Description | Image Slideshow | Map
First published May 2014 | Words and photos by Vietnam Coracle
Liên Khương is a dusty, busy, and unattractive town, 20km south of Dalat. From the horrible highway that passes through town, you’d never guess there was an imposing waterfall here. But Liên Khương is, like most towns in the Central Highlands, built on a river, and, before the highway, it was the river that was the focus of town. Just after the Đa Nhim River passes through Liên Khương, it crashes over a vast escarpment of jagged rock, some 200 metres wide. The deluge of muddy, brown water sends a smokey spray into the air which drifts over to the trees and vegetable gardens along the river bank. After the falls, the river continues to cut its course, with added vigour, through a heavily farmed landscaped, parallel to the highway. It’s not the most spectacular falls in this list, but it’s an attractive and ‘unexpected’ one nonetheless.
Bizarrely, the entrance to Liên Khương falls is through a shopfront (look for a sign on your left [south] just after passing a big traffic circle: the shop is called Thu Thảo, and the address is 323 QL 20, TỔ 7). Pay the shop attendants 5,000VNĐ ($0.25) and they’ll lead you down concrete stairs, through their home, and onto a long, steep metal staircase through banana trees and bamboo to the river. It’s a pretty walk down, but a tiring hike back up. After walking through some vegetable patches you’ll see the falls. There are rocks strewn about the base of the waterfall, so it’s possible to jump from one to another, making your own way up and across the cascade. It’s a pleasant spot, all the more so because no one, except local fishermen, seems to visit this waterfall. Most of the dams on the Đa Nhim River are further down stream, so there’s always a decent flow here, but after heavy rains it can flood and become extremely dangerous.
It’s easy to visit this waterfall by hired motorbike from Dalat. Drive 28km south on Highway 20 and look for the address mentioned above. [MAP]
Images of Lien Khuong waterfall:
Seldom visited Lien Khuong falls 
The falls are accessed through a shopfront: look out for this sign 
Metal steps lead through bamboo to the river 
Lien Khuong waterfall is 200m wide 
The Đa Nhim River cuts its path through the Central Highlands
[Go back to main article: Dalat’s Waterfalls]
Now there is a beautiful and interesting resort on the banks of the river with access to the falls. With a homestay and three restaurants and a Golf oriented dedicated wing, the place is a dream come true for those wishing for a respite from city life.
Can’t wait to check this out today. Thanks for your lovely guide.
Hi Matt,
I hope you enjoy it. I haven’t been back to Lien Khuong waterfall for a couple of years, so perhaps it’s changed. It’s also the dry season right now, so maybe there won’t be much water.
Tom
Hi matt, I was actually there…..almost the same exact day that you were. Tom you may want to make an update one of these days as these things change quickly in Vietnam. You can now ONLY access these falls if you have a 4-wheeler capable of going around from the other side. The store front that once existed to allow entrance is no longer there, so there is no access. My local guide and I tried, but the best we could do was a photo from the road. No access.
Hi Tim,
Thanks for the update. That’s a shame about the shop. But I bet local people still have a way to get down to the waterfall from that side of the road – there’s always a way 🙂 I’ll take a look next to I go by.
Tom