I was holding on to the rubber handles for dear life. Casey Man plopped down opposite to me, no extra room to spare in our tiny two-person raft. I squeezed my eyes shut and took a deep breath, trying to control the nervous adrenaline pumping through my veins. Before I had time to kiss C-Man a farewell “here goes nothin!”, the spunky Vietnamese guy gave us a smirk, a wave, and pushed us off with his foot. WE WERE OFF. Down the steep rock luge we went, my stomach left at the top. Flying. Next thing I know, there’s a huge SPLASH. I went underwater for a millisecond… and we were in.
Little did I know, that was like the “bunny slope” compared to what was ahead. This guy’s face sums up my feelings pretty well.
Yup. So in case you didn’t already catch on, this ain’t no American-style rafting. This is the real deal. None of that “guide on your boat” amateur nonsense. No paddles (that’s right) and no turning back. Just you, your helmet, your life vest, and the fierce Vietnamese river carrying you through an exotic lush landscape of jungle and mountains.
Fellow nature-lovers and adrenaline junkies, welcome to Hoa Phu Thanh.
If you didn’t know about it, you’d never find it. A pocket of manicured jungle tucked away behind rolling mountains, rice paddies and the local villages of Da Nang’s rural Hoa Vang district, the Hoa Phu Thanh natural playground covers over 3km of waterfalls, white river rapids, dramatic cliffs and lush tropical trees.
An easy ride from both Da Nang or Hoi An, it’s the perfect nature getaway to make a quick half-day escape from the hustle and bustle of civilization.
The park was opened just 5 years ago by a local family, whose vision was to create a rafting and wildlife adventure paradise, without ruining, well…paradise. They didn’t want to build on the nature, but rather with the nature, using what was already there. So, they used some serious manpower to move all the rocks by hand (okay, with the help of a few tools) to create a wildly raftable river.
But wait…it’s much, much more than just a rafting site. There’s also zip lining, feet-eating fishy spas (things got weird), a pool, and a local family-owned restaurant – that also serves beer (I know you were thinkin’ it). Think adult summer camp but on jungle steroids.
Sold yet? Here are the deets:
How to get there:
Just 1 short hour from Da Nang and 1 hour and 20 min from Hoi An, the ride couldn’t be easier (or more scenic!).
Like everywhere in Vietnam, the best way to get there is by motorbike. Hop on your motorbike (or rent one from any motorbike rental in Da Nang for $5/day) and enjoy the ride through quaint rural villages, rolling mountains and bright green rice paddies. The journey is truly just as stunning as the destination.
If you don’t feel comfortable on a motorbike, no fear! You can hop in a taxi, or take a Grab car or motorbike (Grab is Southeast Asia’s version of Uber. Grab motorbikes are the most efficient and cheapest way to get around! Let the pro do the driving. You just sit there and hold on.) A Grab bike from Da Nang should be around 140K ($6) and a Grab car about 414K ($18).
Price:
Ready for this? ALL of that (rafting + ziplining + fishy spa + jungle pool) comes at an all-inclusive price of 280 dong (that’s $12!!!).
When to go:
Open every day! For rafting, there are two time slots: 10:30 am or 2:30 pm. Make sure you get there 30 minutes before your time slot to assure you a spot and enough time to get all your groovy life jackets and bright orange rafting helmets on.
And on a closing note… THIS GUY. Again.
Contact Info:
Check out the Hoa Phu Thanh website for more info.
Phone number: (+84) 0968.688.638 -*No need to call or make a reservation for groups under 10 people.
How long should I expect to spend here?
One full day should be perfect! Or even just an afternoon or morning will do if you’re tight for time.