Ngu Ho Five Lakes

Ngu Ho, the Five Lakes, is a chain of five natural pools linked by a stream through old forest inside Bach Ma National Park, about 40 km south of Hue, and it is the best wild swimming in the area: pools deep enough for a real swim rather than a paddle, water that stays cold all year, and on an ordinary weekday a fair chance of having one entirely to yourself. If your idea of a good day out is a forest walk that ends in cold water, this is the reason to come to Bach Ma.

The trail linking the pools runs about a kilometre and a half and is rated moderate rather than easy: expect roots, rock steps and a few scrambly moments, nothing technical but not a boardwalk stroll either. Each pool has its own character, fed by the same stream, and the walk between them is short enough that trying several in one visit is normal rather than ambitious. The cold is genuine, the kind that makes you shout on the way in and feel excellent ten minutes after getting out, and after the climb up the mountain it is exactly what you want.

The Five Lakes trail connects to the Do Quyen waterfall path, so most people walk the two together: pools first, then the several hundred stone steps down to the viewpoint on one of Vietnam's tallest waterfalls, then the same steps back up, which is the hardest work of the day. Done as a pair they fill the walking half of a Bach Ma day, alongside the drive or shuttle up the summit road and the Hai Vong Dai viewpoint near the top.

You do not need a tour for a day visit: the trail is inside the park, and the entry fee of 60,000 to 65,000 VND is the only ticket involved. The lakes do have a second life, though, as a campsite. Overnight adventure trips camp beside the pools, so you may arrive to find tents pitched at one of them, and if the idea of sleeping next to a swimming hole in old forest appeals, booking one of those trips is the way to do it rather than planning a freelance camp in a national park.

Season is the usual Bach Ma calculation, and it matters more here than at most places. January to August is the window; the water is cold regardless of month, so there is no reason to wait for peak summer, and spring gives the best mix of clear trails and bearable climbing. From September to December the mountain gets fog, heavy rain and real flash flood risk, and a stream-fed chain of pools is precisely the wrong place to be after heavy rain, so skip it entirely in those months and check conditions with park staff even in the shoulder weeks.

Getting there is the standard Bach Ma run: about an hour by road from Hue, then the summit road by shuttle or your own arrangements to the trailhead. From Da Nang it is around 2 hours each way with your own transport, and no tour pickup exists from that side. Hue itself sits on the mainline railway, about 3 hours by train from Dong Hoi, which is how a Phong Nha caving trip and a Bach Ma swimming day end up on the same itinerary more often than you would guess. Bring swimwear, shoes with grip, water and anything else you need for the day, and carry your rubbish back out: there are no facilities at the pools, which is a large part of why they are worth the walk.

Don't miss

• Five natural pools linked by a stream in old forest
• Genuinely swimmable, with deep water that stays cold all year
• A moderate linking trail of about 1.5 km
• Connects to the Do Quyen waterfall path
• Campsite for overnight adventure trips
• Covered by standard Bach Ma park entry

Tickets & tours

Ways to visit Ngu Ho Five Lakes

Cheapest way inHue Motorbike & Boat Tour to Countryside & Heritage Sites5★ · 41 travelers4-8 hoursFree cancellationFrom$20 per personSee dates →Best full dayHue to Dn/Hoi An: Hai Van Pass, beaches & Mt Monkey or vice versa4.9★ · 754 travelers6-7 hoursFree cancellationFrom$59 per personSee dates →Private & flexibleHue private guided tour to royal Tombs and Thien Mu Pagoda5★ · 21 travelers5-7 hoursFree cancellationFrom$64 per personSee dates →

Good for

Getting there

Know before you go

• The linking trail is about 1.5 km and moderate rather than easy, with roots and rock steps.
• It joins the Do Quyen waterfall trail, so most people walk both as a single circuit.
• The water is genuinely cold year round, which is the appeal after the climb and a shock the first second in.
• Overnight adventure trips camp at the lakes, so there may be tents at one of the pools.
• From September to December the mountain gets fog, heavy rain and flash flood risk; a stream-fed pool chain is the wrong place after heavy rain.
• There are no facilities or lifeguards at the pools. Bring water, swimwear and shoes with grip, and carry everything back out.
• The summit runs cooler than Hue, so pack a layer for after the swim.