The wild, fierce yet equally poetic charm of Pongour waterfall depicts a unique aspect of the original Da Lat. Hãy nghe Trần Thuỳ Thanh Xuân (Đồng Nai) một travel blogger nổi tiếng bật mí .
The Lam Dong plateau is famous for its vast primeval forests surrounding majestic waterfalls next to gentle flower fields. Not only possessing wild beauty, these waterfalls also take you into interesting legendary stories associated with the culture of the K'Ho people who have lived here for generations. Among the many most beautiful and wild waterfalls here such as: Elephant Waterfall, Cam Ly Waterfall, Da M'bri Waterfall, you definitely cannot ignore the name Pongour Waterfall, a natural masterpiece with many beautiful names that people have given it, captivating many visitors when they set foot in the land of fog.
If you fall in love with the wild mountains and hills in Da Lat, you will definitely have to spend a day to admire Pongour Waterfall, experience interesting activities here, and enjoy a cup of fragrant morning coffee with friends in the middle of the great valley.
1. A few things about Pongour Waterfall
Pongour Waterfall is located on the flow of the Da Nhim River, which has created many beautiful waterfalls and lakes in Da Lat. The waterfall is about 40m high, more than 100m wide, gently flowing through 7 natural stone steps, creating white foam carpets; that's why people call it "Seven-Level Waterfall". Surrounding Pongour Waterfall is a primeval forest system of more than 2.5ha with diverse vegetation. The downstream area of the waterfall is a vast lake, with many rocks undulating in the middle of the water, suitable for camping, resting and sightseeing.
Currently, the upper flow of Pongour Waterfall is dammed to build Dai Ninh Hydropower Plant, so the flow of Pongour Waterfall is no longer as strong as before. However, the beauty of the waterfall has not diminished much.
Image source: Collected
Coming to Pongour waterfall, you will not only enjoy the majestic and poetic scenery of the mountains and forests, but also experience a peaceful feeling amidst the cool water, the echoing sound of forest birds, and the sound of flowing water day and night. According to some geological research documents of the French, this land is rich in kaolin minerals, a type of white clay, so they named the waterfall Pongour, transliterated from the K'Ho language as Pon-gou, meaning "master of the white clay land".
At that time, the French also voted Pongour waterfall as "The most majestic waterfall in Indochina", and once made King Bao Dai exclaim in praise as "The most beautiful waterfall in the South" when he witnessed the magnificent beauty of this waterfall. In 2000, Pongour waterfall was recognized as a National Scenic Spot.
Pongour waterfall is the only waterfall in Vietnam that holds an annual festival on the 15th day of the first lunar month, which is the occasion of the Lantern Festival. These days, many cultural and entertainment activities are organized by local people very bustling and joyful.
2. Directions to Pongour Waterfall
Pongour Waterfall is located in Tan Nghia village, Ninh Gia commune, Duc Trong district, Lam Dong province, about 50km from the center of Da Lat city. There are many ways to get to Pongour Waterfall by personal vehicle. If you go from Ho Chi Minh City, follow National Highway 20 to Km260 in Duc Trong district, turn left, go about 6km further to reach Pongour Waterfall Eco-tourism Area.
In the opposite direction, if you take the center of Da Lat city as the starting point, the fastest route is to go via Lien Khuong - Prenn expressway. After exiting the expressway, continue along National Highway 20 to Km260 in Duc Trong district, turn right, go about 6km further to reach Pongour Waterfall Eco-tourism Area.
Image source: Collected
Let me tell you a secret for #teamKlook: in late October and early November, if you go across National Highway 20, passing Dai Ninh Dam, you will see the hills filled with the yellow color of wild sunflowers, the scent wafting in the wind, in the distance fields, low hills... creating an extremely charming and poetic scene.
After arriving at Pongour Waterfall Eco-tourism Area, you can park your car and walk about 15 minutes to the waterfall. If you don't want to walk to the waterfall, you can use the shuttle service with a ticket price of 15,000 VND/person.
3. Listen to the interesting legend of Pongour Waterfall
Pongour Waterfall is associated with the legend of the beautiful Kanai, a female chieftain who ruled the land of Phu Hoi - Tan Hoi - Tan Thanh today. She had the special talent of taming wild animals and commanding them to serve the interests of humans. Among those wild animals, there were four giant rhinos, always following her orders to move mountains, block streams, clear fields, and be ready to fight against invaders of the village. Thanks to that, the life of the K'Ho ethnic community was always peaceful and prosperous.
Image source: Collected
On the full moon day of the first lunar month, the female chieftain passed away. The four rhinos did not care about eating or drinking, just staying by her side day and night until she died. Some time later, the villagers were extremely surprised to see a beautiful waterfall suddenly appear at the place where she died, called Thien Thai Waterfall. It turns out that Kanai’s hair had turned into clear blue water, and the mossy green rocks stacked in layers were fossils of rhinoceros horns. From this legend, the K’Ho people explain that the name Pongour also means “four rhinoceros horns”. To commemorate Kanai, every year, on the full moon of the first lunar month, the villagers hold a festival at Pongour Waterfall with folk games and activities imbued with national identity, attracting visitors from all over the world to participate and learn about the K’Ho ethnic culture.
4. What to do at Pongour Waterfall?
Although there are not as many exciting games as at Datanla Waterfall Tourist Area, it does not mean that Pongour Waterfall is boring. Let's explore the interesting and unique activities at Pongour Waterfall Eco-tourism Area that I have experienced.
4.1. Admire the unique waterfall in Vietnam
With all its wild and majestic beauty, Pongour Waterfall is considered a symbol connecting humans and nature. Each stream of water flows down white, like a soft silk strip sliding over the green mossy rocks, all around you can hear the sound of birds and water. This is a paradise! Coming to Pongour Waterfall, #teamKlook remember to prepare some clothes that match the scenery so you can freely let your soul loose, pose in the most magical and vivid frames.
Image source: Collected
4.2. Organize a picnic by the lake
The downstream area of Pongour Waterfall is a large natural freshwater lake. After taking enough photos, many visitors often sit by the lake to relax, soak their feet in the cool water, or go to Tien Sa rock beach, where the water flows gently and large rocks are very suitable for spreading out picnic mats. This area is quite large and does not charge extra picnic fees, so you can freely set up tents, set up tarps, organize singing, and eat and drink by the poetic waterfall. A delicious grilled skewer party by the lake, revolving around happy gossip will make your trip more beautiful memories, right!
Image source: Collected
4.3. Participate in the Pongour Waterfall Festival
If you have the opportunity to travel to Da Lat on the full moon day of January, come to Pongour Waterfall and immerse yourself in the spring festival in memory of Kanai. These days, at Pongour Waterfall, there are not only traditional art performances, but also folk games of the K’Ho people. In particular, this is an opportunity for young couples in the village to meet, get to know each other and express their feelings for each other. The annual Pongour Waterfall Festival attracts a lot of attention from tourists and locals.
Image source: Collected
A trip to Dalat at the beautiful Pongour Waterfall is never too much for me and surely you will feel the same if you set foot here. When immersing yourself in the majestic nature or participating in pure green recreational activities, I feel my inner energy is renewed, eliminating negative emotions to be ready to become a better version of myself.
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