The Elephant Falls
About 30 kilometers south west of Dalat, are the Elephant Falls (Tách Voi). This unbroken sheet of water crashing down ten meters makes an impressive backdrop… even for wedding pictures.
We visited the Elephant Falls immediately after having toured the Cường Hoàn Silk Factory, in the village of Nam Ban. At first, we thought our directions must be wrong, because there was no river in this dusty little town, let alone any hills or cliffs that could possibly allow for a waterfall!
But there was a sign promising “Elephant Falls”, so we stowed our skepticism and walked a couple hundred meters. And wouldn’t you know it: just off its main road, Nam Ban has a river and cliffs, after all. The bashful little town just hides them from view.
Approaching the waterfalls requires a short hike down a rather perilous set of stairs. They’re slick and uneven, and negotiating them adds a welcome touch of adventure to the experience. Once at the bottom, a set of collapsed basalt columns provide a natural platform from which to appreciate the waterfalls.
If you explore a little, you’ll find a cave at the base of the falls. Getting inside requires a bit of acrobatics, but you’ll be rewarded with a view from behind the falling water. The spray is heavy, so without a poncho (or a willingness to get naked), you won’t be able to get too close.
Like the Silk Factory, the Elephant Falls are a popular stop on the Easy Rider tours leaving Dalat, so it’s extremely unlikely you’ll find yourself alone. But it wasn’t much of a problem during our visit.
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