Waterfalls in Vietnam

Ban Gioc is the largest waterfall in Vietnam by width, around 300 metres across and about 30 metres high, on the Quay Son River right on the Chinese border in Cao Bang province. It falls in several sections between limestone pinnacles, with rice fields and bamboo on the approach. Rafts run out towards the base. It is a long way from anywhere, which is why it stays quiet.

Datanla is the most visited waterfall in Da Lat, a few kilometres from Prenn on the same road south, and the reason is the alpine coaster: a single-rail toboggan that runs down the gorge to the falls and back up. There is a path down as well if you would rather walk. The falls themselves are modest; the ride is what people come for.

Silver Waterfall, or Thac Bac, is right beside Highway 4D about 30 minutes from Sapa town, so there is no walk in at all: you park and look up. Water drops around 100 metres down a bare rock face in a thin white ribbon, which is where the name comes from. Steps climb partway up the side. It is at its fullest in the summer rains and thin by spring.

Pongour is the widest of the Da Lat falls, around 40 metres high and 100 metres across, dropping over seven terraced steps about 50 km southwest of the city in Lam Dong. Pine hills and forest surround it, and it is a long-standing local picnic spot rather than a foreign-tourist one. It is at its best at the end of the rains, when the whole width is running.

Dray Nur is the largest of the Central Highlands falls, on the Serepok River in Dak Lak, around 30 metres high and 250 metres wide. Caves behind the curtain of water hold stalactites, and there are pools below where people swim. A path along the rocky bank gives the full view across the width of it. Dray Sap falls is a short walk away on the same river.

Dambri is the tallest waterfall in Lam Dong province at over 57 metres, about 20 km from Bao Loc, and it runs hardest through the monsoon. A lift and a set of walkways run down alongside the drop, so you can see it from the top, the middle and the base. There is camping ground and a restaurant at the top.

Elephant Falls, or Lieng Rewoa in the local K'ho language, is about 30 km southwest of Da Lat near Nam Ban. Water drops roughly 30 metres over black boulders into a gorge, and the steps down to the base are steep, wet and genuinely slippery. Much quieter than the Da Lat falls closer to town, and the view from the bottom is the reason to make the descent.

Prenn Falls is the closest of the Da Lat waterfalls, about 10 km south of town on the pass road, and it is more park than wilderness: landscaped grounds, a cable car, walkways and a bridge that lets you pass behind the curtain of water. The drop is only around 10 metres. It is busy with domestic visitors and school groups, especially at weekends.

Mu Waterfall is in the Ngoc Son-Ngo Luong nature reserve in Hoa Binh province, a few hours west of Hanoi, and it falls in tiers down a wooded hillside with pools between them that are deep enough to swim. A short walk from the village leads up to it. Muong-style stilt bungalows nearby take overnight guests, which is the usual way to do it.

Tac Tinh is in Tam Duong district, Lai Chau, in the Hoang Lien Son range, and it drops in wide rocky tiers into a clear pool at the base that people swim in. The valley around it is forested and the approach is short from the road. There are old stone remains beside the path that local Dao stories attach to the falls.

Yang Bay means waterfall of heaven in the local language, and it sits in forest about 45 km west of Nha Trang. The stream runs over rock in stages, leaving shallow pools between them. The site is run as a park, with Raglai musicians performing at set times and food stalls at the entrance. It works as a half-day out of Nha Trang.

Thuy Tien is in Ea Puk commune in Dak Lak, where three streams meet in the curve of a mountain pass surrounded by coffee and rubber plantations. It falls in three tiers, and the middle one is the reason to come: a shallow pool ringed by stacked rock and overhanging branches, shallow enough to wade. It is classified as a national scenic landscape.

Suoi Tranh is on Phu Quoc island in Kien Giang, a short uphill walk from the road through forest and past caves, with a small sculpture park along the path. It is not a big fall, but the pools at the base are clear and shallow enough to swim in, which is the appeal on a hot island day. Good for a short stop rather than a day.

May Waterfall is in Thach Lam commune in Thanh Hoa province, and it steps down the hillside in nine stages rather than falling clear, which is why it looks like a staircase from below. June to August is when it runs hardest and loudest. The surrounding hills are farmland and forest, and it stays almost entirely a domestic destination.