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Lak Lake – a beautiful lake of Central Highland in Vietnam

In Dak Lak, people often refer to the myth of Lak Lake – one of the largest natural freshwater lake of Vietnam, connected to Krong Ana river, about 500 ha, located at an altitude of over 500 meters above sea level. It is a unique eco-tourism attraction which is attractive with foreigner and domestic tourists by a dreamlike and natural beauty of the surrounding mountains and forests.

Lak lake name evokes curiosity and charm that visitors looking to explore this wild beauty. In addition to natural beauty and fresh air, adventure elephant riding and taking one piece timber boat on Lak Lake making this place become an indispensable destination for tours to Highlands and Dak Lak.

Riding elephant pass Lak lake
Riding elephant pass Lak lake

Location

Lake Lak is located in Lien Son town, Lak District, Dak Lak province; on the route between Buon Ma Thuot city and Da Lat city; it is about 56km from Buon Ma Thuot City in the south of the National Highway 27.

Morning at Lak lake
Morning at Lak lake

Passing Lac Thien about 10km, you can see Lien Son town, turn right a few hundred meters, you will see the summer palace of former Bao Dai King. This is a place where the king used to come for hunting and resting in every opportunity to Buon Ma Thuot city. The house is situated on a high hill overlooking the waters of Lak Lake.

Characteristics of Lak Lake

Lak Lake is a beautiful landscape of the Highlands. Lak Lake is both a source of fishes and a gigantic freshwater reservoir supplying water to hundreds of hectares of rice fields, and also makes the climate here cooler.

Sunset - Lak lake
Sunset – Lak lake

This is a natural lake with the greatest depth which is more than T’nưng Lake (Gia Lai province). Indigenous Peoples here also tell a legend saying this is a bottomless lake or Lak Lake is through to T’nưng Lake. Lak Lake is 5 km wide, adopted with Krong Ana River. The surface of water is always deep and blue; the lake is surrounded by high mountains making the lake’s waters are calm; and having the vast primeval forests with abundant flora and fauna. According to legend, Lak Lake was created by hero Lak Lieng – M’Nong people.

History and culture

On the side of Lak Lak, there are Jun village, Mo Lieng village (the oldest and still unspoiled village) and Le village, the typical villages of M’Nong people, these villages are organized into an important tourist destination in Dak Lak as villages of conserving and introducing indigenous culture of Highlands. Here, people still live in a lot of the traditional long houses with thatched grass roofs, bamboo walls and a herd of more than 20 elephants.

Elephants and Lake lake in the afternoon
Elephants and Lake lake in the afternoon

Tourists come here not just visit Lak Lake but also enjoy the culture of Highland as: fire dances, dancing of the season, playing gongs, To Rung musical instrument, K’long Put, lithophone, elephant riding or taking one piece timber boat on the lake. In addition to the activities on Lak Lake, tourists can visit Buon Beep waterfall, unspoiled rocky stream next to coffee plantation and poetic rice paddies. In order to learn more, you can contact Duc Mai tour, Van Long Elephant, Van Phat Tourist to ask local guides help you sightseeing.

An elephant in Lak lake
An elephant in Lak lake

This place offers specialty are fried fish powder of Lak Lake, fishes in Lak Lake provides the powder very limber with special aroma. With the abundance of raw material, M’nông people cook a lot of special dishes such as: bitter egg plant and anchovy salad, Lam rice (rice are cooked in bamboo tree), Tro soup, Reu Da soup…

Besides Lake lake
Besides Lake lake

On a hill next to the lake, there is also a resort with large scale of Dak Lak Tourism Company investing.

Legend of Lak Lake

According to the legend of the Mo Nong, in the past, the fire god won the water god after a fight lasting many farming seasons, making villages of the Mo Nong getting in drought. Meanwhile, there was a guy born between the loves of the Mo Nong girl with the fire god. To redeem himself of his parents, the boy went to looking for water sources to save the villagers.

Lake lake at noon
Lake lake at noon

After many days and nights crossed rugged mountains full of wild beasts, once rested he spotted a small eel was trapped in rock slot waiting for the withered death. He saved the eel. In return, the eel has led him to a vast lake and Mo Nong people have settled here. The lake and the land is Lak Lake area today.

Amazing Lak lake
Amazing Lak lake

The environmental cultural history forest of Lak Lake

Space of Lak lake, king summer palace and surrounding forests have been identified as The environmental cultural history Forest Lak lake (a SUF) since 1995 with a total area of 12 299 ha. With programs for environmental protection, developing tourism to protect forest ecosystems of Highland alpine, shrubs and grasslands, conserving species of plant and wildlife, especially the endemic species and rare, scientific researching, environmental education, ecotourism development … contribute to the development of economic and social local, watershed protection to hedge for the Lak lake and Krong Ana river. Here, it has been discovered in the forests 548 species of plants, 132 species of birds, 61 species of mammals, 43 species of amphibian – reptilian, 43 species of fish, shrimp, crabs and snails.

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About the author

Hi, I'm Ho Lam! That's me, the boy who wants more experience each day. I'm slowly but surely working my way, travelling and sharing is my taste. The articles of this blog are not only from me, but also from my friends and the travellers mailed to me.

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