Located on an isolated island on the Serepok River, Don Hamlet is endowed by nature with a wild, yet diverse natural beauty. It is surrounded with forests and mountains, and crossed by the Serepok River – all creating favorable conditions for the establishment of a local unique culture.
A local guide took us to an ancient stilt house in Tri A Hamlet where we were told many interesting stories about the elephant “king hunters” from Don Hamlet.
 The Serepok River runs through Don Hamlet. Photo: Tat Son/VNP
The wild beauty on the bank of the Serepok River. Photo: Tat Son/VNP
The suspension bridge, about 1km long, over the Serepok River attracts many tourists to Don Hamlet. Photo: Trinh Van Bo/VNP
Domestic elephants serve tourists in Don Hamlet. Photo: Tat Son/VNP |
The stilt house is said to be over 130 years old and has two compartments built with good timber. The roof is also made with wood and skillfully carved by hand. Inside the house, there are many exhibits relating to elephant hunting and taming by hunters Khun Yu Nop and his grandchild Ama Kong.
Visiting Don Hamlet, any visitor can have an elephant ride. The elephants, each weighing about three tonnes, are standing high and ready to carry any passenger under instructions of the mahouts. They cross streams and walk through forests for passengers’ sight-seeing. When crossing the stream, the elephants often walk very slowly, which creates a thrilling experience for the passengers.
After an elephant ride, we walked on a suspension bridge over the Serepok River, which is built from the trunks of the 300-year-old Si (Ficus microcarpa) tree. The bridge is about 1km long with different portions made with bamboo and rattan and tightly attached together. Standing on the bridge, we could see vast leaf canopies covering a large area of over one hectare, many of them made by the trees’ small roots that created strange shadows. On peak days, the guide said, there are about 1,000 tourists crossing the bridge.
Don Hamlet is beautified by the silky Serepok River, which runs through the York Don forests and consists of two branches of the bigger Drong Na River. At sunset, the dug-out canoes rowed by the local people glide on the sparkling river surface, bringing wonderfully romantic moments to the tourists.
 Tourists ride elephants to cross the Serepok River. Photo: Tat Son/VNP
Visiting the area that displays the hunting and taming tools of Ama Kong in Don Hamlet. Photo: Tat Son/VNP
Riding elephants to discovere the forest of Dipterocarpaceae trees in Don Hamlet. Photo: Tat Son/VNP
Foreign tourists ride an elephant while visiting Don Hamlet. Photo: Trinh Van Bo/VNP
Tourists participate in a walking trip through the forest. Photo: Tat Son/VNP
The suspension bridge under old trees in Don Hamlet. Photo: Tat Son/VNP
Visiting the hamlet in March, tourists have a chance to attend the elephant race festival. Photo: Trinh Van Bo/VNP
Visitors participate in a festival of the ethnic people in the Central Highlands. Photo: Tat Son/VNP
A traditional folk game of the children in Don Hamlet. Photo: Tat Son/VNP |
At night, we enjoyed the locally-distilled wine by using straws to drink it from the big jar. Sitting near a fireplace and watching the local artists to dance amid the sounds of the gong, we had such a special feeling of truly being central highlanders while fully enjoying their unique culture.
Touring Don Hamlet, visitors will have special experiences in exploring the local land and people. Breaths of the wind, fragrance of the flowers, grass and trees, the wild natural environment, and above all the honesty and hospitality of the Central Highlanders, will impress any visitors for a long time after their trip to the locality.
By Tat Son & Trinh Van Bo
Đăng ký: VietNam News
