Silver Waterfall

Thac Bac drops around a hundred metres down a rock face directly beside the road that climbs from Sapa to the O Quy Ho pass, splitting into threads as it comes so that it reads as a silver ribbon against dark rock - hence the name. A stepped path and bridges run up the rock beside it to viewing points partway. The flow depends entirely on the season: in the wet months from about May it is substantial and in the dry months it can be thin. It is the standard first stop on the drive out of Sapa towards the pass, with the Love waterfall a short distance further on.

What you actually see

• A hundred metre fall beside the road - splitting into threads as it drops.
• A stepped path up the rock - to viewing points partway.
• Flow that varies sharply - substantial in the wet months, thin otherwise.
• The first stop out of Sapa - on the O Quy Ho road.

When to go

May to September for flow; September to November for the clearest weather. An hour.

Honest expectations

In the dry season it is a trickle and not worth the ticket. Steps are wet and slippery. It is directly on a busy road with coaches stopping. There are stalls and touts at the entrance.

Nearby

Love waterfall is a few kilometres up the road; O Quy Ho pass is above.