The Lak Lake hidden waterfall trek

One of my favourite days at Lak Lake was spent hiking to Bim Bip, a hidden waterfall in the middle of the forest. I was staying at Lak Tented Camp in Vietnam’s central highlands, which is surrounded by mountains. What’s great about the eco-friendly camp is that it employs M’nong people from the local villages like Son, the guide who took me to Bim Bip. I would never have discovered this beautiful waterfall on my own.

The 2-kilometre trek took us through rice paddies into the forest, while Son told us stories about Lak, its agriculture and coffee farms. Surrounded by a tangle of trees and bird-sized butterflies, I felt about as far off the tourist trail as you can get. Finally, we emerged into a clearing to find a crashing waterfall completely devoid of other tourists. I’ve been to plenty of waterfalls in Asia, but none as quiet and peaceful as this one.

Hot from the hike, we swam in a sparkling pool while Son organised our picnic lunch, which came wrapped in banana leaves and included BBQ pork and rice cooked in bamboo shoots.  While we waited for transport back to the camp, we watched a family strapping lotus flowers and bananas onto a bike to take to market, while kids played together, making a simple game out of sticks.