7 Years Ago

When I was young and fearless (of course, I’m still young now, I’m just a bit more cowardly), I thought it would be a fantastic idea to conquer Bach Ma peak in the most difficult way possible, something that not many people dare to do. It’s a journey of walking with my own feet from the foot of the mountain to the top and camping there overnight, covering a distance of 17 kilometers. It is a personal endurance record that I will always be proud of.

Now

Fast-forward to 2023, and memories of that journey still haunt me. But being someone who enjoys a challenge, I invited my colleagues at Paradox, the software company where I work, to join me on a less strenuous version of the trip.

We set off with a bang, riding motorcycles with a team of 7 people, my girlfriend was the only girl on the team. I’m pretty sure she was only there to ensure that I will not do anything stupid, but who cares, I always do something silly.

It takes about 1.5 hours to reach the foot of Mount Bach Ma. The receptionist assisted us in purchasing tickets and booking a taxi driver to take us from the foot of the mountain to the top. The cost of a ticket is 60,000 VND per person, and the cost of a taxi driver is 1,200,000 VND per team. The taxi driver spent the entire day with us.

When the taxi driver arrived, we were all charged up and ready to go. He drove us from the foot of the mountain to the land located 800 meters away from the top. From there, we began our walk to the summit.

Bach Ma Peak:

Upon reaching the top, we were greeted by a giant bell that anyone could ring for free.

I couldn’t resist the temptation and gave it a good ring. But unlike the majestic wildlife that I had remembered from my last trip, all we saw was an eagle circling overhead. It was the only creature we saw that day.

I guess Bach Ma has gone downhill since the last time I was here.

We snapped some photos, had some snacks, and then headed back down.

The driver took us down to the Do Quyen restaurant, where we hiked down to Ngu Ho (5 Lakes).

Five Lakes:

This was an exciting and dangerous journey that required us to pay attention to every step.

The rough, wet, and moss-covered road made it difficult to move, and we had to cling to the vines to avoid slips as a rule of thumb.

However, when we arrived at the lakes, all of our hard work was worth it.

The crystal clear and incredibly cool water stream of the five lakes was a refreshing reward that healed our tired muscles.

Although there are still many places to explore, but due to time constraints, we decided to go to the Do Quyen waterfall as the final destination.

Do Quyen Waterfall:

The walk from 5 Lakes to Do Quyen waterfall was probably the longest distance we covered, but we had no regrets after reaching this stunning location. At the top of the waterfall, we zoomed our eyes far away, screamed like wild animals, and relaxed with the flowing water. It was a truly unforgettable experience.

The driver warned us not to go down to the foot of the falls because the 689 steps down were very difficult and had to go up, but of course, we ignored him. Luckily, we soon realized it was a literal mortification, and we gave up after 10 minutes of going down and back midway. Lesson learned: always listen to the experts!

In the end, we all farewell to Do Quyen waterfall, piled back into the taxi and headed back to civilization. We were exhausted, but we felt like we had accomplished something truly epic.

Maybe we’ll do it again someday, or maybe we’ll just stick to the beach next time.