, Trung Nguyen Coffee, Draysap and Trinh Nu waterfalls, Lak Lake is the pride of the province.
After a long night on a sleeper bus from HCMC, we reached Buon Ma Thuot City and were woken up with a hot cup of coffee, warming our hands in the chill of the highlands.
Located about 50 kilometers south of Buon Ma Thuot City and along National Highway 27, the 550-hectare Lak Lake is the largest body of fresh water in Lien Son Township. One surprise is that the path to the lake is not surrounded by coffee plantations or pepper farms but is actually lined by immense rice fields. We were informed that Lak District is the main rice granary for the province as the soil there is mixed with sand and also has the advantage of a fresh water source from the lake.
We hired a room in nha dai (long house) - a traditional house of the local ethnic community on the site. Admission was a mere VND60,000 per person, which was inclusive of breakfast.
The best moment to admire the stunning landscapes on the lake is at dawn and sunset. That is also the moment which attracted many photographers.
We hired bicycles to tramp around the area. Reaching Jun, a village about two kilometers away, we changed our transport to move onto some elephants. With a price of VND250,000 for 30 minutes per couple, we had so much fun and a really unforgettable experience.
Another thing that cannot be missed at Lak Lake is cruising along the lake to admire the peaceful surroundings and take in the calm of daily life. Some birds hovering in the sky, some fishermen sailing their wooden boats slowly and in the distance, a motorboat taking students from school, all create lively picture-perfect moments in our eyes.