Hanoi (VNA) – Lak lake in Lien Son township of Lak district can be reached by travelling along National Road 27 for about 55 km from downtown Buon Ma Thuot, which is the capital of Dak Lak province in the Central Highlands.
It is the largest freshwater lake in the Central Highlands, and the second one in Vietnam following Ba Be lake in northern Bac Kan province. With a total area of about 6.2 sq.m, the lake is 500 m above sea level.
Lak lake is surrounded by mountains and hills, of note by the Chu Yang Sin in its upper region whose peak is 2,442 m above sea level. The mountain is home to pristine forests with a diversity of flora and fauna. Therefore, Lak lake is hardly ever dry up, even in dry season in the Central Highlands.
Taking a look from above, the water surface is vast and calm, and shows reflections of mountains and forests, creating a spectacular and picturesque landscape.
The lake is surrounded by expanding rice paddies mingled with villages of the M’nong ethnic group that have been there for generations, which uphold the original charm of the Central Highlands.
M’nong people conserve numerous traditional traits and take care of 17 elephants, dubbed a symbol of the region.
Located on a dreamy hill next to the lake is a private mansion of King Bao Dai, the final King of the Nguyen dynasty which is also the last feudal dynasty of Vietnam. The King often stopped by the mansion with his family when he travelled to Buon Ma Thuot for hunting or leisure.
It is a three-story mansion which was built under modern architectural style, as all rooms have wide windows looking out for all sides.
Lak lake can be seen from the mansion, as well as ancient villages of M’nong people laying between forests and rice paddies, adorning the beauty of the lake.
The lake has become a well-known tourist destination in Dak Lak in particular and the Central Highlands at large. A large number of domestic and foreign tourists travel to the lake each year to enjoy its charm and explore cultural characteristics of M’nong people.
This year, few visitors came to the site due to the impacts of COVID-19, but the landscape and people’s lives remain peaceful and simple, coupled with a tinge of mystery./.
