Hidden Gems

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Da Lat is by no means a hot spot for tourists. It isn’t at the top #1 of the bucket lists for those who dream of travelling to Vietnam. Hell, we didn’t even plan on falling in love with this place. It
was supposed to be a “stop-over” city for our transition from Southern to Central Vietnam. We were in Ho Chi Minh and planned to visit Hoi An and Da Nang. Since we were taking the land route through our journey and an expensive, long train ride to Da Nang did not particularly excite us, we were on the hunt for a “middle” city. Somewhere in the middle of Point A and Point B where we can travel, explore, rest, and move on.

We saw some articles about Da Lat but nothing too crazy. We saw some recommendations and we figured that was good enough. So we packed our bags, waited 4 hours at a local Bus Station and headed out. I could only count about a handful of other travelers there with us and only another handful that were going to the same place as we were. We rode an overnight bus taking us through the night and through the mountains. The pitch black shadows looming over us were a nice sight to see as we were coddled to sleep by the turns we took passing the many valleys up the mountain. We arrived, got settled and got to exploring. Da Lat’s beauty does not lie in one major attraction. Instead, fall in love in a sweet, sleepy mountain city filled with art, and genuine Vietnam lifestyle. Here we hunted down gas for our thirsty motorbikes in the busy city square, explored the lakes and the hills, chased waterfalls down a motor track, and got lost on the hills but managed to find a beautiful city nestled in the mountains.

We wish we stayed longer. We wish to visit Da Lat again.

_{P.S. Vietnam coffee is where it is at. As fellow coffee enjoyers we love going to cafes and have been to dozens in Vietnam alone. One of our favorites and most memorable sits a top a slight hill in some local’s house. Cà Phê Bút Chì in Da Lat mixes chill and serenity perfectly. It is not the typical chain cafe, it is simply some guy’s home. The comfortable home vibe suited us perfectly in this foreign country and in our first day in this mysterious mountain city we stumbled onto. The guy is just vibing, playing live music and chilling. He served us delicious coffee and food. The highlight of the cafe is at the back; at the front is a small entrance with some chairs. When you enter the house, there is some chairs and a table as well. Going further is where it gets good; there is a seperate lounge area, decorated with what looks like artifacts or memorabilias from someone who travelled the ends of the world for 80 years. It looks like a great adventurer finally retired, settled, and left all of their cool stuff for you to see and to enjoy with a nice hot cup of coffee on a misty cool day in the mountains with a nice quiet rooftop view of the houses of Da Lat.}

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Thác Bản Giốc

Often overshadowed by its more popular neighbor – Ha Giang Loop – Thác Bản Giốc is a heavy weight in its own class. In terms of natural beauty it is on a league of its own. It is potentially one of the best waterfalls I have ever been to. The waterfalls itself is not the hidden gem – it is well known in the region as a major tourist attraction from both China and Vietnam. You see, it is the physical border separating both countries. With it being the border, there are normally some restrictions.

We visited Thác Bản Giốc late into the dry season – after we finished our Ha Giang Loop tour. Before visiting Vietnam, we had only seen videos and pictures of this jaw dropping wonder of nature. We did not know how to get here – all we knew was that we just had to. So on we went, riding a local public bus for several hours through the mountains of Northern Vietnam, and landing in our base of operations: Cao Bang. Here, we spent the night, rented scooters and drove over 2 hours one way through rice fields, limestone mountains – classic rural Vietnam. We were very spent but we had finally arrived – only to be met with disappointment. It was prohibited to swim in the waterfalls itself and worse yet – it is prohibited to go up the upper levels!

You see, Thác Bản Giốc is infamous for its multi-tiered, cascading marvelous water falls. Seeing it from the bottom won’t do it any justice. So we decided to go against the rules – I had found a path around the barbed wires, and through the barriers – we climbed up to its upper level. The upper level was just everything I had wished for. Beautiful natural waterfalls all around, great big pools of water to hang around in, platforms to jump into the water and all of it we had to ourselves. An unforgettable memory etched into my heart forever.

Read all about it here – our blog post about that day’s adventure with pictures!

_{**note there are signs that warn you about prohibited areas. This is technically one of them. Explore on your own volition and judgement. Enter at your own risk**}

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Tangle Creeks Falls, Alberta – There’s a Secret Lookout on Tangle Creek Falls right by the Athabasca Glacier. You can see the cascading waterfalls right by the highway, where it actually goes UNDER the road. There are separate parking lots right on the road for passerby’s. Its hard to miss during the peaks season due to the higher traffic buildups in this area since many tourists parking their cars, get out onto the road and walk to take a picture of the falls.

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_{Be careful here due to the increased congestion and traffic. Slow Down. If unaware and during off-season, you
can easily miss this sight-to-see.}

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Most tourists takes a picture and simply leave. More adventurous travellers actually climb up to the base of the waterfalls to see the numerous cascading waterfalls. There isn’t a designated walkway path with railings. This is more of a “well-worn-from-the-years-and-countless-explorers” kind of path where a little bit of trail finding skill is used to make your way up. Its very easy and doable but definitely not accessible for everyone. If you made you’re way up to the base of the waterfalls congratulations, you are going to see a sight 90% of the tourists don’t even venture out to. You are treated to a wide, large, and beautiful ledge, where multiple sources of water fall from. This water comes from the glaciers and ice and snow melt on the nearby ridges and mountain ranges.(Tangle Ridge and perhaps some from Nigel Peak). This water is so fresh and cold it is a great opportunity to cross off a bucket list item: having a shower from a waterfall in the Great Canadian Rockies. The base forms a relatively flat area, the water pools are not very deep, the falling water is not strong enough to crush you and it is relatively safe.

The hidden gem I have found from coming here for more than a dozen times is a nice hidden path up a steep dirt-face of the hill. This path is marked by little footholds in the earth that shows signs of wear from other adventurers who also found this path. It’s difficulty is a level up from the first little walk up to the falls. It takes more work and skill; it is harder, sure. But not impossible. It is short and sweet and you are rewarded by a ledge right by the falls, big enough for a crowd of 3-4 people to squeeze in or a pair to comfortably lounge in. Here you can feel a light cool mist from the falls hitting the rocks. Here you can see an upper viewpoint of the falls and look beneath it. Here you can have a nice cup of tea. Here you can set up a little picnic. Here you can get away from the crowds and enjoy some solitude.

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Lake Moraine, Alberta – Lake Moraine is no tucked away secret treasure of isolation in the Canadian Rockies. Its actually quite the opposite of that. Its the absolute pinnacle of the picturesque views in this area full of crowds. Every year, millions make their way here. They actually had to close the road off to the public due to the unreal traffic congestions. All this activity is for a good reason: its one of the most beautiful places I have ever been. The iconic views is world-famous and many come from all the corners of the planet just to get a glimpse.

The view pictured above is on the rockpile in Moraine Lake. Just as the name suggests, it is a piles of rock and boulders. There is a well marked path all the way up; following the steps up the pile rewards you with an amazing elevated view of the lake and the majestic mountain ranges all around. Unfortunately, it can get extremely crowded. The view can be hindered by others and crowds. Worst yet, a lot of the views can be covered by tall pine trees. The hidden gem is simply a spot on the rock pile, away from prying eyes, away from the crowds, away from the trees and onto lesser treaded paths.

I have been to Lake Moraine many times, I’d guess just about over a dozen visits. Half of those times I had spent driving to Lake Moraine in hellishly early times just to get a glimpse of the sun rise illuminating the mountain peaks. In my first times I was troubled with the lack of a better view. I wanted to look for a spot that was away from the noise so I could enjoy Lake Moraine in peace. A spot where the view was uninterrupted. A spot flat enough where I could comfortably sit down or stand up or lay down. A spot I could spend hours without a care in the world. That’s exactly the spot I found.

From the main view point, where all the rock walls are at, where all the benches are and where all the selfies are taken there lies the dead end. The dead end where the spectacular view unveils itself in front of you. In this dead end, there are some small low-level signs warning you to stop and not go any further. To protect the plants growing there. If you see this, you know there are hardly any plants growing. Ignore this and walk past through, down to the lower levels of the rock pile. Here, you are basically trail finding your way down through the cliff side. If you follow some of the well-worn paths, you will find a perfect big flat rock right in front of the pile. This rock is big enough to comfortably seat 4 people lying down in sleeping bags just as my friends and I did. Its flat enough to comfortably lie on for 8 hours straight as you wait for the sunrise. Its far enough that only a very small amount of people dare to even go there. Its the perfect quiet tucked away spot to truly enjoy all of Lake Moraines visual wonder.

_{**note there are signs that warn you about prohibited areas. This is technically one of them. These are here to protect the trails from erosion which is completely fair. Explore on your own volition and judgement. Enter at your own risk**}

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Views from the hike up to Mount Jimmy Simpson – another hidden gem in the Rockies; read all about this hike here

Philippines

The Glorious Cross of Love Beach, Siargao –

The surf break “Cloud 9” has put Siargao on the international surfing map. A beautiful long beach with reef surfing breaks has become the main attraction of Siargao, Philippines. Many beachside hostels, restaurants, hotels, homestays, surf rentals, and overall tourist activities litter the coastline. Crowds of travellers and locals gather here throughout the day to enjoy the sun, the surf and the suds.

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Where there are main attractions, there are also hidden gems just close by; this one is a “secret”, tucked-away beach just 5-10 minute walk from the Cloud9 pier! Heading eastwards, following the coast line, on the sand, you will eventually find a secret cove after turning the corner from a rocky cliff wall. You can spot this area by looking for a church on a hill. Once you have arrived on a sandy hidden cove, isolated from the crowds and surrounded by coconut palm trees, you have arrived.

Unfortunately, since it is hidden from judging eyes, some litter may be found here; washed ashore or left by visitors. During my time here, I had spent a lot of time and effort to clean up the trash. The lovely old lady living on the church/worship place says that she is far too old, too weary and too weak to make it down to the cove to clean up the mess herself. She also says that the government promised funds to upkeep the church but she has not seen any of it to help her out. She has had to resort to fencing off the entrance from the main road due to negligent visitors and litterers. A friend and I had gone on to try and clean the beach ourselves; we took home a dozen bags of trash. Please treat places like this with respect.

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_{WARNING: try to time the tides when using the beach route. High tide could result in minimal sand/beach area to walk on and you may have to resort to walking on the scraggly, sharp cliffside rocks to traverse to this area ( like I did one of the times I was here.) This could be a fun challenging adventure but it also adds more risk and more trouble.
NOTE: You could also get to this place through the main road “Tourism Road” and visit the shrine “The Glorious Cross of Love”. From the fenced entrance you can make your way down to the beach. There are no parking lots nearby from what I remembered but the dirt-side is quite wide enough for some scooters.}

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Secret Beach, Siquijor – Literally in its name, Secret Beach is a tucked away treasure of the ever-growing popular island Siquijor. It is so tucked away that when I was there in the winter of 2024, there was no road to it. It was simply a opening path in the dense forest and a hectic ride through the roots, the bumps and the curves of a dirt trail. Back then, it only had about 3 reviews on Google Maps; now there is over 40. So maybe it won’t be so secret soon. Nevertheless, its difficult and tumultuous nature still keeps most of the crowds away. With some grit, perseverance, maybe some stupidity and a handy ol’reliable rented scooter, one can access this hidden away white sand paradise.

Getting there is the first challenge and its a hard one at that. You would have to first get to Liloan Forest Reserve . Following the local’s road, you will end up at a junction where the paved road ends and the dirt takes over. Follow this opening into the forest and take a right when the path forks. This is the right way to the secret beach.

The path forks and the path shrinks. The curves start showing up and so do the roots. The rocks. The bumps. All an obstacle course to slow you down. Nevertheless, you will find a worn down path leading you to a slightly more open dead-end area. Here you can park your scooter and continue to the next course.

The “parking” area is merely a clear flat area by the edge of the cliffs. The beach is deeper into the jungle and down the cliff. The good news is, there is a man-made staircase down. The bad news is that its not well made. Its put together by twigs and twine, some rope and some dug out areas and steps of the cliff. I would not dare to attempt this in a storm. It is definitely not for the faint of heart and is a work out going up and down. Once you’ve mustered some courage and get through the thickets of the jungle and down the vine cliff-side staircase, you’re well-rewarded with a level of solitude found nowhere else in the island.

When I was here there was definitely some debris, especially at the entrance of the beach. There was a lot of washed-ashore trash and fishing equipment, nets, barrels, you name it. There was also a make-shift hut and benches. There was also some wooden row boats.

It almost seemed like a shipwreck washed ashore in the pristine sands of Siquijor and a cast away settled down and made this beach their home.

When you get past all the debris, you’re left with untouched and isolated white pristine sands littered with big volcanic boulders scattered all along the beach. Going further south you will find even bigger rocks teeming with life and sea critters. Just below the clear blue waters, there are coral reefs many fish call home. There are even inlets and small caves toward the south. White sand covers the whole beach. The best part? You have it all to yourself.

My time spent here was full of awe and adventure. The ride in was fun but perilous; I had crashed my scooter into the jungle and scratched myself up all over. I had spent hours snorkeling and exploring every inch of the beach. Exploring ever coral. Seeing all the fish. The water was perfect and clear. The weather could not be any better. This is where I truly felt Siquijor’s magical allure.

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Secret Beach – Gaff Point, Nova Scotia

In one of the most popular hikes in Nova Scotia, Gaff Point hides a secret. The secret is a beautiful beach hidden away from prying eyes surrounded by picturesque giant rocks and fine white sand. Its hard to imagine an area so jam-packed with iconic landscapes to hide such an elusive perfect beach.

Admittedly, it is not the easiest to find this place. The Gaff point hiking path forks into a false beach; it is easy to mistake this beach to be the secret beach but trust me, it is not. The false beach is plenty beautiful on its own and is in every right a place worth visiting as well. However, this is not what we are talking about today.

What we are talking about today is actually another beach, further in. Further into the forest and away from prying eyes. If one finds themselves at the false beach, all hope is not lost. There are paths around this beach that actually leads to the secret beach. There is also another fork deeper in the main hiking path that directly lead to the secret beach. Following all these forks and paths will eventually lead you to the secret beach. If these vague and unclear instructions lead you astray, worry not as I have also provided a detailed map below.

The directions and its secret location is not the only gatekeeping factor this secret beach has. The entrance also poses another challenge that acts as the final barrier in fully reaching the beach. There is a very steep rock cliff wall as the final obstacle. Luckily, previous explorers has installed a trusty useful long rope from the very top to the very bottom of the fine white sand. It is not for the faint of heart. It takes courage, some physical work and some skill to safely reach the bottom. As encouragement, you are treated to a preview of the reward: a secluded fine white sand beach surrounded by beautiful giant rocks that form a breath-taking backdrop.

I would like to just apologize to the locals and Nova Scotians who enjoyed this amazing treat in relative solitude. I am not delusional enough to say that putting the details of the secret beach on this website and its location would result in the beach being completely crowded. However, I do acknowledge that putting it out for anyone to read about does not help in keeping this location as untouched as possible. I simply wanted to share its beauty.