March-2020

ABOUT SADETS

THE MYSTIC JARAÏ KINGS-SORCERERS

MARCH 2020

The proto-Indochinese populations, also called the “Montagnards of Indochina”, were the first inhabitants of the area we now know as Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. In the distant past, these powerful, independent ethnic groups lived isolated in their villages, protected from the outside world by high mountains and impenetrable jungles. The ancestral lands of the proto-Indochinese were portrayed in French Indochinese works such as Jungles moï, Hinterland moï or Pays des Moïs (moï derives from the pejorative Vietnamese word, meaning wild or barbaric). The proto-Indochinese, or Sons of Men as they called themselves, built their lives around all-powerful spirits, never-ending tribal wars, and a rich tapestry of traditions. One group can be traced to the Jaraï, a significant Moï tribe in the Austro-Asian linguistic group that can still be found in Vietnam’s central highlands.

Legends tell of how the Jaraï fought the conquering Cham kingdom with the help of two sorcerer-chiefs (Sadets). The first, the Sadet of Fire – known as King of Fire, Superior King, or King of the East, depending on the region – lived south of the present-day Pleiku in the Ya Ké basin along a tributary of the Ayunpa River, a branch of the Song Ba, the most important river in central Annam. The king was reputed to possess a famous sacred sword that fell from the sky and was recovered after a series of adventures involving the rulers of the Cham, Cambodian, Annamite, Laotian, Rhade and Jaraï tribes. The king used the sword to assert his divine authority over the nearby Moï and Cham peoples and extended his rule to the Khmer kingdom, which possessed the sheath of the famous sword and honored the famed Jaraï ruler with mysterious annual tributes.

The second chief, the Sadet of Water (or King of Water, Inferior King, or King of the West), lived along the Ya Lop, a tributary of the Nam Lieou, a large tributary of the Middle Srepok. He was less famous and influential than his fiery neighbor, possessing only a wooden scepter adorned with precious stones called Tambong Phek. The scepter was said to have the ability to kill anyone it touched; the victim, however, would be resurrected when touched with the scepter’s opposite end. Others claim that the Sadet of Water held a stone representing the Mak-yang fruit that ripens as the end of the world approaches.

The influence of these two chieftains waned with the arrival of French settlers at the end of the 19th century and disappeared completely when the Sadet of Water orchestrated the assassination of the colonial administrator and explorer Prosper Odend’hal in April 1904. Odend’hal visited the region on an archaeological and philological mission to establish friendly relations with this dreaded magician in order to pacify the area, which was overrun with bandits. The explorer presented himself at the chief’s village to discuss an agreement, but when he insisted on seeing the chief’s celestial weapon, Odend’hal perished

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THE SILVER-BACKED CHEVROTAIN
THE ELUSIVE VIETNAMESE MOUSE-DEER
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The silver-backed chevrotain (Tragulus versicolor), also nicknamed the Vietnamese mouse-deer, is one of the region’s most fascinating creatures. Once considered extinct, the chevrotain was rediscovered in recent decades near the Raglai territory in south-central Vietnam. The species was first scientifically identified in 1910 based on four specimens found near Nha Trang and was not recorded again until 1990, when a fifth dead specimen was collected during a joint Russian-Vietnamese expedition. For a long time, the Vietnamese mouse-deer only existed as a fragment of the imagination because it was never seen alive until the species recorded the first time on camera trappings in November 2019 in a project spearheaded by Global Wildlife Conservation.

Neither a mouse nor a deer, the silver-backed chevrotain is the smallest ungulate (hoofed mammal) species in the world. It is approximately the size of a rabbit, standing around 45cm tall and weighing a maximum of 3 to 5kg. It is distinguished by its long fangs and walks on the tips of its hooves. The silver-backed chevrotain is named after the silver sheen on its two-toned, brownish orange coat of fur, as opposed to the more common, lesser chevrotain which does not have a silver stripe. Based on the locations where the specimens were found and rare camera footage, the silver-backed chevrotain prefers the dry, semi-arid forest climate along the coast of south-central Vietnam, in the Annamite Cordillera. Little is known about the species and it is unclear how many live in the area.

The silver-backed chevrotain is on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species, and it is the first mammal on the Global Wildlife Conservation’s list of 25 Most Wanted Lost Species. Like other critically endangered species in Vietnam – including the saola (Pseudoryx nghetinhensis) and the large-antlered muntjac (Muntiacus vuquangensis) – the greatest threats to the silver-backed chevrotains are overhunting, wire snare poaching, and the loss of habitat due to deforestation. The rediscovery of this rare, elusive species sparks hope for the discovery and conservation of other endangered animals and underscores the need for further action to reduce indiscriminate, illegal poaching among indigenous hunters

THE PADARAN MOUNTAINS
A STUNNING MARITIME MASSIF IN SOUTH-CENTRAL VIETNAM

Located in southern province of Ninh Thuan and its capital Phan Rang, the Padaran Mountains are among the most amazing maritime massifs of south-central Vietnam, along with the Nui Chua. Detached from the foothills of the south Annamitic massif, the rhyolitic Padaran massif borders Cana Bay to the south, the Phan Rang Valley to the west, and the Mui Dinh dunes and Cape Padaran to the northeast. Its southeastern hills flow directly into the cerulean waves of the Pacific Ocean, the rocky, semi-arid slopes dotted by ancient dragon trees.

The Padaran massif is made up of a discordant collection of steep valleys, reddish monoliths, scree slopes, rocky walls and stony peaks. They include Da Bac (642m, the highest point), the Deo Ca (628m), the Mt de l’Aigle (585m), the Hon Mai (584m), the Ho Be (481m), the Mui Mot, and the Nui Chan Bang, a megalith sacred to the neighboring Cham people. Its waters run south into the Cana salt fields and form the Song Bau Ngu to the north, which feeds the Song Hai lagoon and the small lakes and lagoons dotting the Mui Dinh dunes.

The Padaran Mountains have a Type C semi-arid climate normally found in sub-desert areas and the steppes of Kazakhstan. They are partially covered by impenetrable maritime forests, with ancient, exotic trees emerging from the skeletal soil. These endemic trees include Cycas palms, varieties of dragon trees (Dracaena cambodiana), Kalanchoes, Selaginella, various varieties of euphorbia, and spiny lianas. The Padaran are home to troops of monkeys and wild boars that roam the slopes, and eagles and other birds of prey fly over the perpetually windy summits. Vietnamese fishermen live in the Padaran’s eastern and southern foothills, while the Chams and Raglais occupy the northern and western foothills.

Secret Indochina has developed various travel modules in the massif as part of our commitment to developing and promoting south-central Vietnam. We offer soft-adventure or adventure experiences that range from half-day modules in the north-eastern foothills to two-day, one-night trips to the massif’s eastern peaks

WAT TOMO
PRE-ANGKORIAN RUINS NEARLY LOST TO THE JUNGLE 5

Tucked deep within in a shady dipterocarp tree forest, the ruins of the small pre-Angkorian temple Wat Tomo, also known as Um Muang or Uo Moung, lie near the Houei Tomo, a small tributary on the east bank of the Mekong River in the southern Laotian district of Champassak. The mysterious complex was likely built in the ninth century by Khmer King Yasovarman I as one of 102 shrines for worshippers of the Hindu god Shiva, and Wat Tomo was dedicated to Shiva’s consort, Rudrani.

Located just two km south of the Wat Phu Temple Complex, Wat Tomo is one of four sanctuaries built at the foot of the sacred Lingaparvata (now Phou Kao Mountain) containing a natural form of linga, a symbol of Shiva. Nearly consumed by the surrounding jungle, the moss-covered ruins feature an esplanade bordered by lingams and two crumbling temple pavilions gated by two ornate entranceways (gopuras), one of which is still standing , along with revetment walls made of anci

THE MIG-21
DECAYING PRE-ANGKORIAN RUINS
DECAYING PRE-ANGKORIAN RUINS

ancient laterite and a stone stairway leading to the river. An unusual four-faced linga (Mukhalinga), a symbolic representation of Shiva engraved with four human heads, was found in the western corridor along with other in situ sandstone lintels elaborately carved with naga, floral details, and a sculpture depicting Shiva riding the bull Nandi.

Wat Tomo makes an ideal day trip from either the charming colonial town of Champassak or by boat from the laid-back, car-free Don Deang Island. Stroll through the 700m stretch of ruins or, during dry season, cycle idly across the bucolic Ban Tomo to discover the village’s untouched rural beauty and local life. Take a cruise to navigate Laos’ winding artery of the mighty Mekong and explore the splendor of the ancient Wat Phu settlement. Continue on to the Four Thousand Islands to discover this mystical, riverine archipelago dotted with over a thousand peaks surrounded by rapids and waterfalls

Secret Indochina is a Destination Management Company of Amica JSC, established in 2011 following the encounter of Tran Quang Hieu and Nicolas Vidal, two professionals passionate about authentic and impactful travel. Secret Indochina strives to lead travellers to outstanding sites, magical places, and little-known ethnic communities in Vietnam, Laos & Cambodia

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