Dalat

Introduction

Vietnamese countryside

© All Rights Reserved UStravel23

Dalat (Đà Lạt in Vietnamese) is a town located in the South Central Highlands of Vietnam. At 1,500 metres above sea level, its cooler climate made it a popular getaway early in the 20th century for the French who were looking for a cooler alternative to the heat and humidity of the coastal areas. The villas built by the French still give Dalat a unique flavour amongst other Vietnam towns and cities. Dalat is now a popular resort destination for Vietnamese couples on a honeymoon or getting married. It's not uncommon to see several wedding parties on a single day, especially when astrological signs are particularly good.

Neighbourhoods

• Ta Nung
• Xuan Tho
• Xuan Truong

Sights and Activities

• Bao Dai Palace, completed in 1938, was the residence of Bao Dai, Vietnam's last emperor.
• Dalat Market (Cho Da Lat), a huge market with all kinds of produce.
• Valley of Love

dalat church

© All Rights Reserved ggithens

• Truc Lam (Bamboo Forest) Zen Monastery, and the scenery around the monastery with its breathtaking views of Tuyen Lam Lake and surrounding mountains.
• Tuyen Lam Lake (Ho Tuyen Lam), a man made lake 5 kilometres south of Dalat on highway 20.
• Voi Mountain, located on the other side of Tuyen Lam Lake is a good place for hiking.
• Datanla Waterfall, on the way to the Truc Lam Monastery, is one of the more popular tourist sites.
• Lake of Sighs (Ho Than Tho), is always packed with honeymooners.
• Xuan Huong Lake
• Linh Phuoc Pagoda
• Prenn Falls
• Dalat Railway Station (Cremaillaire Railway)
• Su Nu Pagoda
• Thien Vuong Pagoda, also known as the Chinese Pagoda, as it was built by the local Chinese population.

Events and Festivals

- Da Lat Flower Festival
- Embroidery Festival
- New Rice Ceremony
- Buffalo-Stabling Festival

Weather

Dalat’s year-round temperate weather, standing in contrast to Central & Southern Vietnam’s otherwise tropical climate, has led it to be nicknamed the “City of eternal spring”. The average temperature is 18 °C - 25 °C. The highest temperature ever in Dalat was 27 °C, and the lowest was 6.5 °C. Mist covers the adjoining valleys almost year-round. Its temperate climate also makes it ideal for agriculture. Indeed, Da Lat is renowned for its orchids, roses, vegetables, and fruits. There are nascent wine-making and flower-growing industries in the region.

Getting There

By Plane

Lien Khuong Airport (DLI) is about 30 kilometres from Dalat and has flights to/from Da Nang, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City.

By Train

Da Lat Railway Station opened in 1938 to serve railway Da Lat-Thap Cham (Phan Rang) 84 kilometres long. Da Lat Railway Station is considered the most beautiful station in Indochina at that time and the remaining is the oldest station in Viet Nam today. The station has a unique architectural style, has three pyramidal roof, stylized three peaks Liang Bian or empty Highlands. Railway abandoned and discarded a long time and only partial recovery from Da Lat to Trai Mat for serving guests since 1991. The train journey was just 7 kilometres long, but also gives visitors a feeling excited by watching Da Lat from above and in the fresh air of the highlands. In Dalat display station steam locomotives and carriages stock produced by the Japanese. Dalat Railway Station about 3 kilometres from the centre in the direction of the park Yersin. Trains run only when there are 10. If you go to the odd phone call.

By Bus

Most travellers arrive in Dalat by bus. Mai Linh Express and Phuong Trang run several daily services to Dalat from Nha Trang and Ho Chi Minh City. 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 terribly rough most of the way, so try to book a large bus or at least a seat towards the front. Alternatively, catch a local bus at Ho Chi Minh City, Bien Hoa, Phan Rang, Nha Trang or Buon Ma Thuot.

Getting Around

By Car

You can catch a Xe Om (motorbike taxi) from most corners, so if you're going somewhere farther out of town, you have a fast way to get there. Taxis are also abundant and reasonable in price, yet watch the meter, as meter fixing is a common practice from north to the south.
There are many places around town to rent a bicycle, tandem or motorbike.

By Public Transport

There is a local bus which passes near most of the main tourist sites. Heading south you can catch it at the bus shelter by the lake. Otherwise, the bus hub can be found on Khu Hoa Binh street, just up from the market. The last bus each day is at 5:00pm.

By Foot

Depending on where you stay, you can walk to most parts around town.

Eat

• Ba Hung grilled meat roll
• Lamson Famiy Restaurant - T: (063) 822 362. Daily 06:00am-11:00pm.
• Lotus Restaurant - 1A Nguyen Thi Minh Khai, Da Lat. T(063) 823 457. Daily 08:00am-10:00pm.
• Ming Dynasty - 7 Tran Hung Dao St, Da Lat. T: (063) 813 816. Daily: 10:00an-1:30pm &5:00pm-9:30pm.

Drink

• Coffee Street in Da Lat.
• Art Cafe - 74 Truong Cong Dinh. T: (063) 510 089. Daily: 10:00am-10:00pm.
• Peace Cafe - 66 Truong Cong Dinh. T: (063) 822 787. Daily: 06:00am-10:00pm.
• For nightlife, Da Lat has very little to offer. Excluding having a drink at sociable restaurants such as V Cafe and Peace Cafe, choice is limited.

Sleep

Keep Connected

Phone

See also International Telephone Calls

Vietnam's international dialing code is +84. To call to other countries from Vietnam, start with 00, followed by the international number, usually without the first 0. International and domestic phone calls are available in almost every hotel or internet café. International phone charges are high in Vietnam and hotels often add a mark up fee so it is smart to always check the rates before dialling. Public phones require phone cards, which are available at post offices.

Some common and useful phone codes are:

• 00 - International call prefix
• 110 - Operator
• 113 - Police
• 114 - Fire Department
• 115 - Medical Aid/Ambulance
• 116 - Directory Assistance
• 1080 - Information

Post

Vietnam Post is the government owned national postal service of Vietnam. Services are generally fairly reliable, cheap but not overly fast, except express services. Express Mail Service (EMS) ensures that letters and small parcels are delivered within 24-48 hours domestically. International EMS is associated with over 50 countries worldwide, with a delivery time ranging from 2 to 10 days. Regular services are cheaper but much slower. Most post offices keep much longer hours than most other official businesses, usually starting from 6:30am until 9:30pm and also open on Saturday and even Sunday. You can buy stamps here and they also offer other services like money transfers. You can also try other companies to send parcels, for example with DHL, TNT and UPS.

External Links