Riding elephants in Don Village

VIETNAM | Thursday, 10 April 2014 | Views [911]

Riding elephants in Don Village, Tay Nguyen Plateau – a fantastic experience!

Tay Nguyen (or Central Highlands) is a pristine and charming plateau in the tropical country Viet Nam. It is considered as the homeland of Vietnamese ethnic minority groups such as the Ba Na, the E De, the M'Nong, the Xe Dang and the Gia Rai with unique features of cultures, beautiful landscapes and wonderful specialties. Don Village is one of the most famous and popular tourist attractions in this plateau. Located in Krona ward, Buon Don district, Dak Lak province, about 40 km far from Buon Ma Thuot City, Don Village is associated with giant elephants and spectacular scenery. Especially, riding elephants has become a typical feature of this land, attracting a large number of tourists every year.

Riding elephants
Don Village has a long tradition of hunting and taming elephants. The fact that giant elephants which weigh several tons are domesticated and has become obedient animals is a very normal thing here. The Tay Nguyen people consider elephants as sacred animals. They seek out elephants, nurture them and also hold their famous annual elephant racing festivals.
Visitors to Don Village have the chance to ride elephants through jungles and across rivers. As sitting on the back of the elephant, you can enjoy the tranquil and romantic scenery of mountains and forests. Especially, you will never forget the challenging and adventurous experience of passing Serepok river- the largest river in Dak Lak. A combination of anticipation and excitement will make your riding experience unforgettable.

Elephant King’s Tomb
Going to Don Village to ride elephants, don’t forget to visit the tomb of Khun Yu Nop – who is considered as the elephant king with the achievement of hunting and taming 400 elephants. His tomb was built in the unique structural style of M’nong and Lao people as a token of Bao Dai (the last king of Nguyen Dynasty in Vietnamese history)’s gratitude for the white elephant- a gift from Khun Yu Nop.

Elephant King’s stilt house: As going to elephant king’s stilt house in Tri A Village ( next to Don Village), vistors have the pleasure to listen to interesting tales and legends of Khun Yu Nop’s hunting and taming elephants life. This is considered as the most unique house of Viet Nam, made from precious and good kinds of wood as well as built and sculptured elaborately. There are a lot of items associated with hunting and taming life of Khun Yu Nop and his successors such as Ama Kong – Khun Yu Nop’s grandson. Ama Kong was also a famous elephant hunter with the achievement of hunting 298 elephants.

Ama Kong Wine
Among Don Village specialties, Ama Kong wine is the drink associated with elephants. Its name came from the legend of Don Village – Ama Kong – Khun Yu Nop’s grandson. A lot of kinds of forest leaf, stem and root is soaked in this wine, making its full-bodied flavor. It is considered especially good for men’s health and bought by many people as a distinctive specialty of Don village.