Chasing waterfalls in Yang Bay: a day trip from Nha Trang

Yang Bay is a tourist park with waterfalls and hot springs, about 40–45 kilometers from Nha Trang in Vietnam. The drive from the city takes around an hour to an hour and a half. Most people visit for the day to walk around, see the waterfalls and soak in warm pools. There is also a zoo, and visitors can watch musical performances and pig races.

We visited Yang Bay about two years ago. The waterfall is magnificent, especially in sunny weather. I enjoyed the hot springs too, although I found the park rather boring overall. The zoo upset me: the animals looked in poor condition, and I felt sorry for them.

You can visit Yang Bay on a tour or independently. Here is what the place is like, where its hot water comes from and how much a trip costs.

How a park grew around the waterfalls

The tourist park opened in 2003. Long before that, the waterfalls and surrounding forests were familiar to the Raglai, one of the peoples living in this part of Vietnam. Local residents grew crops on mountain slopes, gathered forest plants and used water from the streams.

Khatoco developed Yang Bay for visitors, adding roads, bathing areas and attractions. In an early description of the project, the company described building a 30-meter overflow dam. People could cross to the other bank along it, while a bathing pool formed on its upstream side.

Today's Yang Bay therefore combines natural waterfalls with developed bathing areas, paths and attractions. Electric vehicles and a small tourist train carry visitors around the extensive grounds.

Even the park's name has a story. Yang Bay is usually translated from Raglai as “heavenly waterfall.” Local performers also give visitors this explanation. But in a study published in 2011, ethnographer Trương Văn Món recorded another name used by local residents: Sa Rting. According to his account, a tourism company gave the waterfall the name Yang Bay.

Why there is hot water beside the waterfall

The park has three waterfalls: Yang Bay, Yang Khang and Ho Cho. The main waterfall gave the whole complex its name. Water flows down rocky ledges, collects in pools and continues downstream.

At Ho Cho, hot and cold water meet. Hot water emerges from cracks in the rocks and mixes with the cool stream, creating pools of different temperatures.

The heat in natural hot springs comes from underground. Groundwater comes into contact with heated rocks, then rises to the surface through cracks. An active volcano does not have to be nearby: rocks become warmer with depth even without one.

At Yang Bay, the natural hot-water outlets were used to create bathing areas. You can walk by the waterfalls and then move on to the warm pools, which is why both activities are usually part of the same tour.

If warm pools or mud baths are your main interest, compare Yang Bay with other complexes. We cover them in our article about I-Resort, Thap Ba and Hon Tam.

Music played on stones

Tour itineraries usually describe the local musicians' performance simply as a “Raglai show.” Behind that short description is a tradition belonging to people who live in nearby villages.

The performers include experienced musicians who teach younger players. One of them, Cao Dy, explained in a report about Yang Bay that working at the park allows him to pass this knowledge on to the next generation.

The most unusual instrument here is the đàn đá. Stone slabs are laid out in front of the musician. He strikes them with beaters, each slab produces its own note, and the notes form a melody.

Sounding stones also had everyday uses. They were hung beside streams so that the movement of the water made them knock together. The sound helped scare animals away from crops and send signals. Knowing this before the performance makes it easier to picture how the instrument connects to everyday life in the mountains.

Wild animals and the zoo

A gecko found in the forests near the waterfall was described as a separate species in 2010. The small lizard, with dark bands and spots, was named Cyrtodactylus yangbayensis after Yang Bay.

Of course, not everyone will spot one on an ordinary walk. But this discovery also brought the waterfall's name into scientific literature.

The zoo inside the park, however, left me with unpleasant memories. I am against zoos and entertainment that uses animals. During our visit, the animals looked in poor condition, and I felt sorry for them.

I also remember the pig races; I found them boring to watch. Current tour programs also list a crocodile farm, crocodile feeding, ostrich riding and cockfights.

If those activities do not appeal to you either, ask the organizer in advance whether you can skip them and stay by the waterfall, for example. On a group trip, discuss this before buying so you do not discover on arrival that you have to follow everyone everywhere.

About two years have passed since our visit. I do not know how the animals are kept now, but entertainment involving them is still offered.

Is there somewhere to eat at Yang Bay?

When we visited Yang Bay, there was no café there. Several excursion agencies now include lunch in their programs, while others offer a meal in the park for an additional charge.

When booking a tour, check whether meals are included. If you travel independently, you can bring food and water; the park allows it. Snacks are particularly useful with children: you will not have to interrupt your walk to find somewhere to eat as soon as someone gets hungry.

How much admission to Yang Bay costs

Regular admission prices are:

The ticket includes the waterfall, standard hot-spring pools, transport within the park and the musical program. Lunch and additional treatments cost extra.

Holiday discounts are sometimes available, so the website may show a lower price. Current offers are published in the official ticket booking form. You can buy a ticket at the park's ticket office.

Yang Bay opens from 07:30 to 17:00. Arrive in the morning if you want time for a relaxed walk and a swim.

Ticket, excursion and transport prices below are for October 2026.

How much a tour from Nha Trang costs

A group trip to Yang Bay with a local Russian-speaking agency costs around $30–50 per adult. Compare both the price and the conditions: whether lunch is included, how many people share the bus and whether your hotel pickup is covered.

The Russian Information Center charges $21 for children 80–140 centimeters tall. Eco Voyage lists $24 for children up to 130 centimeters tall, with children under two traveling free. Uncle Vanya charges $40 for children 100–140 centimeters tall; those under 100 centimeters travel free.

Organizers have different child policies, which do not necessarily match the park ticket office's rules.

Uncle Vanya stands out on price: lunch is extra, but the group is limited to ten people. If you do not like large buses, it is worth comparing this option with cheaper offers.

Transfers from remote hotels and resorts outside Nha Trang may cost extra. Ask about these charges at the start so you can compare the final trip price.

A private tour for your own group

If you want to travel only with your companions, you can book a private vehicle and guide. For example, Capybara Tour publishes these prices:

A Russian-speaking guide, private transfers, admission and water are included. Lunch costs extra.

For four people, that works out at $42.50 each. Consider this format if you want to agree on the route in advance, spending longer by the water and skipping stops that do not interest you.

The park itself offers a day tour with transfers and lunch. The regular price is 550,000 VND per adult and 400,000 VND per child. A Russian-speaking guide is not advertised for this option.

Visiting independently: transport and costs

An independent trip gives you more freedom: you choose when to leave, how long to stay by the waterfall and whether to follow the full excursion program.

Published offers for a car with a driver from Nha Trang to Yang Bay and back cost around 750,000–1,100,000 VND. Before booking, confirm how many hours are included, whether the driver waits at the park and whether there are extra charges. Arrange the return journey at the same time: Yang Bay is far from the city.

For two adults, the costs are:

A scooter is cheaper. At a rental price of 150,000 VND per day, one person would spend around 350,000 VND on the scooter and admission. For two people sharing one scooter, the total would be 550,000 VND. Add fuel and food to these amounts.

This is a sample calculation: rental prices depend on the scooter and rental company. The return journey takes around two to three hours in total, so this option suits confident riders. Confirm permission for travel outside the city with the rental company as well.

Is it worth booking a tour?

A group tour is convenient if you want to board a bus at your hotel and leave the arrangements to someone else. Offers at $30–34 often include lunch, making the main costs clear in advance.

I would travel independently for the freedom to spend the day my own way. I would rather stay longer by the waterfall than watch races and other entertainment involving animals. But a private car for two may cost more than a group trip, particularly once food is included.

If several of you are traveling together, compare a regular excursion, a private guided tour and a car without a guide. The price per person may be similar even when the arrangements are quite different.

When reading reviews, pay attention to how the reviewer traveled. Some praise the scenery, pools and an excellent guide; others complain about particular facilities or a program that offered less than they expected. Sometimes almost the entire review is about the guide, with only a couple of words about the park. Such a review is more useful for choosing a guide than deciding whether you will like Yang Bay itself.

What to bring

For bathing, bring swimwear, a towel and dry clothes. Comfortable shoes are useful for walking, along with a hat and sunscreen on a sunny day.

Bring water and a small snack, even if your tour includes lunch. If meals cost extra, set money aside for them as well as drinks and purchases in the park.