A rare 'sea waterfall' in Vietnam: Located right at the center of 3 famous attractions in South Central Vietnam but still little-known

This is a unique site with an ancient coral reef million years old and a waterfall flowing backwards at high tide.

Hang Rai is located on provincial road 702, through Thai An village, Vinh Hai commune, Ninh Hai district, Ninh Thuan province. Situated at the center of 3 famous attractions in South Central Vietnam - Da Lat, Nha Trang and Mui Ne, Ninh Thuan has not been discovered by many tourists despite owning many one-of-a-kind wonders.

The road to Hang Rai is very easy to traverse with smooth asphalt. Standing on a high hill, you can gaze over the vast valley below and the mighty mountains of Nui Chua National Park on the horizon between the earth and sky.

Hang Rai impresses visitors with its magnificent and unique natural scenery. Though called a cave, it is essentially a rock outcrop facing the sea with naturally overlapping rocks. It is said that in the past, otters often lived in the small caves here, hence the name Hang Rai (“Rai” is in Rai Ca which translated to English is Otter).

The first thing that impresses visitors to Hang Rai is the majestic and unique natural landscape. From rocks stacked on top of each other forming countless beautiful large and small caves, Hang Rai appears and disappears in the green water, changing with the sunlight, which is a great opportunity for art lovers to indulge their passion.

Hang Rai is made up of ancient coral reefs, located right next to the sea with the coral protruding above the water like a giant rock sheet. The coral composition makes the surface of the rock reef uneven, rugged with pointed rock ears and pits, similar to the surface of Mars or the Moon. According to the information board placed here, about 18,000 years ago, the sea level was about 20m higher than now. 6,000 years later, during the sea regression period, the sea retreated to expose the shape of this ancient coral terrace.

Every tide, the waves rush up the rock reef then recede, resembling a “sea waterfall” attracting many tourists. Scientists highly appreciate the ancient coral terrace at Hang Rai for both geological and historical value.

When the tide rises, the splashing waves create a very unique waterfall in the middle of the ocean. When the tide goes out, visitors can walk on this heavenly terrace.

Below the edge of the ancient coral reef is another terrace to the north, also known as Rock Salt terrace. According to the stories of local people here, every high tide, seawater flows over the rock reef and then recedes, leaving pools of water in the small rock pits. Under the blazing Ninh Thuan sunshine, this water evaporates and becomes salt deposits.

The best time to admire Hang Rai is around 5:30 in the morning. Therefore, many families and groups of friends choose to camp overnight to enjoy the sight of the pinkish coral terrace welcoming the sunrise.

Hang Rai is like a wondrous masterpiece of nature. It deserves a place in the itinerary of couples looking for pre-wedding photoshoots or photography enthusiasts. Here, every corner is a perfect camera angle for poignant pictures. Nestled at the foot of Nui Chua mountain, Hang Rai transports visitors into a completely different world, inspiring lively artistic inspirations.

With not very high mountains, not very deep caves, and gorgeous ocean, Hang Rai has all the extremely appealing elements to become an attractive destination. Surely standing before the scene - mystically primal yet charmingly beautiful - you will feel like stumbling into a fairyland, and have a unique photo album to commemorate the memorable journey with countless experiences.

In addition to sightseeing and taking photos, there are still many other exciting experiences such as diving to admire the vibrant and diverse renowned coral reefs of Ninh Thuan, squeezing through crevices into caves, catching moon snails in rock crevices when the tide is out, drifting on the ocean with fishermen. Many people often sit on the rocks fishing, let their souls wander with the ocean breeze, stroll on the smooth sand, soak themselves in the waves hitting the rock outcrops, or enjoy the flavorful local seafood.

Hang Rai is a wondrous masterpiece of nature, with both ocean and rocky mountains. Inside the mountains there is a lake, in the middle of the lake there is a waterfall, next to the waterfall there are waves. Anyone who has set foot in Hang Rai wants to use lyrical words to praise and describe its mystical, dreamy yet alluring beauty. Visiting Hang Rai will be an unforgettable experience.