Pa Sy Waterfall

Pa Sy Waterfall (Thác Pa Sỹ) is the centrepiece attraction of an eco-cultural tourism park in Măng Cành commune, Kon Plông district, in the highland area around Măng Đen town. The falls drop roughly 45 metres at an elevation of about 1,500m, formed from the confluence of three of the area's largest streams - Đắk Ke, Pau Suh, and Đắk Pne - which is also the source of the waterfall's name: 'Pa Sỹ' is a Kinh-language mispronunciation of 'Pau Suh', a Rơ Măm (some sources say Xê Đăng) word meaning 'three streams converging into one'.

The falls are the largest of three waterfalls (alongside Đắk Ke and Đắk Pne, sometimes called Lô Ba) tied to a Mơ Nâm ethnic legend known as 'Bảy hồ, ba thác' ('Seven Lakes, Three Waterfalls') - the story of a wrathful deity, Yang Plinh, who punished seven villages with fire for breaking a heavenly law, the villages later transforming into seven lakes and three waterfalls across the Măng Đen area.

The wider tourism park covers about 25 hectares and includes walking paths, a nhà rông (traditional communal house), a Rơ Măm handicraft workshop, a cultural display house, and vegetable and flower gardens, set among pine forest that gives the Măng Đen area its noticeably cooler climate compared to lowland Kon Tum.

The Pa Sy Waterfall eco-tourism park is in Măng Cành commune, Kon Plông district, roughly 58km from Kon Tum city and about 9-11km from Măng Đen town centre. From Măng Đen, the drive takes around 15-20 minutes by motorbike or car along a reasonably wide mountain road.

From Kon Tum city, the journey takes a little over an hour by car. The site has a car park and is easily reached by any vehicle - no trekking or specialist local guide is required to get there, unlike some of Kon Tum's more remote natural sites.

From the entrance, paths lead through pine and native forest past the park's cultural buildings - the nhà rông, handicraft workshop, and flower gardens - before reaching the top of the falls. A notable stop along the way is a wooden statue garden, where local artisans have carved figures depicting everyday highland life - a mother carrying a child, a man pounding rice, a woman weaving, an elder smoking, young men playing gongs or drinking rượu cần - alongside carved animals like dogs, monkeys, and pigs. Over 180 moss-covered stone steps then descend to the base, where the full 45-metre drop is visible, the water fanning out over the rock face into a pool below.

A motorbike-taxi service is available for those who'd rather not walk the steps, particularly on the way back up. The site can get busy around midday and on weekends, with some waiting on the stairs at peak times; early morning is notably quieter. Facilities include food service and overnight glamping options for those extending their stay, along with restrooms and paths that are well-maintained relative to more remote Kon Tum waterfalls.

Pa Sy Waterfall is one of the easiest and most developed natural attractions to reach in the Măng Đen area, making it a natural pairing with the region's other 'seven lakes, three waterfalls' sites (Đắk Ke and Đắk Pne falls, along with several of the named lakes), or with nearby Chùa Khánh Lâm pagoda, for a fuller day of highland sightseeing.

Measure your visit in a couple of hours rather than a full day - the falls and park grounds don't take long to see properly, leaving time to explore other parts of Măng Đen, whose cool climate and pine forest give it a different character from the rest of Kon Tum province.