By Minh Thu

I hadn’t planned on taking a trip to Golden Stream, in the Central Highlands city of Đà Lạt, but I’m glad I did visit the beautiful natural lake, as it left unforgettable emotions imprinted in my mind.

When a friend and I rode a motorbike towards pine forests in Lạc Dương District, the Central Highlands province of Lâm Đồng, we saw an impressive waterfall created by a dam. We stopped for some photos. A local man passing through told us the most spectacular area was at the end of the Golden Stream.

We quickly changed our plans and skipped our trip to the pine forests. We decided to spend a day to enjoy the beautiful sights of Golden Stream.

About 17km northwest of Đà Lạt centre, Golden Stream is one of the most famous tourist attractions in the city.

Situated in Lạc Dương District, Golden Stream includes Dankia Lake above and Ankroet Lake below, which were created by two dams.

The local wasn’t wrong. When I saw Ankroet Waterfall, I realised the first waterfall I saw was miniscule in comparison. Ankroet is a large waterfall that was chosen to build the first hydroelectric plant in Việt Nam in 1942 by the French. It is divided into seven smaller waterfalls.

We arrived at the site in the early morning. When the lake received the first rays of sun, it reflected the light as if some had scattered thousands of sparkling golden leaves on the surface of the water.

Though Ankroet Lake is used for hydroelectric power, Dankia Lake and Golden Valley by the Golden Stream are open for tourism. It’s the impressive destination on the outskirts of Đà Lạt, with beautiful lake, pine trees and hills of grasses.

Tourists can discover the site by boat or walk through the Golden Valley. They can do fishing, camping and have BBQs.

Young people also have opportunities to take photos with the lake, forests and hills as a backdrop.

I joked to my friend that each corner of the Golden Valley was an opportunity for dozens of photos.

One popular site is a cape with the Lonely Pine Tree, a name given by tourists as there is only one pine tree in the cape.

Though the site receives many tourists, it still preserves its tranquility. Hoàng Lâm, member of the management board of Golden Valley, said tourists come for peace, so the board works to keep the site intact and peaceful.

“We receive young people who come for camping, couples to take wedding photos and middle-aged people to relax,” said Lâm.

“The place is so romantic and beautiful and helps people relax.”

Lâm also features the French villas built in the 19th century.

By 2025, the site expects to welcome 3 million guests including 56,000 foreigners. It’s estimated that the site will generate about 3,700 jobs by 2025, and 7,000 jobs by 2030.

It will develop cultural tourism products especially the Central Highlands gong culture and sports tourism products and tourist resorts.

The colours and sights of the lake change each hour depending on the sunlight. When the curtain of darkness was let down on the water, the fog creates fantastic scenery. — VNS