Bach Ma: misty summit and waterfalls

A cloud-wrapped mountain between Hue and Da Nang, with old French villa ruins, a summit lookout and a 300-metre waterfall that tumbles through rhododendrons.

Area

Hue

Start from

Hue or Da Nang

Distance

about 40 km from Hue, 60 km from Da Nang

Time needed

1–2 days

Best season

February – August

Difficulty

Moderate

Transport

Car to the park gate, then park vehicle or long walk

Tickets & rules

National park entrance fee; guide recommended

Why go

Bach Ma is one of the wettest places in Vietnam, and that’s the point. The mountain catches clouds from the sea, and its forest is lush, dripping and alive with birds. At its top, about 1,450 metres up, there is a summit lookout with views over the lagoons and the coast on clear days.

The park has several trails. The Five Lakes trail leads to a string of pools and small waterfalls where you can swim. The Rhododendron trail leads down hundreds of steps to Do Quyen waterfall, a 300-metre cascade named for the flowers that bloom on its banks in spring.

It is a quiet place, especially on weekdays. Visitors are few, and you’re more likely to hear birds and cicadas than other tourists. It feels very different from the beaches and old towns.

The story

The French built a hill station on Bach Ma in the 1930s as a retreat from the heat. At its peak it had well over a hundred villas, a post office and a road from the lowlands. During the wars that followed, it was abandoned, and the forest reclaimed the buildings.

Bach Ma was declared a national park in 1991. It protects a rich forest, home to many bird species and primates. Rare pheasants have been recorded here, and the park plays an important role in protecting the watersheds of the region.

The park’s name means ‘white horse’. A legend says that a white horse appeared on the mountain, though nobody agrees on the details.

Today the restored villa ruins are scattered along the summit road, overgrown with ferns. Some have been rebuilt as park accommodation, and walking among them in the mist gives the place a slightly melancholy atmosphere. You come round a bend and find a stone staircase leading to nothing, or a fireplace standing alone among the trees, its chimney full of moss.

The mountain also shapes the weather of the whole region. Bach Ma sits on the same spur of the Truong Son range as the Hai Van Pass, and it receives several metres of rain a year, much of it between September and December. Clouds build in the afternoon even in the dry season, so the clearest views usually come early in the morning, when the lagoons of Thua Thien Hue shine silver far below.

Getting there

The park entrance is near Cau Hai, about 40 km south of Hue on the main highway. From there, a road climbs 16 km to the summit. Private vehicles may be restricted; check whether you need to use park transport.

Allow a full day, or stay overnight at park accommodation.

A suggested plan

1. 7:00Leave Hue early.
2. 8:00Arrive at the park and start up the summit road.
3. 10:00Summit lookout and villa ruins.
4. 12:00Five Lakes trail and a swim.
5. 14:00Rhododendron trail to Do Quyen waterfall, then back to Hue.

Where to stay

Stay in Hue, or in the park’s own simple accommodation near the summit for a misty sunrise.

Good to know

• Bring a rain jacket and dry clothes; it rains often.
• Leeches are common; long socks help.
• The Do Quyen trail has many steps; take it slow.
• Pack food and water; there are few services.