|
CENTRAL HIGHLANDS
Buon Ma Thuat, Ede Tribe,
Hill Tribe Museum, Lak Lake
 BUON MA THUAT
 The central highlands consist of
vast terraced plateaus which stretch over 700 kilometres and
well known for their mysteries. This area is featured by
fantastic insight into the caried landscape and ethnic villages
of this area from Draysap waterfalls with some smoke eater beams
in the tropical forest to magnificient wooden tombs at Dektu
serving as a bridge linking the living and the dead. The green
texture of jungle contrasts sharply with the red surface of
basaltic soil. At an altitude of approximately 500m to 1,000 m,
traveler lives in perfectly fresh air with full oxygen and the
fragrance flowers.
EDE
TRIBE
The Ede tribe (or Rhode) make the trip to
Buon ma Thuot worthwhile.
 The tribe is primarily matriarchal.
The women own the property and after marriage the man must move
in with the woman’s family whose house is extended to
accommodate them. The houses of the Ede tribes are long (up to
30 m) and thin (4 m). Each time there is a wedding in the
family, the houses is extended like carriages of a train. Each
section can be closed off and has its own door and kitchen. The
houses are also on stilts and under the house they store wood,
food and even livestock.The Ede tribe have a different ceremony
for their dead from the Bahnar at Pleiku. They bury the deceased
just below the surface of the ground so that the spirit can fly
to the heavens. Around the grave they keep wooden carvings of
elephant tusks and on four pillars built around the grave they
have four birds to protect the dead. The Ede tribe practice
animistic beliefs.
HILL
TRIBE MUSEUM
There is a very interesting Hill Tribe museum
at 1 Doc Lap street. It shows some of the local equipment the Ede tribe use to hunt elephants. The museum also gives valuable
information about the culture of the tribe.
LAK LAKE
 Lak Lake is situated 50 km south of Buon Ma
Thuot. To see the lake you must get a permit that costs USD 20
for a group of people. It is also possible to sleep in the Ede
houses there. In this village, you can take an elephant ride for
about three hours around the area.
|
