In the wilderness and greenery of Binh Dinh Province are the beautiful rock pools and springs of Ham Ho.

Ham Ho’s springs, waterfalls, lakes and rivers cover about two kilometers in the mountainous area of Tay Son District. It is where two rivers winding out of the mountains meet.

Before merging into the Con River, both rivers wind around the rocks to form Ham Ho Spring, also called Kut River.

The Ham Ho Tourist Joint Stock Company manages the tourist site beside the spring.

From there, visitors can go to Ham Ho by foot or boat.

On the way, tourists can experience mountain views, abundant birdlife, fragrant wild flowers, unusual trees and plants.

Tourists can go boating and fishing, walk in the forest, swim or just relax in one of the small cottages on stilts among the trees.

“Vung trau nam” (the pond for buffalos to lie) is one of the swimming spots of Ham Ho. The rocks there have been shaped like buffalos with smooth backs by the water.

This is where the boats berth when they come from the tourist site.

In the rainy season (April-October), fish in the Con River swim upstream to Da Hang, the source of the river, to breed above the Ham Ho Waterfall.

It is said that in the old days fish gathered here every year to cross the waterfall. Any fish that crossed the waterfall became a dragon to fly up to heaven. For this reason, the waterfall is also called “Thac Ca Bay” (Flying Fish Waterfall).

Ham Ho has several specialties. The Hoa Loc Vung Restaurant serves an array of fish dishes, a kind of bird called chim mia, forest vegetables and a type of snail that lives in the rocks.

In the rainy season, the forests at Ham Ho turn into a green carpet dotted with splendid flowers and in the sunny season (November-February), the spring water is pure and the air is cold.

Tourists can go there any time of the year, but it gets very busy in the holidays.

To get there, go to Quy Nhon City, take Highway 19 west for 40 kilometers to Phu Phong and then go south for seven kilometers.

The spot is located in Phu My Hamlet of Tay Phu Commune.

Otherwise, Binh Dinh Tourist Company runs one day tours which also visit a museum commemorating King Quang Trung and the Banh It Tower. (thanhniennews)