Some trips don't begin with the sound of an engine — they begin with the sound of boots pressing into damp forest leaves. The Dray Nur – Dray Sap waterfall trek is one of those journeys: 2 days, 1 night, 16 km on foot through wild forest, and a single night sleeping in a tent beside a roaring waterfall — where the phone signal disappears and the sound of running water takes its place.
This is not a trip to check in. This is a trip to switch off.
1. A "Just Right" Trail Through the Husband-and-Wife Falls
Dray Nur and Dray Sap are the legendary twin falls straddling the border between Đắk Lắk and Đắk Nông provinces, linked by a suspension bridge across the Sêrêpôk river. To the local Ê Đê people, they are a symbol of eternal love:
Dray Nur (the Wife Falls): A waterfall that is at once contemplative and forgiving, its spray rising like mist.
Dray Sap (the Husband Falls): Not far away stands Dray Sap, which in Ê Đê means "Smoke Falls". The Husband pours from a high cliff with a deep roar, throwing up endless clouds of vapour.
The walk through the green forest along the river takes you between these two extremes of the highlands, letting you feel the full love story of this land.
Terrain: Gentle gradients, no technical rock faces. Experienced trekkers will treat it as a recovery trip; beginners can finish it comfortably with a good pair of boots.
Best season: November to March (dry season). Cool weather, dry ground, clearly visible trails. In the rainy season the forest is dense and damp, leeches are abundant, stream levels rise and waterfalls flow dangerously fast.
2. The Ê Đê Guide and the Story of Keeping the Forest
Lonature's role is to connect you with local community partners. The guide for this route is A Phong, a son of an Ê Đê village that has lived beside the Sêrêpôk for generations.
Walking with native guides, you hear them tell the legend of the Husband-and-Wife Falls, listen to Ê Đê epics by the campfire, and learn to recognise medicinal plants under the canopy — they still live off the forest, but in a way that respects it. This is the model of humane ecotourism Lonature supports: preserving local culture, never harming animals, and protecting the wild environment.
3. A Night Without Phone Signal & Food by the Campfire
Phone signal cuts out completely at the 3 km mark. At the campsite, 200 metres from the main waterfall, you'll have 36 hours fully disconnected from the digital world.
The reward for "disappearing" is a wild Central-Highlands dinner cooked by the Ê Đê community members themselves:
Cơm lam — sticky rice grilled inside fresh young bamboo tubes.
Grilled chicken rubbed with wild chilli salt over charcoal.
Bitter eggplant soup with dried fish, a local signature.
A sip of rượu cần (rice wine) drawn through a bamboo straw, while the waterfall thunders like the heartbeat of the forest.
4. Sunrise and the Water Rainbow at 5 AM
Dry-season forest nights can get cold. At 5 AM, step out of your tent and climb the rock outcrop east of the falls — you'll witness a 12-minute phenomenon.
When the first sunbeam pierces the gorge and hits the thick mist rising from the valley, the entire spray becomes a vertical rainbow, drifting softly with the wind. As the sun climbs and the mist evaporates, the rainbow vanishes. That is the moment you feel small — and completely released from the pressure of daily life.
5. Practical Gear List
The local partner provides tents, cooking gear and food. Your job is to travel light and bring these personal items:
High-cut trekking boots with good grip (no fashion sneakers — they slip).
A 35–45 L backpack with chest/hip straps, plus a power bank.
A warm jacket and long trousers (forest nights get cold).
A personal sleeping bag rated 5–15°C.
Headlamp, insect repellent, sunscreen and a wide-brimmed hat.
Booking Information
Following our Slow Travel & Ethical Experiences philosophy, Lonature doesn't rush guests and doesn't sell back-to-back combo tours. To protect the pristine riverside ecosystem, this trip is strictly capped at 6 guests per group.
Booking lead time: At least 2 weeks, so the community can prepare logistics carefully (fresh food and bamboo-tube cooking can't be bought off the shelf).
Our commitment: Lonature operates as an agency — connecting conscious travellers directly with community partners, and channelling part of the revenue back into local livelihoods and the preservation of culture and nature. The best trip is one that helps you slow down when you return, not one that leaves you more tired.
Contact: Send your details (group size, target dates, experience level) to Lonature to reserve your spot with the local partner.
Slow down a little. The forest will still be there, and the Husband-and-Wife Falls will keep pouring through the night for those willing to step deeper into them.
👉 Ready for 36 hours of disconnection in the highlands? Contact Lonature to book the Dray Nur – Dray Sap trek.
