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Don village, a mysterious legend

Don Village has the long-standing fame for elephant hunters and trainers. All Vietnamese children remember their heart a song about the elephants at this village.

Don Village is located northwest of Buon Ma Thuot in Krong Na Commune, Buon Don District, Dak Lak Province close to the Cambodian border, approximately 42km from Buon Ma Thuot. It is built on the Island inside Serepok Rive, home of many ethnic minority groups like: Ede, M’nong, G’rai, Lao, Thai, etc. 

There is Yok Don National Park here - one of the most famous National Park in Vietnam.

 It has been famous for its Kru  -powerful elephant tribe leaders, for a long time, and is well known in India and France for its elephant. Y Pui, a 102-year-old man (1883-1985) who tamed over 450 elephants, spent part of his life as King Bao Dai’s Mahout. Elephant training and hunting has been passed down through generations. It takes 67 months to domesticate a wild elephant.

Elephant riding is a experience that toursits in Vietnam travel will never forget. Include fording across the Serepok River, which is pretty cool. The elephants can hold two to three people, depending on their girth (the passengers, not the elephants). 

It's a pleasant enough spot - there's  The raditional long house full of souvenirs to buy, and the tribespeople that work there spend the day putting on musical shows using traditional instruments for group after group of tourists.

There are an annual traditional festival of the Don Village, which will also show visitors performances of gongs, UNESCO’s oral and intangible heritage of humanity.

This is an opportunity for Vietnamese and foreign tourists to come and learn about the Don Village and York Don National Park of the Central Highlands province of Dak Lak. Don Village becomes the “can-not-be-missed” destination in Vietnam travel.

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