VietNamNet Bridge – The waterfalls of Dambri, Dalanta,and Prenn enchant visitors with their wild beauty and grandeur.

Dambri

Dambri waterfall is located in the Northwest of Bao Loc town. It is the highest waterfall in the province (57m). It is surface width is 30m.

Pouring down from a vertical height of 70 meters, Dambri waterfall looks like the soft hair of the forest. At the fall's foot is a small bridge crossing the rock-top. Crossing the bridge, tourists can wallow in the non-stop miraculous drizzle made by millions of drops from the imposing waterfallsurrounded by trees and plants.

Legends of the K'ho people (an ethnic community of Lam Dong) say that the waterfall is connected with a moving love story. Particularly, at the fall's foot was a nymph naively waiting and crying for her lover after their heart-breaking separation. Several seasons pass but there was still no news of the man. Her stream of tears formed the waterfall of "Dambri" which means "Wait" in K'ho language.

Tourists can visit a little cafe on the upper bridge to contemplate the panoramic view of waterfall and the pretty purple wildflowers growing through the rocks, then skirt upstream along the trail through the forest. It will be faster to use the elevator of glass to enjoy the might beauty of nature, especially for those who cannot stand a long walk.

Within the campus is also Monkey Island, Chau Ma ethnic village and Amida temple. These exciting destinations will be the perfect ending of a long, memorable trip around the tourist site of Dambri.

Dasara

There is a smaller waterfall, 500 meter far from Dambri named Dasara. Dasara waterfall is not as spectacular as Dam B’ri but it has a pure beauty in the middle of the wild jungle.

Pongour Waterfall 

Pongour waterfall is located at a deserted area, 50km from Da Lat city. From 40 meters above, the massive water speeds and booms down 7 floors into a big pool, creating sonorous thunder-like sounds, especially in the rainy season when it is more violent.

The road leading to the waterfall is peaceful and romantic. If visitors come here on October, they will see yellow blooming flowers creating a curved path leading to the waterfall.

Unspoiled natural landscape is still preserved here. The waterfall surrounded by virgin forests covers an area of approximately 2.5 hectares with a diversified floristic composition. Here there are many ancient trees, and wild animals.

Overwhelmed by its majesty, Bao Dai King also recognized it as “the greatest waterfall in Vietnam” about 60 years ago. The Ministry of Culture - Sports and Tourismdecided to recognize this place a National-level beauty-spot in 2000.

According to K’Ho magnanimous legend, in the old time, this land was managed by a beautiful woman named Kanai (a head of a Kho tribe). She was very good at conquering dangerous animals. Among those, there were four big rhinoceros which always obeyed her commands; to change waste land to cultivate and to fight against enemies. Suddenly, one spring, she was dead on the full- moon day of the first month. That made the four rhinoceros very sad, they didn’t eat anything, just sitting by their boss until they died.

Then, one morning, native people here saw that the place where she was born had a splendid waterfall. They told that Kanai hair turned into the water and rhinoceros horns turned into fossil stones to be arranged into order. It symbolized the attachment of humans and nature.

Every year on the occasion of Mid-January festivity (Lunar months) tourists flock to the waterfall to enjoy the atmosphere of the spring with festivities, folklore games. This is a chance for better mutual understanding and love.

Prenn waterfall 

Prenn waterfall is located at the foot of Prenn Pass which is 10 km from Da Lat city. Prenn waterfall is the gateway of Da Lat. In the old time, there was a village of prenn up the stream, so the waterfall bears the name.

It has the height of 9m, and the width of 20m and lies on the stream of Prenn. From its height, the water flows down over a cliff of basalt rock creating a white curtain like the hair of a fairy.

The Prenn tourist site has an area of 160 ha, of which the pine forest and primitive trees make up 90% of the area. The site has been restored and equipped with a cable-car, suspension bridge, stilt-houses, huts on trees, showroom of silk paintings, souvenir shops and services like folklore music performance, rowing-boat, folklore games, and a restaurant serving food to tourists, especially snake-head fish soup.

In the East of Prenn waterfall, tourists can see a complex of Au Lac Temples, which is located on a hillside, worshipping Hung Kings. This is a new model of tourism: for both eco-tourism and for remembering the ancestors. The temples were designed like the original temples in Phu Tho (including the lower (Ha) temple, the middle (Trung) temple and the upper (Thuong) temple) and were launched on 10 March, 2004.

From the waterfall, tourists can climb to the temples through steps or they can hire a jeep to the lower temple and then go on foot to the middle temple which worships the god of rice and then to the upper temple. Soil, water and the joss-stick burner were taken from the original Hung temple. 100 pieces of round rocks (taken from Ninh Thuan) symbolize 100 eggs and they are all put beside the statues of Lac Long Quan -Au Co.

Nearby the upper temple, visitors can see the Pearl Well (or Gieng Ngoc) with clear water and a big Gong-shaped rock with the sound like a bell. Standing from the upper temple, tourists can see the view of Elephant Mountain in the far distance and the magnificent landscapes of the outskirts of Dalat. Visitors can go step by step to arrive at Au Lac park.

On 10 of March (Lunar month), people often hold the Death anniversary of Hung kings and other activities such as folklore songs of Bac Ninh, Thai dancing, K'ho gong performance, etc.

In 1998, Prenn waterfall was recognized as a Cultural historical heritage.

Datanla Waterfall

About 10km from Da Lat city center and in a part of Prenn pass, Datanla waterfall appears majestic and poetic.

Between high cliffs dozens of meters tall, dark green forests and deep canyons, waterfall Datanla appears as acmajestic and fierce fairy which seems to wash away conquerors. Enjoy the cool weather and nature.

Datanla is a waterfall complex of 7 different layers, some with gentle flow, murmuring like a small stream or some with strong flow, torrential rumbling from high cliff into the abyss.

If you do not want to walk a few hundred meters to get the waterfall, you can experience waterslide thrills without spending effort. Chutes have speed control that take you through parts of green forest, and craggy rocks. 

It is a big challenge to visit all layers of the waterfall Datanla by walking through cement steps which are covered with green moss and are slippery. It requires you to have good health, travelling to reach hundreds of meters to come up with the legendary waterfall.

Most visitors ignore these rapids as they are nestled deep in the cliff and covered by the surrounding vegetation.

It is hundreds of meters high with deep chasms below with lush green vegetation. Above is the cruel waterfall which strongly pours down. For special terrain, many travel companies designtours to swing over the cliffs. These activities are rather dangerous.

Cable cars passing through forests, waterfalls, mountains and cliffs give guests unexpected impressions when admiring the beauty of the land from above.

Cam Ly waterfall

Cam Ly waterfall is located at the end of Hoang Van Thu Street which is 2km far from Da Lat center.

There are several legends about the waterfall.

The first story: in the old time, called the waterfall Liang Sra; and there was a village of Lach minority people, which is located near the present Ma Trang Son street, Yagut street, Tran Binh Trong street, Le Lai street and Hoang Dieu street. 

The chief of the village was Mr. Yagut Hamon whose son was Dam M’ly or Mon M’ly. At that time the French dominated the region and for some reason, they tortured Dam M’ly very cruelly; they tied Dam M’ly by nests of ants and bees in the forest in order to take statements from him, but he said nothing. 

Despite hunger, thirst and pain, he never entreated but he just stared at the cruel colonialists. After days and nights, Dam M’ly could not suffer from the hard punishment and died. Loving his son so much, the old father screamed and rushed to the body of his son and then died in the front of the cruel gunmen. 

Since then, they K’ho minority people have called the waterfall Liang Mon M’ly. Through the varied process of pronunciation, the word: “Mon M’ly became Cam Ly. Nowadays, we can see a holy light, Ban was built from concrete in the form of a tree with the names; Mon M’ly and Dam M’ly carved on it.

The other story: When the French surveyor asked Mr.K’Mloi what the name of the waterfall was, K’Mloi misunderstood: he thought the French man asked his name, so he said “K’Mloi”. Then the French man called K’Mloi “Camly”. Since then the name “Camly” has been used for the waterfall and the stream.

Cam Ly waterfall flows gently through the range of granite rock and it looks like the hair – style of a girl. There, tourist can go horseriding, take photos and go for a walk around the fall.

In 1998, Cam Ly waterfall was recognized as a National – level Cultural historical heritage.

Compiled by Pha Le