The Central Highlands is like a majestic oil painting with towering mountains, vast forests and murmuring rivers. Coming to the Central Highlands, visitors not only immerse themselves in the wild nature but also have the opportunity to explore the unique cultures of ethnic minorities.
Mr. Cao Nhu Thuy (from Saigon)
Mr. Cao Nhu Thuy participates in charity activities
Where nature and people blend together
Mr. Cao Nhu Thuy still remembers clearly the pages of the textbook with the story of the baby elephant in Ban Don. Since then, the Central Highlands has always been a land full of dreams in his heart. Later, when he had the opportunity to set foot here, he could truly feel all the wild beauty and warmth of the people here.
Ede old man plays gong
Taking a photo with the family of the old man playing the gong of the Ede people in Dak Lak
To him, the Central Highlands is like a miniature Vietnam, a place where almost all 54 ethnic groups converge, each with its own unique culture, from costumes, festivals to oral stories. The image of stilt houses hidden in the green forest, the bustling gong dance and the fragrant specialties are unforgettable to him.
Mr. Cao Nhu Thuy said that the Central Highlands is one of the most difficult areas in Vietnam, with terrain that is mainly mountainous and forests and very difficult travel conditions. Therefore, charity groups from Saigon often give priority to supporting this place. This has given him the opportunity to connect with this land through volunteer trips. These trips have helped him form special feelings for the people, especially the children here. The children's eyes always make him feel emotional.
Lonely Tree in Dak Lak
Gong performance at Lonely Tree, Dak Lak
Before this photo trip, he had participated in at least four volunteer trips with three different organizations in Saigon. When his photography group planned a trip to the Central Highlands, he immediately supported it. He still remembered the previous volunteer trips, when he had to travel by tractor to reach remote villages.
Riding a tractor to do charity in Dak Nong
Breath of the wild, mysterious beauty
To make the trip to the Central Highlands truly meaningful, the group spent time researching the unique culture of this land through the internet and social networks. Luckily, they connected with a local photographer. With his experience and deep understanding of the Central Highlands culture, he helped the group plan in detail, introduce the best photo locations and help them contact the sightseeing spots in advance.
Swallow Cave Waterfall K50
K50 Waterfall
During this exploration trip, his group chose many interesting destinations. They visited the house of an old man playing gongs of the Ede people, learned about elephants and the lives of people in Lak Lake, and watched a gong performance at the Lonely Tree in Dak Lak. Next, they participated in gong playing and xoang dance at the Rong house in Kon Tum and learned about the Ca Rang - Cang Tai culture from the elders, the drop bathing culture, as well as took photos of everyday life such as pounding rice and carving here. In Pleiku, his group learned about the Ma Bun custom in the Po Thi festival of the Gia Rai people, took photos at the hundred-year-old pine trees and trekked to K50 Waterfall, also in Gia Lai.
“I was delighted with the cool, pleasant weather and a bit surprised to see these huge elephants wandering the streets without any control from any agency or government, just like pets,” Cao Nhu Thuy humorously said.
"Mud Ghost" custom in "Po Thi" festival of Gia Rai people
The image of giant elephants standing tall by Lak Lake is forever engraved in Cao Nhu Thuy's mind. Their big round eyes, rough skin and long trunks make him unable to take his eyes off them. When standing next to them, he feels the strength and majesty of this animal. In particular, the story of sawing off the tusks to protect the elephants made him extremely emotional.
“I had the chance to stand close and take pictures with them. I felt both excited and scared, because standing next to an elephant that weighed about 5 tons, I felt so small. Although the elephant was very cute and adorable, its huge size also made me feel a little nervous,” he confided.
Elephant in the Central Highlands
Take a picture with the elephant
According to Mr. Cao Nhu Thuy, the most memorable memory of the trip was probably the trekking journey to K50 waterfall at 3am. The whole group had to wake up very early, carrying heavy backpacks with all kinds of equipment such as cameras, flycams, tripods... They followed a small, narrow path, crossed slippery rocks to reach the waterfall before sunrise. The feeling of nervousness, anxiety mixed with excitement was hard to describe. Luckily, they had beautiful photos and videos here. Although there was a slight mistake when the flycam suddenly "bathed" in the cool water, everyone was very happy and excited.
“The Central Highlands is a very interesting land with many unique traditional cultures that you cannot find anywhere else in Vietnam. Here, you can see and touch giant elephants, check-in with large communal houses, participate in xoang dance and enjoy gong dance. You also have the opportunity to taste can wine, enjoy local specialties, drink coffee right in the coffee capital Buon Ma Thuot and eat dry pho Gia Lai. Especially, you will enjoy the cool air no different from Da Lat”, he said.
Pounding rice in Kon Tum
Bathing in Kon Tum
