Thac K50 (Hang En): A Traveler's Guide to Gia Lai's Hidden Waterfall

What it is

Thac K50 — sometimes called Hang En waterfall — is a 50-meter cascade that plunges directly into a cave entrance in the jungle east of Gia Lai province. The "K50" name comes from its height (roughly 50 meters), and "Hang En" refers to the swallow cave at its base where the water disappears underground. It sits in the border area between Gia Lai and Binh Dinh provinces, deep in the An Khe range, surrounded by primary forest that most Vietnamese tourists haven't heard of yet.

The waterfall was only "discovered" for tourism purposes in the mid-2010s, though Bahnar ethnic minority communities in the area have known it forever. There's no ticket booth, no paved walkway, no handrail. That's the point.

Why travelers go

Thac K50 isn't on any standard Central Highlands itinerary. People come here specifically because it requires effort — a motorbike ride on red-dirt roads, a jungle trek, and a scramble down rocks. The payoff: a powerful waterfall crashing into a dark cave mouth, with nobody else around on weekdays. The surrounding forest is dense, loud with insects and birds, and feels genuinely remote even though you're only about 60 km from Pleiku city.

If you've done the more accessible waterfalls around Da Lat or the easy-access falls near Kon Tum, K50 is a different category. It's for people who want to earn their waterfall.

Best time to visit

The sweet spot is October to December — the tail end of the rainy season when water volume is high but trails aren't completely washed out. The waterfall is most impressive when the rains have been heavy.

• June to September: Peak rainy season. The waterfall is thunderous but trails become slippery and occasionally impassable. Flash flooding risk in the creek bed.
• January to April: Dry season. The waterfall thins significantly — some years it's barely a trickle by March. The trek is easier, but visually less rewarding.
• May: Transitional. Hit or miss depending on when the first big rains arrive.

How to get there

Getting to the area

The closest city is Pleiku (Gia Lai's capital), about 60 km to the west. From Da Nang, it's roughly 5-6 hours by bus or private car via the QL19 highway through An Khe town. From Quy Nhon (Binh Dinh coast), it's about 3 hours west on QL19.

If you're doing a longer Central Highlands (중부 고원 / 中部高原 / 中部高原) loop — Kon Tum to Pleiku to Buon Ma Thuot — K50 makes a solid half-day detour.

The last stretch

From An Khe town, head south toward xa Kroong (Krong commune) on provincial road DT669. After roughly 20 km, you'll hit increasingly rough terrain. The final 5-7 km to the trailhead is unpaved red laterite — manageable on a motorbike in dry conditions, sketchy when wet. A semi-automatic (Honda Wave, Blade) handles it better than a heavy adventure bike unless you're experienced off-road.

From the trailhead parking area (really just a flat spot where locals leave their bikes), it's a 2-3 km trek through jungle to the waterfall. The path follows a creek bed for the last section. Budget 45-60 minutes each way, more if it's been raining.

Guides

You don't strictly need a guide, but the trail isn't marked and there are a couple of forks where wrong turns lead nowhere useful. Local Bahnar villagers in Kroong commune offer guiding for around 200,000-300,000 VND per group. Ask at the last hamlet before the road ends. They'll also watch your motorbike.

Photo by Quang Nguyen Vinh on Pexels

What to do

• Swim in the plunge pool at the base — the water is cold, deep enough to jump into from lower rocks (check depth first, it changes seasonally).
• Explore the cave mouth behind the curtain of water. Bring a headlamp; the cave extends about 30-40 meters before it gets too narrow.
• Photography — the cave framing the waterfall from behind is the signature shot. Best light in the morning when sun angles into the gorge.
• Just sit. The sound in that enclosed space is enormous. It's a rare place where you feel genuinely small.

Where to eat

There's nothing at the waterfall itself — pack your own food and water for the trek. Back in An Khe town, options are limited but functional:

• Com binh dan (rice plate shops) line the main road through town. 30,000-45,000 VND for a full plate.
• Pho and bun bo at the morning market near the old bus station. Nothing remarkable, but filling before a trek.
• If you're heading back to Pleiku after, the city has better eating — grilled chicken with "com lam" (bamboo rice) is the local specialty, and there are decent "banh mi (반미 / 越式法包 / バインミー)" carts near Pleiku's central market.

Where to stay

Most travelers base in either An Khe or Pleiku:

• An Khe: A handful of nha nghi (guesthouses) along QL19. Basic rooms run 150,000-250,000 VND/night. Don't expect English or booking platforms — just show up.
• Pleiku: More range. Budget hotels on Hung Vuong street from 300,000 VND; a couple of mid-range options (Duc Long, Hoang Anh) around 500,000-700,000 VND with decent wifi and hot water.

There's no accommodation at the waterfall. Camping is theoretically possible near the trailhead, but you'd need to be fully self-sufficient and comfortable with jungle sounds at night.

Photo by Quang Nguyen Vinh on Pexels

Practical tips

• Footwear matters: Proper hiking sandals with grip (Shamma, Teva-style) or trail shoes. The creek-bed section is all wet rock. Flip-flops will get you hurt.
• Bring a dry bag: For your phone and camera during the cave exploration and creek crossing.
• Water: Carry at least 2 liters per person. There's no shop after leaving the last village.
• Start early: Leave An Khe by 7 AM. The trek back in late-afternoon heat is miserable, and you want morning light in the gorge.
• Phone signal: Drops out about 10 km before the trailhead. Download offline maps (Maps.me or Google Maps offline) before you leave town.
• Leeches: Present during rainy season. Tuck pants into socks, check regularly. They're harmless but annoying.

Common mistakes

• Going in March-April expecting a big waterfall. You'll find a sad trickle and wonder what the fuss was about.
• Wearing shorts and sandals on the trail without checking conditions. The undergrowth scratches, and wet rocks demand grip.
• Not bringing a headlamp for the cave. Phone flashlights die fast when they're also your camera.
• Trying to do it as a day trip from Da Nang (다낭 / 岘港 / ダナン) or Hoi An. It's technically possible but you'll spend 10+ hours driving for 2 hours at the waterfall. Stay overnight in the highlands instead and combine with Pleiku's T'Nung lake or the Bien Ho crater.

Final note

Thac K50 isn't going to stay quiet forever — Vietnamese domestic tourism is expanding fast into the Central Highlands. For now, it's still a place where the only sounds are water and jungle. Get there before the concrete stairs arrive.