Hoi An Backlands

Entrance

Pay here 15k vnd per person. Drive straight keeping the lake on your right. Look at the broken bridge on the way but dont try to walk it lol!

Parking bikes

Park your bike here and walk straight on! Dont get tempted to stay here 😘

Vietnamese party point

Most people dont go further then this point or continue by the riverstones upwards but lately I discovered a path next to the river which brings you to the most incredible crustal clear water holes/pools! The path needed some cuts so I did for 3 days a lot of work but now it is all ready. It is for all levels from beginniner to advanced because you can simply go as high up as you want and return back anytime. It will take around 40mn to reach the first swimming spots. Very idealic. Path is mostly in the shade. We go to the right white tent on the photo and there our path will start! Enjoy.

Climb up. Fitst challenge from 2

Bergpas

Path

Challenge 2/2

View

First cool off place

Here you can walk down to the stream. It is very well accesible here but if you want a good swim and a very idealic spot you need to walk a bit upstream through the water up to 1meter of depth. If you walk a but further to the next stop there is another path down directly to that idealic spot but it is very steep and you need to hold on to trees and roots not to slide or fall. The spot has a small 'sandy' (very small stones) beach that is most of the day in shade and there is a beautiful pool with free fish spa.

Second stop steep down

Same description in the previous step. One of the photos is from another day when I was hiking here with 4 dutch guys.

Spot 3 swimming + Rock jumping

Maximum depth of the water is 4 meter. I jumped here before but ofcourse it is on your own risk. If you face the pool I jumped from the first rock on the right.

My first break is here.

By now I am all drenched in sweat so it is time to refresh. Since the only people I saw in 15 visits were 5 vietnamese guys who made the campspots I always take off all my clothes, wash them out in the water, squeeze them out and then hang them to dry on hot rocks. Dry in one hour or a bit wet still in less time but thats oke too. Eating some nuts here and some carbs for more energy and lets go again. I spent 30 min here but pauzed the wikilocks recording on all breaks so the time you see is actually the time I have been actively walking. This sandy beach is perfect to make a fire at night or even camp but they say better never camp on the floor, even though I do have a mosquito tent so maybe ok in that case. Be aware of rising water though if it starts raining in the night. You will not be washed away so quick here though.

End track 1.

Continue over de rocks of the stream. Best to take out your hat and put some sunscreen now.

Campingspot 1 hammock

Perfect to hang your hammock to stay over in the jungle. Not sure how they put the plastic over here but I saw the group vietnamese guys actually camping here.

Cool down spot

Take the middle one here. Take all your clothes again and hang them in the sun for drying.

Still going strong?

Just an example of the path you are walking here. Make you own by choosing your own stones 😊

Biggest pool, small lake and waterfall

I didnt go down here this time actually but it is amazing there with deep depths. Havent explore yet with my goggles, next time. I post some photos from down next to the small lake and waterfall from last time.

Nest

Most beautiful point so far!

But then I knew because I have been here last week! More to discover now!! And I will tell you, it is promising from what I have seen just a little bit further! This shot is made of above clearly while the other photos where from downstairs from the other day.

Track 3 right side

Before you dissapear in the jungle by walking in the path on the right side of the photo, go all the way left to the water and look deep in the jungle over de stream. You see a waterfall but if you look better even further you might be able to see a water drop or in other words, a gigantic waterfall! So excited to go on. First time I will pass this point @ Rutje in the jungle! Ah and not to forget, I did the clothes cleaning again and swom into the river to waterfall number 1. Havent seen the second from closeby unfortunately even though I think it is the highest and most beautiful waterfall of all the track. I think there is another path going there though. Its a path on the right on my way down after I passed the biggest waterhole again and just before you reach another hammock camping spot. If I find it I will post it. This time I just left all my clothes and took fresh ones from my bag. When I go down I will change into those clean ones again. You can impossible take clean sets for everytime you are drenched in sweat!

Wow. Well here is the waterfall but it is hard to see. The sound is impressive though!

One top and hearing the big waterfall

Its not really the top but it is one for sure.

Back at the river

This trail was amazing. Big climbs and drops again. If you go left on the pictures you will find the waterfall. You will have to swim though because not accessible by foot except perhaps by that path I mentioned earlier which I will discover next time.

Rivier

Here the landscape gets less steep and you get quiet water with nice sandbanks.

Rivier

It continues for a bit

Cave

Its not actually a cave but just a big whole in the stone. I am very curious how that whole was made..

Not much water left

I thought this was the end of the spring but I somehow went away from the big stream following this path. Nice though because this let me in walking a round because after I went down by the river.

THE END

Almost though and certainly not the end of the river. A lot of water in it again or still. I decide to walk a little bit further in the water so I had to take my shoes and socks out.

Hammock night 3

All in one day so far. But heading back after. Its 1500h. Here is number 3 but actually number 4 because I missed on as I discovered on my way back. I wouldnt want to sleep 4 nights in the jungle but ok, one night would be awsome. Here is a very steep waterfall on one side and water coming from the stream of the other side. A good extra tree to put the plastic over makes this a very steady place to stay. My preference I would say. I had a last wash and drank some energy drink (pocari sweat) and finished my dried fruits, nuts and oats for the way back.

Hammock 4 or 3

This is the one I missed going up. It is on the right side just before the point where the sandbanks start and where the riverwater slides without noise.

Dead end, back the same way as we came

I tried to go and see the big waterfall but didnt feel like leaving all my stuff out of sight besides the long swim.

Here we go right this time

Back at this amazing sink/ waterhole.. instead of going the same way back as I came I now follow the path on the right side. Funny story.. the other time when I was skinnydipping I climbed up the waterfall. I was scared to go down the same wayband since I didnt explore the depht around the side of the waterhole I didnt want to jump. Really high! Scary. So I walked the path all naked lol. At some point there is a crossing. We go left but you can also go right up. I wouldnt be surprised if that path goes to the big waterfall. As I mentioned before, still to discover.

Camp 2

This campsite has a bar overhead as well. Nice for the rain if you bring a big plastic cover that is! I missed this camp on the way up but it is the second one. I have seen 4 in total. From here I followed the river again by walking on the rocks. Didnt find any trails here. This was also the end of my recording because my battery was low and I didnt bring any powerbank. Just follow the same path as you came and you are good. Almost 20km in total I walked today but I can tell on my legs it was much more than that going up and down on rocks all the time! Hope you will enjoy as much as I did!