Hello everyone, how are you today?
It's been quite a while since I've posted in this wonderful community. What did you do last Sunday? As nature lovers, me and my friends had a great nature expedition yesterday. Our main destination was a waterfall called Colossus, I don't know how it got its name. This waterfall is named by foreign friends, actually it does not have a Vietnamese name and does not appear on the map. It is a beautiful waterfall located on the stream of Khe Ram and deep inside the Hoa Bac mountains of Da Nang.
We were very lucky that yesterday's weather was very nice. We gathered in the city center and set off at 9am. It takes us about 1 hour by motorbike from the city center to Khe Ram with a distance of about 25km. Most of the road is paved, but the end of the road is dirt road with many undulating rocks, and we even had to ride motorbikes across the stream. We then parked our motorbikes at a farmer's cottage by the stream and continued walking up along the stream to explore its deeper areas. The road was not easy, at many parts of the journey, we had to make a path or climb rocks to continue the journey. We kept walking along the stream or in the middle of the stream until we were tired, then we stopped to rest and then continued on. My advice is that you should not do this expedition alone and it is better to go with someone who has already done it because there will be many spots where you will not know which way to go to continue the journey.
The First stop - Swimming and Jumping
From the car park, after about 25 minutes of walking along the stream, we decided to stop at a small waterfall. Not that we were tired but because this spot is quite beautiful, there is a rather large lake there, the water is clean and blue, which is very suitable for stopping and swimming for a while. I must say that the water here is also extremely cool. Swimming here on hot days is amazing. In addition, the lake is surrounded by high cliffs where some of our group members enjoyed jumping into the lake. Most people stop at this point when they get here because maybe they don't have time or maybe they are tired or they don't know which way to continue their exploration.
The Second stop - Take a rest and Sightseeing
After having a great time at the first stop, we continued our journey by climbing the cliff on the right hand side to enter the forest. The cliffs here are quite high and steep so you should be careful and help each other to be able to make it safely. When entering the forest you will see a water pipe, you can follow that pipe to get to the next destination. The plants here are quite dense and have almost no path, keep close to the stream and bring a machete to clear the way. After about 30 minutes, we reached our second stop. We decided to stop here because some members were quite tired and needed to rest and recharge. You know, walking in the jungle and climbing the rocks is quite energy intensive. Besides, this is also a suitable stop because of the beautiful scenery around. There's also a waterfall and lake here, but none of us swam there because we all wanted to save up for the next long hike.
The Third stop - Colossus Waterfall
After the second stop, finding a way to continue the exploration will be a big problem because the area is surrounded by cliffs around and you won't see any path. A couple in our group decided to stop the expedition and return because they were exhausted and could not continue. The rest of us were still excited and looking to move forward. Our solution was that we chose the strongest person in the group who was able to cling to the vines to climb the cliff. Then we used a small, long and strong tree trunk to make a bridge that all members could cling to and climb the cliff with the help of people above and below the cliff. The quite fat members and girls had some difficulties, but in the end we all made it. After that, we continued to climb the rocks in the middle of the stream to reach the third stop - Colossus waterfall. After about 30 minutes walking along the stream in the hot sun, we finally reached the main destination of the day. Although everyone was quite tired after a long journey, all fatigue seemed to disappear as soon as we set our feet here. Colossus waterfall has a majestic beauty, it flows down from a high cliff and creates a beautiful lake below. Even though we arrived at 1pm, there wasn't a single ray of sunlight on our heads thanks to the high surrounding cliffs and forests. This is a perfect stop to rest, eat and admire the beauty of the falls and surrounding nature.
The Last stop - Exhausted and had to return
After having the best lunch at the foot of the Colossus waterfall, we rested for a while. Some people sit and enjoy the view, others soak in the water, while others meditate and take a nap. You might think this is our last stop for the day. No, after resting for a while, we resumed our natural exploration of this beautiful mountain region. We climbed a steep cliff by clinging to plants to reach the top of Colossus waterfal. After that, we continued to walk on the rocks in the middle of the stream or go in the forest to continue the expedition. We discovered 3 more waterfalls, each with their own beauty and they are about 20 to 30 minutes walk apart. Some members were quite exhausted and could not continue, they decided to stop at the fifth waterfall. Only me and 3 others made it to the last waterfall of the expedition. When we reached this waterfall, we couldn't continue because it was already 3:30 pm, we had to go back to the parking lot before dark. Otherwise we would have had the big trouble of walking in the woods and climbing the cliffs in the dark. I am sure there will be other beautiful waterfalls if we continue the journey. Anyhow, we were very pleased with what we discovered today. We went back to the parking lot at 5pm, it seemed to be that the journey back was quicker because we already knew the way and the weather was more pleasant. Afterwards, we treated ourselves to a glass of cool sugarcane juice before heading back to the city.
Beautiful Nature
Although this expedition was tiring, it also brought me two things. First, I feel proud of myself for what I've accomplished. I went to the end of the expedition. Second, I have received a wonderful gift from mother nature. Mother Nature has created a truly beautiful area with mountains, forests, cliffs, streams and waterfalls. And me and my friends were so lucky to come here and enjoy it. Not only that, the nature here has taught us about sharing and helping each other overcome difficulties and find our limits. We really had a great Sunday. Thank you mother nature!
Pure water stream
And perhaps my favorite thing about this trip is the beauty of the water. It is also the flow throughout our expedition today. Streams flow through cliffs and rocks creating beautiful waterfalls, streams and lakes. It is like the blood that brings life to this entire area. It also seems to give us the strength to continue our exploration. We even drank the water here to quench thirst and fatigue. I have never explored so many waterfalls in one day.
