Pu Mat National Park is located at the West border of Laos and spreads across three districts in Nghe An Province: Tuong Duong, Con Cuong and Anh Son. With its abundance of fresh air, flowers, hills and mountains covering an enormous area of 91,113 hectares, the park is popularly known as a place for “romantic adventure.”

There are two famous tourist destinations at Pu Mat: Kem Waterfalls and Pha Lai Dam. But the Dan Lai native people is a special “sight” at Pu Mat which visitors never want to miss. The ethnic group is especially known because of their continuing traditional lifestyle amid the very advanced way of living today. Up to the present, they still carry firewood and foliage (used for covering the roofs of their houses) in big baskets tied to their backs. They still reside in stilt houses in the valley and live self-sufficiently by growing their own rice and weaving cloth for their own clothes.

About thirty minutes away from the Dan Lai ethnic village is the Kem Waterfalls, the first of the two tourist destinations at Pu Mat. With a height equivalent to about a 20-storey building, the sight is a breathtaking one, to say the least. One has to actually be at the spot to feel its immense power and beauty. The stream and ponds may not be big enough to accommodate hundreds of visitors at one time, but are intimate enough to let a small group swim and take pictures right at the foot of the waterfalls. After an exhausting (yet definitely fun) day trip, thirsty and/ or hungry tourists can replenish their energy in a “rest area” located by the waterfalls which offers local drinks and specialties such as rice cooked in bamboo tubes.

Pha Lai Dam is located at Mon Son Commune. It is very much different than Kem Waterfalls though in that unlike the latter's inherent beauty and peace, Pha Lai Dam has a more rugged and raw atmosphere with either chained or wandering animals around. But its attraction in turn is a 100-meter suspension bridge which is considered a Golden Gate miniature, and the very reason itself why Pu Mat is known as a “romantic adventure.”

The site sets a romantic mood that most of the tourists who visit the place are young couples, mostly from China, South Korea and even Russia. Because of the water held back by the dam, guests can visit the local village of the Dan Lai tribe (mentioned earlier) by boat. The trip includes visiting up to three villages of the ethnic group and witness how they work and live, almost unchanged for many centuries despite the modern lifestyle today. Refreshments are also available by the dam for visitors who get thirsty or hungry or both after touring the place. Peak season at Pha Lai Dam is from April to August.

Tourists at Pu Mat can either take a day trip or stay overnight. For those who wish to stay the night or maybe even longer, a family-run hotel can be found at Lien Son Village. It takes about three and a half hours to reach Pu Mat from Vinh City or about eight hours from Ha Noi, either by coach or train. The path may be long, narrow, winding and generally difficult, but the natural beauty which Pu Mat holds more than justifies the reason why visitors keep coming to the place to have a unique and memorable taste of a romantic adventure.