Dak Lak is home to many ethnic communities. The two you are most likely to meet on our tours are the Ede, who live around Buon Ma Thuot and Cu M’gar, and the M’nong, who live around Lak Lake and in the south of the province. Their languages, customs and crafts are very different from those of the Kinh, the majority people of Vietnam.
The Ede
The Ede are a matrilineal people. Family names and property pass through the mother’s line, and after marriage a husband traditionally moves into his wife’s family home. The Ede are known for their longhouses, wooden houses on stilts that can be dozens of metres long, extended as the family grows. You can still see longhouses in villages inside Buon Ma Thuot and in Cu M’gar.
The M’nong
The M’nong have lived around Lak Lake for centuries, fishing, farming rice and, in the past, catching and training wild elephants. Villages such as Buon Jun on the shore of the lake still keep traditional houses, and dugout canoes are still used on the water.
Crafts and Traditions
- Weaving: hand-woven cloth in black, red and white patterns
- Gongs: gong music is at the heart of festivals and ceremonies
- Rice wine: drunk from a shared jar through long bamboo straws on special occasions
- Festivals: many are held after the harvest, in the dry season
Visiting with Respect
- Ask before you take photos of people, especially older people and children.
- Take off your shoes before you enter a house, and wait to be invited in.
- Dress modestly, with shoulders and knees covered.
- Do not touch altars, gongs or ritual objects without asking.
- Buy crafts directly from the people who make them when you can.
Our guides know the villages we visit and introduce you to families who are happy to welcome guests. Join a homestay tour to spend a night in a village.
