Yok Don National Park

Yok Don covers over a hundred thousand hectares along the Cambodian border and protects dry dipterocarp forest - open woodland with grass beneath, seasonally leafless, which is a habitat found in Vietnam almost only here and which supports different species from the wet forests elsewhere. The Buon Don area has a long tradition of capturing and working elephants, and the park's captive animals were used for rides for decades; in 2018, working with Animals Asia, the park moved to an observation model, where visitors walk to watch elephants foraging in the forest instead of riding them. Several operators in the district have since followed.

Background

The park lies in Krông Na commune, Buôn Đôn District, in Đắk Lắk Province of the Tây Nguyên region. Its establishment in 1991 aimed to protect 582 km² of khộp lowland forest, and its total area now stands at 1,155.45 km², with a further buffer zone of 1,138.9 km2. To the west it adjoins the Mondulkiri Protected Forest in Cambodia. The vegetation forms a mosaic of deciduous and semi-evergreen, or mixed deciduous, forest, with smaller patches of evergreen forest on hills and along watercourses. Botanists have recorded 474 vascular plant species in the park.

Source: Wikipedia, "Yok Đôn National Park"

Highlights

• Dry dipterocarp forest - open woodland, seasonally leafless.
• A habitat found almost only here - in Vietnam.
• Elephants observed, not ridden - the model adopted from 2018.
• The Buon Don elephant tradition - the district's older history.

When to go

November to April, the dry season. Two days.

Practical notes

Wildlife sightings beyond the elephants are unlikely - poaching has emptied much of the forest. Some operators in the district still offer rides, which the park's programme does not. Guides are required. Heat is severe.

Nearby

Buon Don is at the gate; Buon Ma Thuot is south-east.

Key facts