“It was really nice to abseil down the rocks,” Keagel told the Daily after he leapt into the rock pool at Datanla waterfalls about 5km from the Highland city.

He said he was really nervous at the beginning of the adventure tour, but excitement had gradually taken over and he overcame his fears.

Most tourists feel the same way Taub and Keagel did, when they look at the vertical cliff face they have to climb down.

They feel slightly safer though, when the travel companies in Dalat give them a short course on basic climbing skills and prepare them for any mishaps on the way down.

Tran Tuan Hiep, a trainer from travel firm Highland Holiday, says it is important for people to know how to maintain their balance during the rope-assisted climb down, but it’s crucial that they know how to regain their stance if they slip. Abseiling is not as easy as it sounds.

Staying calm is the best advice for climbers, as it will help them think clearly if they encounter a problem.

At the end of the climb, as a kind of trophy for scaling the waterfall, participants are given shorts and a printed T-shirt.

A one-day cliff and waterfall adventure costs VND600,000 (US$31.5) per person for a group of two to five guests and VND400,000 (around US$21) per person for a group of at least six people. The price also covers transfers between hotel and the area where the adventure begins, and sandwiches for lunch.

Book a cliff and waterfall adventure by contacting travel companies in Dalat. Hotel staff in your hotel should be able to help.