Bach Ma National Park, which covers nearly 37,500 hectares, is about 40 kilometers northwest of Hue. It has a diverse ecosystem with over 1,700 animal species and 2,400 plant species, which accounts for nearly 17% of the total number of plant species in Vietnam. Admission to Bach Ma National Park is VND60,000 ($2.54).
Early in March, 20-year-old Le Uyen Vy from Hue went on a tour with several friends to see Bach Ma National Park. The party left Do Quyen Villa, which is about 8 kilometers from the National Park, and proceeded down a path with slick rocks to reach Ngu Ho, a collection of five lakes that are near to one another.
To make it simpler for tourists to hike around Ngu Ho, the national park management unit created iron and wooden staircases in several places.
Visitors are advised to bring water, fruit, and snacks in ecologically-friendly packaging. The path is slippery and steep, so shoes with a good grip are recommended. Furthermore, whenever you move, you should always grip the cord attached to the cliffs.
After more than 30 minutes, the group found the crystal clear lakes in Ngu Ho. With a combination of natural springs, rocks and forest trees, each lake has a unique charm.
Two tourists from Switzerland, who went trekking by themselves to discover Bach Ma, are checking their map.
Vy (C) and her friends gave the two travelers directions along the way. The two parties agreed to hike together from Ngu Ho to the Do Quyen Waterfall, which are around two kilometers apart.
After taking photos at Ngu Ho, Vy and her group followed the forest trail, crossing the stream to Do Quyen Waterfall. There were many old trees and rhododendrons (do quyen) blooming along the stream.
The red rhododendron flowers blooming along the streams on the trail from Ngu Ho to Do Quyen Waterfall.
Deep within Bach Ma National Park, Do Quyen Waterfall is 300 meters high and is surrounded by trees. In order to observe the water cascading down from the top of the waterfall, visitors must walk over 700 stairs with varying slopes. Visitors are urged to be careful when visiting this place due to the numerous broken iron rails that lead to the steps.
The area at the top of Do Quyen Waterfall is deep in the Bach Ma National Forest. In order to prevent people from going past the safe zone, the national park management unit sprayed red paint on the cliffs.
A group of tourists from Da Nang soaked their feet in the cold water at the top of Do Quyen Waterfall after they walked nearly 700 steps down to the foot of the waterfall.
If you want to spend the night in Bach Ma National Park, you can stay in the camping area. The rental price of a sleeping tent is VND250,000, plus a cleaning fee.
