The Elephant Falls, around 30km south-west of Dalat, is one of the largest waterfalls in this area it only has one tier, but it is still a great sight. It is very popular stop for day trips or Easy Riders so you might encounter some larger groups here.
Like most other tourist sites in Vietnam there is a large area with a place to park your bike (for a fee), little shops and some food places. So if you are hungry or in need of a refreshment after climbing around, you will find it here. You pay the entrance fee of 10.000 Dong before you enter that area though. There are also some food stalls outside the gate.
At the top of the waterfall you can get a nice view of the surrounding area, you can actually walk close to the edge. Just be careful as usual. Not sure you want to fall down. At the edge you can also spot three elephants – I assume they are there because of the name of the falls – but it is just a wild guess.
-
- View from the edge of the fall
-
- Elephants at the falls – just no real ones….
There is a little path leading down to the bottom of the fall. Be careful, the path can be quite slippery and it does not really contains stairs. At least there is a hand rail to get some support.
Following the path down you arrive at the pool of the falls, and you can climb (or jump at some of the stones to get a better view of the falls. The sight and the noise of the water crushing down is lovely, and if you are with the sun out you will see a few rainbows too. I think you could go for a little swim at this section, but be careful.
-
- The fall viewed from the pool
-
- The falls seen from the side
Between the main path going down and the pool is a little path leading to the actual falls. It is a bit slippery, but it leads to a position directly next to the falls. You might get a bit wet, but you are rewarded with some nice views.
Overall, the Elephant Falls are nice. I have seen nicer waterfalls, but it is a good place to stop during the motorbike trip.