Pongour Waterfall

Pongour is the largest of the falls around Da Lat, a curved wall of rock roughly a hundred metres across where the river breaks into dozens of separate streams and steps down over stacked basalt ledges. Unlike the falls closer to town it has been left comparatively plain: a path descends through pine and broadleaf forest to a viewing area at the base, and in low water you can walk out onto the lower terraces. The pool below is wide and shallow at the edges. It is a stop rather than a day out, usually taken on the drive south from Da Lat toward the coast or the highway to Ho Chi Minh City.

What you actually see

• The terraced face - the wide curved wall where the river splits across basalt ledges.
• The forest descent - the stepped path down through pine and broadleaf trees.
• The lower rock shelves - flat terraces you can walk out onto when the water is low.
• The plunge pool - the broad shallow basin at the foot of the falls.

When to go

July to November, at the end of the rains, gives the fullest flow across the whole width; by March the falls can thin to a few strands over bare rock. Mornings are quieter and the light reaches the face. Weekends bring domestic visitors up from Da Lat and the coast, and the site is busiest during Vietnamese holidays.

Honest expectations

Flow is the whole point and it varies enormously, so a dry season visit can be flatly disappointing. The site has picked up the usual add-ons: ticket booth, souvenir stalls and piped music near the entrance. The steps down are steep and the rock at the base is slippery and has caused accidents. It is a forty kilometre drive each way for a stop of about an hour.

Nearby

Da Lat is an hour north, and the Prenn pass road drops from there toward the coast.