Bo Bla Waterfall

Bo Bla Waterfall

First published May 2014 | Words and photos by Vietnam Coracle

This post was last updated 9 years ago. Please check the comments section for possible updates, or read more on my Updates & Accuracy page.

Bo Bla Waterfall, Dalat

Bo Bla waterfall is 80km southwest of Dalat on Highway 20. Set in an undulating landscape covered in coffee plantations and dominated by the Di Linh Massif, these spectacular falls were once a major attraction for Vietnamese tour groups. Now, it seems, Bo Bla’s glory days have passed, and this once popular tourist site has been left to rot and decay in the sun and rain of the Central Highlands. The car park and entrance are now almost completely concealed by bushes and trees; there’s mild graffiti on the ticket kiosks; young lovers have carved their names into the concrete viewing huts; the steep, winding stairway down to the falls is blocked by fallen bamboo and banana trees; and the kitsch concrete elephants on the grassy bank by the falls have lost all their painted colour and a few of their tusks have fallen off.

Bo Bla Waterfall, Dalat

However, Bo Bla’s state of decay is great news for travellers, like me, who prefer their waterfalls to be empty of tourists and left in their natural state, rather than ‘embellished’ by fairground statues and ruined by trash. Indeed, the abandoned theme park feel of Bo Bla only adds to its appeal: there’s something of the magic and mystery of ‘Spirited Away’ about this place, and all the kitsch decorations look much better with age and neglect – it feels as though you’ve stumbled upon an ancient sacred site of ritual worship.

Bo Bla Waterfall, Dalat

The dilapidation of the tourist infrastructure is in stark contrast to the vitality of the falls themselves, which crash down onto volcanic rocks from a height of over 50 metres. There’s a wide pool at the base of the falls where you can bathe, watched over by the surreal concrete elephants. The river beyond the falls is rocky and shaded by big tropical trees with exposed roots reaching to the waters’ edge. This is a good spot for a picnic, although there’s still some rubbish around, left here by the not-so-thoughtful visitors who once descended upon this place when it was still a popular tourist site. The crumbling stairway down to the falls offers superb views of the cascade, glimpsed through dense foliage. Bo Bla is certainly the prettiest and also one of the most atmospheric of all the falls I visited in Lâm Đồng Province.

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Bo Bla Waterfall, Dalat

There’s no admission charge as there’s no one here to man the ruined ticket kiosk. Young locals still visit from time to time for a romantic walk at dusk, but, if you come on a weekday morning or afternoon, you’ll have to entire site to yourself. The nearest town is Di Linh (10km) where you’ll find food and accommodation, including Juliet’s Villa Resort. You can take a local bus from Dalat to Di Linh and then find a motorbike taxi to take you to the falls. Or you can rent a motorbike or larger vehicle from Dalat and drive here yourself. The falls are a two hour drive from Dalat on Highway 20. The entrance is on Highway 20, opposite 208 Thôn 8, Xã Liên Đầm: [MAP]

Images of Bo Bla waterfall:

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Questions, updates and trip reports are all welcome. However, please keep comments polite and on-topic. See commenting etiquette for details.

  1. boris says:
    September 18, 2022 at 4:48 AM

    hi the site is now open. completely renovated for big tourism industry. the entrance is 220.000vnd

    1. Tom says:
      September 19, 2022 at 4:06 AM

      Thanks, Boris, for this update. I’m happy to hear the waterfall is open again, although I hope the renovation for tourism has maintained the natural beauty of the setting.

      Best,

      Tom

  2. kiki vuong says:
    January 4, 2019 at 4:46 AM

    Tom,

    I have mixed news about the bo bla waterfalls, i went there this morning and they have erected a new fence at the entrance. A security guard stopped me when I tried to enter. He told me that a company got the property and they are renovating the whole
    area including the path to go down to the fall and they are adding some amenities for visitors. He didn’t know much about the future plans but I saw workers going down the hill.

    He told me that this will be a long construction work. So we have to wait to see how it goes.

    But for now the area is closed.

    By the way I am visiting the area around Di Linh and the scenery is really stunning !!

    1. Tom says:
      January 4, 2019 at 5:48 AM

      Hi Kiki,

      Thanks for the update. That’s interesting news. I suppose it was always just a matter of time before someone came in to resurrect that site. Still, I enjoyed the abandonment of it – had a real sense of mystery about it.

      Tom

    2. Marc says:
      April 9, 2019 at 5:15 AM

      I confirm. I tried to get there yesterday.
      Big hug!

  3. Adam says:
    March 1, 2018 at 3:50 PM

    Hi Tom,

    I have been driving up and down highway 20 here by the Bo Bla Falls but I can’t for the life of me find the entrance. I tried to search “208 Thôn 8, Xã Liên Đầm” but google maps can only find Thon 1. I also do not see any addresses. I’m in a very cozy and clean motel about 10km away from the falls (an very reasonable 180,000!) I hope to find Bo Bla in the morning and then head West to Dambri Falls. Any additional help in finding Bo Bla entrance would be appreciated, the locals speak no English and when I showed them picture they almost seem to not know the water fall exists!

    Thank you kindly
    Adam

    1. Tom says:
      March 1, 2018 at 4:25 PM

      Hi Adam,

      🙂 That’s strange. Well, if you show this to the hotel staff they should certainly be able to direct you there: ‘Thác Bobla ở đâu?’

      Google Maps does have a pin for it, but it’s not always 100% accurate: here it is.

      I hope you find it,

      Tom

      1. Adam says:
        March 2, 2018 at 3:06 AM

        Thank you Tom! I got your pin and am heading there now!

      2. Adam says:
        March 2, 2018 at 10:28 AM

        Un.Be.Lievable.

        I made it to Bo Bla. The trek down the abandoned jungle path truly made the eventual sight of the falls that much more specracular. I was in awe of this place. Can’t believe how abandoned it is. Honestly I hope it stays exactly this abandoned for as long as possible. It is such a nice contrast to the built up, but still impressive, Dambri falls which I visited just before Bo Bla. But man oh man Bo Bla…stunning. Thank you again Tom for helping me and so many others enjoy this beautiful country!

        1. Tom says:
          March 2, 2018 at 10:44 AM

          Hi Adam,

          Really glad you found it and enjoyed it. I agree, the fact that it’s abandoned adds to its appeal. And, yes, Dambri is a cautionary tale about what might happen to Bo Bla if it ever were developed into an attraction again. It seems inevitable that it will at some point though.

          Tom

          1. Tim says:
            June 24, 2018 at 2:35 AM

            I must say I actually like how they set up Dambri falls. It is still beautiful, tons of great views, and a lot of things for families to do to make a day out of it. I was there on a weekday when there were only a few people there, and I know people hate the elevator, but it really does give it something to set it apart from all the others and make it more recognizable.

            1. Tom says:
              June 24, 2018 at 9:48 AM

              Hi Tim,

              Yes, I suppose it’s good for families, and it is certainly nice to have so many good viewing positions. But all the kitsch fairground stuff is pretty incongruous in what is supposed to be a sight of the ‘awesome power of nature’ 🙂

              Tom

  4. Tim Wolfe says:
    March 1, 2018 at 11:38 AM

    I went to Dambri and Bo Bla falls today. It’s a long ride, and the place is closed permanently at this point. The gate is shut, it is completely abandoned, but you can still get it….although i’m pretty sure you aren’t supposed to.

    The falls are beautiful, but i would be extremely cautious if you came down here after a recent rainfall as a landslide has taken down some of the stairway going down along the path and it is a bit dangerous. Of course, I slipped on the rocks at the bottom of the falls and cut my leg, but these falls are peaceful, a bit lonely, and still rather powerful. I would be quite happy if this place was cleaned and restored in a private and peaceful way, fixing the trail and putting up a couple tiny shacks, new signage, and a litter crew and this place would definitely bring tourists again. I hope to highlight these falls in some items i will be designing to highlight the waterfalls of the da lat region. Maybe I can help bring some light back to this forgotten place.

    1. Tom says:
      March 1, 2018 at 4:27 PM

      Hi Tim,

      Great to hear you got to the falls (despite slipping up). Yes, I’m sure one day it will be developed again into an attraction, but how tasteful it will be remains to be seen. Let’s hope so.

      Tom

  5. Susan says:
    February 28, 2018 at 8:32 PM

    This was one of the best waterfalls I visited. Thanks for the tip, you can still enter this abandoned place and it was such a good experience. Super quiet, no one else but me. Had to rush though because I had a long trip waiting to Ho Chi Minh, but this stop was so worth it. Thanks again!

    1. Tom says:
      March 1, 2018 at 1:58 AM

      Hi Susan,

      Glad to hear that you enjoyed it, although sorry it was rushed 🙂

      Tom

  6. Hayden says:
    March 14, 2016 at 9:04 AM

    Thanks for this Tom,

    Yazmine and I camped out here last night, right between the elephants.
    A group of young kids came down to fish, they gave us some fish and frogs to skewer and cook on the campfire.
    Had an awesome time.

    1. Tom says:
      March 14, 2016 at 3:29 PM

      Hi Hayden,

      Great to hear you camped here. Sounds like a lot of fun! I might be stopping by Long Son with a couple of friends in the next few days so hopefully I’ll see you there.

      Tom

  7. Daniel Wiens says:
    January 30, 2016 at 4:38 AM

    I just spent two nights camping down by the falls. You can find it on google maps as Thac Bo Bla and the parking area is about 6.5km past Di Linh on the left across the street from a small market.
    I was completely alone almost the entire time and only saw three tourists. A few guys live up top and work the fields and there was a group that came up the river to fish with nets every evening. Be carful of rain if you decide to camp though because the river can rise very quickly.

    1. Tom says:
      January 30, 2016 at 7:33 AM

      Hi Daniel,

      Glad you enjoyed the waterfall. Yes, it’s usually very quiet there, although sometimes on weekends and public holidays it is still popular with young Vietnamese groups picnicking by the falls.

      Enjoy the rest of your trip

      Tom