A friendly family of Bahnar ethnic descent welcomes tourists to stay at their home

Picturesque scenery, elephant rides, and treks through sublime forests; these are just a few of the many activities Vietnam’s Central Highlands has to offer.

Visitors to this area of Vietnam have the opportunity to indulge themselves in nature while learning about the daily lives of the local people. A home-stay is also a great option to discover what life is like in a remote village.

Groups who speak Malayo-Polynesian languages (Jarai and Ede) are concentrated heavily in the area as are many Mon-Khmer (Bahnar and K’hor) speaking people.

The climate and topography of the Highlands means that locals have evolved entirely different cultures to those of their northern counterparts.

Local residents live gentle, relaxed lifestyles and are remarkably welcoming and hospitable despite the dire poverty in the area. There is also a notable lack of beggars as seen elsewhere in Vietnam.

The three main Highland towns, Buon Ma Thuot, Pleiku and Kon Tum are bisected by a single road that runs the length of the plateau area. There are several interesting features along the road but the truly spectacular attractions lie outside in the natural scenery, wildlife and ethnic diversity.

Still unknown to most tourists, Kon Tum is a small town situated in the middle of several ethnic villages. The town was also the site of several major battles during the Vietnam War with the US. Even today, rusty weapons and shells abound.

While in Kon Tum, visitors can hire a guide and walk or hike around the surrounding area and see traditional hill-tribe villages. Many such villages are matriarchal with women performing much of the heavy work in the fields.

In close proximity to Kon Tum is Pleiku – a small town not to be missed. It is within walking distance of Kon Tum and the locals here are also very friendly. Along the road are traditional houses built on stilts as well as some waterfalls a little further out of town.

Pleiku is a town with a large ethnic minority population. It sits at the junction of roads leading to Kon Tum, Buon Ma Thuot and Qui Nhon. The town was almost totally destroyed during the Vietnam War as it was the home of an American base. A warning for visitors during monsoon season, however: Pleiku has the highest rainfall in the Central Highlands.

Also while in Pleiku, be sure to visit the Jarai and Bahnar tribes that live nearby. The Jarai build houses on stilts with an additional small hut at the front to store rice. The Bahnar also build their houses on stilts and add large balconies on which to work.

The groups have a community building called a nha rong where the elders meet for ceremonies and festivals. Inside the house are gongs, wine, drums and precious ceremonial artifacts. Shamans also use the large building, only to be entered by men, for performing spiritual rituals such as the “prayer for rain.”

The tribes’ tombs for the dead are also very interesting. By tradition, small thatch wooden huts are set over the tomb into which the possessions of the deceased are placed.

Around the tomb are four wooden pillars. On top are wooden carvings of men or monkeys that stand guard in order to protect the body of the deceased. The burial ceremony is very expensive and if a family cannot afford a funeral at the time of the relative’s death, the funeral party can be postponed by up to three years.

During the burial ceremony, the entire village population spends three days at the burial site and a water buffalo is ceremonially sacrificed and subsequently used to feed the village population. The head of the water buffalo is cut off and hung on the tomb, and the four hooves are cut off and placed on the four corners of the grave.

The Central Highlands is undoubtedly one of the most fascinating areas in the country thanks to its colorful diversity, friendly people and spectacular scenery. A trip to the Highlands is surely one not to be forgotten.

Reported by Thuy Linh