Cu Lan Village

Cu Lan Village, a tourism area, about 20km away from Da Lat in Lat Commune, Lac Duong District in Central Highlands Lam Dong Province, is located in a valley of 30ha amid the vast greenness of pine trees. The local cool air plus its beautiful scenery has attracted many visitors from near and far.

Cu Lan Village is named after the sloth, a species of animal which used to live in the area. With devotion and due to investment from the tourist area’s manger, the site has become an interesting tourist destination for sight-seeing and discovery of nature.

Visitors can ride a horse along the valley’s path, or experience thrilling moments by taking some off-road vehicles to cross over streams and through forests. We preferred to walk so as to enjoy fully the local wild, natural beauty.

Standing on top of green stone steps paved on the path that winds its way up the hill side, we looked down and saw a small, peaceful commune of the ethnic K’ho people with a stream nearby amid a forest of blooming flowers. Located in a flat area, covered with green grass, it is seen as the “heart” of Cu Lan Village. Rows of stilt houses stand next to each other where the local ethnic people are living.

A local villager told us that the commune has been a residence of the K’ho people for centuries. It is now divided into small parts, each providing some kind of service to the tourists.

We came to Duoc (torch) hamlet with spacious wooden stilt houses facing a large lake, which is so tranquil and clear that it fully mirrors our reflection. There is a little “monkey” bridge across the lake, and some wooden floating rafts with which visitors can ride on while watching schools of fish in the lake. On festive days, the lake is a scene for exciting boat races. At night, torches are lit, making the entire hamlet so fanciful amid the magnificent mountains and hills.

Meanwhile, in the K’ho hamlet, with rows of the Central Highlanders’ typical stilt houses surrounded with flower gardens, visitors can learn more about the life of the local residents. In a small market, there are handicraft articles and cute souvenir items for sale. Along the hamlet lanes, varieties of flowers are growing, making the environment wholesome and beautiful. In addition, many traditional foods with local tastes are available in Cu Lan restaurant.

The hamlet’s centre is a vast green pasture where public events, entertainment or picnics can be held. At night, visitors, hand in hand, dance around the campfire, with the cheerful sounds of the gong.

Visitors to Cu Lan Village would hardly forget valuable moments after enjoying the local scenery - cool and wholesome, natural, magnificent and romantic. The cultural identities of the ethnic Central Highlanders, which have been well preserved, fascinate all visitors and have become a treasure of the site.