Things to See & Do in Ba Na Nui Chua Nature Reserve

Sun World Ba Na Hills

Sun World Ba Na Hills lies in the heart of Ba Na Nui Chua Nature Reserve. So, it’s considered to be an attraction here, although it’s much more famous than the surrounding protection area.

From everywhere in Ba Na Hills, visitors can see old and dense forests of Ba Na Nui Chua Nature Reserve, plus beautiful views, extremely fresh and cool air, whispering sound of streams and the chance to watch animals. In the spring (around Vietnamese Lunar new year festival), there are many wild flowers blooming in the mountain, making it the best time to visit. One of them is bell-shaped cherry blossom or hoa dao chuong (see details below). During the summer time, cicadas wake up and make noise from the jungle. In the rainy season, it’s possible to see misty mountains, cloud forests, waterfalls with strong water, etc.

Toc Tien Waterfall

In the Dream Stream (Suoi Mo), near cable car stations, Toc Tien Waterfall is the most beautiful waterfall in Da Nang. It cascades from the top of a 70-meters-tall rocky cliff, through dense jungle and bamboo forests. In the bottom of this waterfall, there are wild banana forests, giving the mountain the name ‘Ba Na Hills’ (‘banana hills’).

In Vietnamese, Toc Tien means ‘hair of the fairy lady’ because it’s long and looks so beautiful and dreamy. The stream is known as ‘Suoi Mo’ which means ‘dream spring/stream’.

The best time to watch Toc Tien Waterfall is during the rainy season between October and January. In this season, it rains everyday, feeding rivers, streams and waterfalls. Because of that, the water flows strongly and then the waterfall becomes spectacular. During the dry season, the fall has less water. By that, it’s graceful, just like its name ‘Hair of the Fairy Lady’.

One of the cable cars at Ba Na Hills is named after Toc Tien Waterfall. In this station, the cable car carries the passenger to the French Village, above the waterfall and surrounding jungles. Those who stay in the hotel at Ba Na Hills, will come here to go check in and then see the room.

Before 2009, Toc Tien Waterfall opened to visitors and Ba Na Hills was known as ‘Ba Na Suoi Mo Tourist Area’. That’s why bridges and paths going to it are seen from the cable car. Now, this waterfall is accessible to tourists. The only way to see/photograph it is from the cable car from Thac Toc Tien Station to L’Indochine Station, from Champa Station to Taiga Station and least popular, from Suoi Mo Station to Ba Na Station (and vice versa). If get the cable car from Hoi An Station to Golden Bridge, passengers will not see Toc Tien Waterfall.

The King Peak – Top of Ba Na Hills

At an elevation of 1,487 meters, the King Peak (or Dinh Nui Chua in Vietnamese) is the highest point of Ba Na Hills and the area. It’s often called ‘Roof of Da Nang’. Here, there is one temple and one pagoda constructed, alongside with a tall tower and pavilions to observe stunning views down to Ba Na Nui Chua Nature Reserve. The temple sits on the highest ground, dedicated to worship of one of Vietnamese goddesses. Meanwhile, the pagoda is to worship Lord Buddha and it has a nice architecture, especially wooden carvings and marble statues.

To go to the highest point, visitors need to climb many stairs from the Saint Denis Church, the French Village. Steps are less steep and smaller than the Marble Mountains, but it’s still needed to consider carefully once climbed. Half way, there is a teahouse serving tea.

Rocky Cliff Below Cable Car to Golden Bridge

Below the cable car to the Golden Hands Bridge, visitors will be impressed by a gigantic, spectacular rock face. It’s the southern side of a huge granite rock that is partly covered by old forests of Ba Na Nui Chua Nature Reserve. One of the cable car towers stands on its top. Do not forget taking a picture when seeing this natural landmark!

Red Shanked Douc Langurs

Not only Son Tra Peninsula, red shanked douc langur also lives in Ba Na Nui Chua Nature Reserve. It’s one of 25 most endangered primates in the world. In the coolest times of the day, early morning or late afternoon, visitors can observe families of this primate in forests near the Golden Bridge, Le Jardin d’Amour Flower Garden, Linh Ung Ba Na Pagoda or King Peak. Langurs are shy, so please do not try to go closer to them and just see/photograph them from a distance.

See also: Son Tra Langur (Red Shanked Douc)

Bell-Shaped Cherry Blossom

The bell-shaped cherry blossom (Enkianthus quinqueflorus, hoa dao chuong) is the emblematic flower of Ba Na Hills. It’s internationally known as the Chinese new year flower because it blooms in the spring, especially around Vietnamese and Chinese lunar new year festivals. Its color is pink. To see it, people must go to forests at least 1,000 meters above sea level. In Ba Na Hills, to see this lovely flower, visitors need to go along the walking path to the left of the Saint Denis Church, or the staircase to the King Peak (top of the mountain). Many photographers often come to the hill station to capture the best moments of bell-shaped cherry blossoms.

Gieng Troi (‘Heaven Well’)

Gieng Troi (literally ‘Heaven Well’) is a beautiful waterfall in the heart of Ba Na Nui Chua Nature Reserve. It’s a hidden jewel in the mountains west of Da Nang. In the past, there was a trekking trail through forests to this place, allowing locals to come and go on picnics. However, now this road is closed because of biodiversity conservation reasons.