After one comfortable night Dong Du village lakeside farmstay. We head out for Pu Mat National Park, with just as little online information, was more incredible than we had ever expected. Trusty google maps told us that Pu Mat  National Park was around 40km off of the Ho Chi Minh Highway. We were heading south down this beautiful road and the large expanse of green edging the Laos border looked like a worthy detour. But, when we got to the little red pin, all we found was a sorry looking sign and an army barracks full of bored looking, half uniformed soldiers. Stumbling upon an even sorrier looking Nha Nghi, we almost gave up. But, a second google maps search for Thac Kem, the waterfall we knew was inside the park somewhere, showed a wiggly little white line right to the falls.

The road was beautiful and completely devoid of other people. It wound its way into the park, beside a brilliantly clear river fringed by drooping jungle, and ended with a large carpark that was equally empty. We parked, changed and let Jimi lead the way into the jungle.

The waterfall appeared in front of us quite suddenly, rising high above the nearby forest in an elegant cascade that made us gasp and sigh in wonder.

Through the trees, on a path ingeniously made from old tyres, we saw Kem Waterfall in all its glory. It must stand 200 feet or taller and it tumbles down broken rocks and shining leaves. Two craters at the bottom pool water in turquoise bowls that we dove into headfirst.

On our way back to the QL7, where there are a few hotels, we took a right turn because the way looked picturesque. We stopped beside some tea fields and took one last look at the map. We then zoomed in and, lo and behold, ‘ Homestay Hoa Thu‘ popped up. We drove on and found that Yen Khe is a dusty one street village with not one but 3 homestays and has some kind of UNESCO related sign that has worn down with age.

We chose Hanh Chien Homestay as it had the best view and we settled in for a night with Hanh and his family. They cooked us a delicious dinner of marinated pork, buttery bamboo shoots and seasoned omelette. It was served with rice, and rice wine of course. Later, as we enjoyed the cool night air in the open area of the beautiful stilt house, we exchanged names and giggles with the whole family, including their 90 something year old grandmother. I won’t butcher her name by trying to type it but it sounded like the word for honey and her creased smile was incredibly sweet.

When we embarked on this trip down the Ho Chi Minh Highway, from Hanoi to Hoi An, we were itching to get to some of the green National Parks we could see dotting the grey map.

While we cannot say much for Ben En, and we later skipped Vu Quang (where Vietnam’s last remaining tigers are thought to reside), let this blog post attest to the fact that Pu Mat  National Park, Kem Waterfall and Yen Khe village are more than worth a visit.

About Pu Mat National Park
Located in the middle of the Annamite Range. Pu Mat National Park is located in Anh Son, Con Cuong and Tuong Duong districts, Nghe An Province, about 132km from Vinh City and 110km from Dong Du Village Lakeside Farmstay.

The park, formerly known as Pu Mat National Reserve, covers an area of over 91,000ha and has 896 flora species, 241 mammal species, 137 bird species, 25 reptiles and 15 amphibians. Many scientists also see Pu Mat as Viet Nam’s great museum of animal gene pool.

Significantly, Pu Mat is one of Viet Nam’s rare forests such as Quang Nam, Danang, Ha Tinh and Thua Thien-Hue where sao la (long-horned bovid or scientific name Pseudoryx nghetinhensis) can be found. Sao la is one of the animals facing extinction, according to the World Conservation Union’s Red List of Endangered Species.

Together with many unique animals, the primitive forest also has many beautiful landscapes. Among the favourite destinations are the 150m Kem Waterfall, Giang River and ethnic minority villages in the forest such as Thai, Tho, Dan Lai and H’Mong.

The trekking tours, where travellers have an opportunity to explore the jungle and unique villages, are among the top choices for visitors of Pu Mat. These tours also allow visitors to speak to ethnic minorities and learn about their arts and culture, visit villages making brocades or tho cam and enjoy special food such as com lam (rice in bamboo cylinders).