Da Lat

A French-colonial hill station at 1,500 m, with the Crazy House, Xuan Huong Lake and coffee farms. Cool air, pine forests and romance make it a favorite with young Vietnamese.

Da Lat sits at the southern end of Vietnam's Central Highlands in Lam Dong Province, at about 1,500 m above sea level. French bacteriologist Alexandre Yersin discovered the area in 1893, and the French colonial government developed it into a summer retreat, leaving behind many French villas, churches and a railway station. Known as "Little Paris" and the "City of Eternal Spring," it is also Vietnam's most important region for flowers, vegetables and coffee. The town centers on Xuan Huong Lake. On the north shore are Da Lat Market and the night market, Da Lat Cathedral (the "Chicken Church") and the old town; to the northeast are the railway station and the old French villa district; to the south, up the hillside, are the Crazy House, the Bao Dai Summer Palace and pine forests. Southwest of the city lie Truc Lam Zen Monastery, Tuyen Lam Lake and Datanla Waterfall; 12 km to the north is Lang Biang Mountain; and 30 km to the west are Elephant Waterfall and coffee farms. The climate is Da Lat's greatest draw: temperatures average 18–21°C year-round. The dry season runs from November to March, with sunny, cool days and nights of 10–15°C that call for a jacket. In December and January you can see a sea of clouds at dawn from the Cầu Đất tea plantations and Lang Biang Mountain, and in January and February wild Himalayan cherry blossoms bloom. The rainy season runs from April to October, with frequent afternoon showers, but mornings are mostly clear and the landscape is at its greenest. Getting there: Lien Khuong Airport is about 30 km from the city, with flights from Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang; international routes are few (occasional charters). Most Chinese visitors come from Ho Chi Minh City, either by a 50-minute flight or by sleeper bus in 6–8 hours, or from Nha Trang by bus in about 4 hours. In town, Grab (motorbike or car) is the main way to get around, and motorbike rental costs about 120,000–150,000 VND per day. Most attractions are 5–15 km outside the center, and you can also hire a car for a day tour (about 1–1.5 million VND). We recommend 3 days: one for the town, one for the southern route (Truc Lam Zen Monastery, Datanla, Elephant Waterfall) and one for the northern route (Lang Biang, coffee farms, tea plantations). Tips: the temperature swings between day and night, so bring a jacket; roads are slippery in the rainy season, so take care on mountain roads if riding a motorbike; bargain at the night market and other markets; many mountain attractions close at 5 p.m.; and accommodation gets tight during the biennial Da Lat Flower Festival in December.

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