Tiếng Việt
Trekking Phi Lieng Waterfall (7-Tiered Waterfall) is one of the most special experiences that any trekker would surely fall in love with because this is the wildest and most beautiful waterfall in Lam Dong province. The journey to conquer Phi Lieng Waterfall has never been easy. Let’s see what is special about Tieu Dao Tu’s second return this time.
An Unstable Journey
The trekking journey to Phi Lieng Waterfall in Lam Dong started from Saigon late at night. We traveled until early morning to reach the Dak Nong area.
On this trip, we accompanied a film crew’s survey team to find beautiful and suitable spots for filming. Therefore, with the mindset of stopping to observe and take photos wherever we saw beauty, it took us from late night until noon the next day to get from Saigon to Lam Dong.
After watching the bullfight, we returned to the vehicle to continue our journey to the waterfall, only to discover a flat tire. So, there we were again, the whole group sitting at a roadside café, watching the bullfight, and waiting for the tire to be replaced. By the time we reached the territory of Lam Dong province and entered the forest ranger station, it was already past 10 in the morning.
Phi Lieng on the return day
This is my second time returning to this place. The first time was during a 4-day journey of forging a new path through the forest from Lam Dong to Dak Nong. That was a memorable trip where the forest rangers provided the group with enthusiastic support. I was also quite surprised that upon returning after more than 2 years, they still remembered me and that journey.
>> You can see my first trekking journey to Phi Lieng Waterfall here.
The Journey to Conquer the Most Beautiful Wild Waterfall in Lam Dong
The trekking route to Phi Lieng Waterfall in Lam Dong has never been an easy one. However, this time was perhaps much, much easier than the last trip, as the forest rangers helped transport everyone into the forest with their “divine grass-cutting machines” (a colloquial term for their rugged utility vehicles).
The distance from the ranger station into the forest near the waterfall is about 4-5km. This stretch of road isn’t too narrow, but it’s very difficult to travel on—it’s winding with numerous potholes and muddy puddles. In short, the road is extremely bad; an amateur driver would find it hard to reach the destination.
However, the rangers were incredibly skillful. Sitting on the utility vehicles, they drove us over one hill after another. There were sections so difficult that, sitting on the back, I thought, “Oh no, we’ll surely have to get off and push, there’s no way we can drive through this.” Yet, they passed through them smoothly without any wobbling. Truly impressive.
Upon reaching the edge of the forest, the path became impassable for vehicles, so the entire group disembarked to begin the trekking journey to Phi Lieng Waterfall on foot. The estimated walking distance to the waterfall was about one and a half kilometers, but this section was extremely difficult.
This time of year was near the end of the year, not the rainy season, so the path was quite dry. However, there were many steep slopes and slippery, polished rocks that were hard to walk on. If you wore regular shoes without good grip, it would be very easy to slip. And if you did slip, whether it was a serious or minor fall, you would at the very least get scraped and bleed from the rocks, because the rocks here are either small and gravelly or large but very sharp.
The closer you get to Phi Lieng Waterfall, the more treacherous the terrain becomes. Standing opposite the wild and incredibly majestic waterfall, you will feel extremely excited; however, to reach the base of the falls, you need to overcome one more challenge.
After a struggle with the slope under the harsh sun, the whole group made it safely down to the base of the waterfall. Now, let’s take a look at the stunning images of Phi Lieng Waterfall!
Leaving Phi Lieng Waterfall, the group headed back to the ranger station. The climb up the slope was extremely exhausting. Going down, we were afraid of slipping; going up, the slope was so steep that we could only crawl in short stretches.
After returning to the ranger station for a short rest, it was already late afternoon. We continued to have the rangers drive us near the foot of Ta Dung Mountain (Dak Nong) to set up camp for the night.
Camping deep in the forest
From the ranger station, it was a 5-6km drive along a trail through coffee plantations to get near the foot of Ta Dung Mountain. The road was still rugged and very difficult to travel, taking more than 30 minutes by vehicle to arrive.
The spot the group chose to set up camp was an open grassy area next to a small stream in the Ta Dung forest. This area is in Lam Dong province, and from here, it’s just a short trek further to reach Ta Dung Mountain. The guys started clearing the grass and tidied up the surrounding area to level the ground to begin setting up the tents.
Camping and sleeping in the forest is a novel yet incredibly special experience. The air is cool and fresh. When night falls in the forest, it’s also the time when the resounding calls of cicadas, birds, and gibbons fill the air.
Thus concludes a 1-day, 1-night trip trekking Phi Lieng Waterfall and camping at the foot of Ta Dung Mountain, filled with many memories. Thank you to the forest rangers for your enthusiastic support in guiding, handling logistics, and helping with carrying gear. Tieu Dao Tu will return to Phi Lieng again one day not too far in the future.
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