The beauty of Dalat Vietnam

Dalat looks somewhat like a cross between Vietnam and rural France. Many of its hotels and houses are built in a European/ French style.

>>> best time to visit vietnam

Dalat, also Da Lat (Đà Lạt), in the South Central Highlands of Vietnam, was originally the playground of the French who built villas in the clear mountain air to escape the heat and humidity of the coast and of Saigon, now known as Ho Chi Minh City.

Understand

Dalat looks somewhat like a cross between Vietnam and rural France. Many of its hotels and houses are built in a European/ French style. The city spreads across a series of pine-covered hills, with a small lake in the centre and surrounded by a man-made lake and higher peaks, making for some lovely scenery quite different from the rest of Vietnam. Temperatures are pleasantly warm by day, and cool at night, down to perhaps 10 degrees Celsius.

Dalat is surrounded by some of the best mountain biking, hiking and canyoning opportunities in Vietnam, with hills of coffee and tea plantations, which evoke images of the colonial hill stations of the north of India.

Dalat's high altitude (1,500–2,000 m) and fertile landscape make it one of Vietnam's premier agricultural areas, producing varieties of fruits, vegetables, tea, coffee, and flowers that don't grow in the lowlands. In markets as far north as Hanoi and Haiphong, vegetable and flower vendors will tout their "grown in Dalat" produce.

Dalat is a favorite destination for company-sponsored weekend outings, family getaways, and honeymooners.

Get in

Flower Eiffel Tower

Most local and foreign travellers arrive in Dalat by bus, including those travelling on the famous Sinh Cafe Hanoi-HCMC open-tour buses. Mai Linh Express and Phuong Trang run several daily services to Dalat from Nha Trang and HCMC. From Nha Trang, the bus ride is about 5 hours, with the obligatory stop at a dilapidated Cham temple/tourist site. Within the last year or so, a new road from Nha Trang has cut the travel time to 3–4 hours, including a 30-minute breakfast/WC stop about one hour out of Nha Trang. From Ho Chi Minh City, the bus ride is about 7 hours (9 hours if there is bad traffic leaving Saigon). If coming from Mui Ne, be careful as the road is rough most of the way, so try to book a large bus or at least a seat towards the front.

For Western visitors it may be best to book a ticket on a bus without a television. The entertainment offered could be loud and unappealing if you prefer sleeping before arriving at their next destination.

There are many travel agencies in town that can book buses to all parts of the country.

Alternatively, catch a local bus at HCMC, Bien Hoa, Phan Rang, Nha Trang or Buon Ma Thuot.

The airport is a 30 km south of the city linked by a modern, yet scenic, two lane highway and offers daily Vietnam Airlines flghts to and from HCMC, Da Nang, and Hanoi.

Some hotels offer special arrangements with taxi companies to ferry hotel guests to and from the airport for around 200,000 dong.

See more: enjoy the beauty of the temple of literature hanoi