We had arrived back from Thailand literally the day before the Valentine's Day, and since we didn't want to spend too much on something extravagant for the holiday but still wanted to mark the day, we settled on a trip down to the secret waterfalls in Quang Nam. We had discovered these falls a couple weeks prior, on an exploratory mission, and since they are in a pristine, undeveloped condition it was somewhere I wanted to take Kelsey very badly.
The day started out with a stop at the Huong Sen Coffeeshop between Hoa Khuong and Dai Hiep, which was a mediocre experience at best. Then it was onto the same path of roads as before, up the same dirt path and up the hiking trail to the waterfalls. The only people we saw from the moment we left the last good road was a friendly guy who was herding his cows, and that was it. The hike up was very pleasant, not too hot, and with plenty of birds providing a great soundtrack.
The falls was just as beautiful as before, even more so because this time we had a little bit of sunlight to give it some warmth. We posted up on the bedrock slabs around them, throwing our towels down and scattering our stuff all over the rocks. The weather was perfect for sunbathing, not too hot and not too chilly either. We went for a couple swims here and there, just generally being lazy and enjoying being together.
It was honestly a pretty lazy day. One of the highlights was definitely the birds. Not only were we serenaded by their songs as we hiked up to the falls, we also got to see a giant eagle of some kind (looked like a Black Eagle?) circling high overhead for a long time, as well as an Eastern Yellow Wagtail, who was dancing and singing for us while he was trying to get his beak wet.
Above L & R: Black eagle (?) Below: Eastern Yellow Wagtail.
Eventually we wandered upstream a little bit to see a change of scenery. It was amazing how clear the water was. In some of the pools it looked so insignificant, like it wasn't even there. The smooth granite bedrock was quite enchanting too, creating beautiful little slides, pools and falls. One of these miniature slides looked like something you would see out of California's legendary kayak holy lands, but on a much smaller scale. Perhaps perfect for a LEGO kayaker or a "foamie" boat.
After a while it was simply time to call it a day and head home. We had spent the better part of six hours laying around, hanging out, enjoying each other's company, but it was time to get back to our lives in the city. So, back down the hiking trail, back out the dirt track, and onto the country road, all the way back to Da Nang. A great day in a beautiful spot, with the love of my life!
All photos copyright Kit Davidson.