Vietnam is known for its hot and humid climate, so Da Lat is a popular weekend getaway among locals and expats. Perfect for first-time visitors, make sure you bookmark this simple yet informative Da Lat survival guide to help you to discover some of our favourite attractions, restaurants and hotels in this fascinating town.

Famous for its countryside charm, Dalat draws couples, outdoor enthusiasts, and golf enthusiasts alike. This mountain resort town was once a summer getaway for the French, who left their mark in European-inspired architecture and manicured, rolling lawns. There are plenty of local buses, motorcycle taxis and tour companies offering excursions to breathtaking natural sights, including Elephant Falls and Pongour Falls.

Top Check-in Locations in Dalat

Despite the lack of multi-storey malls and high-end designer outlets, Da Lat still offers travellers a fun shopping experience during their holiday. This French-built town’s central area is home to vibrant day and night markets, where you can spend several hours experiencing the local lifestyle. There’s also a unique handicraft village not far from the French Quarter, where you can find breathtaking local paintings, photographs and embroidered clothing.

Explore Dalat Night Market

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Guide: First time to do in Dalat
Nguyen Thanh Van

A hotel turned a fantasy park for children and those who love architecture and design. Crazy House is actually Hang Nga Villa, constructed and designed by architect Mrs. Dang Viet Nga with a striking appearance which can impress any passersby, which has been an imaginative work in progress since 1990.  Hang Nga, as she’s known locally, has a PhD in architecture from Moscow and has designed a number of other buildings around Dalat. Her father, Truong Chinh, succeeded Ho Chi Minh as Vietnam’s second president from 1981 until his death in 1988, which is perhaps one reason that planning permission doesn’t seem to be a problem. There’s a shrine to him in the ground-floor lounge.

A freewheeling architectural exploration of surrealism, Hang Nga Crazy House is a joyously designed, outrageously artistic private home. Imagine sculptured rooms connected by super-slim bridges rising out of a tangle of concrete greenery, an excess of cascading lava-flow-like shapes, wild colours, spiderweb windows and an almost organic quality to it all, with the swooping handrails resembling jungle vines. Each room has to itself a distinctive look serving faithfully the purpose of bringing the guests into a whole new world.

Get on the top of the house where you can enjoy a splendid view of Dalat city from an unusual house setting. This house is also constantly listed as one of the most bizarre buildings in the world.

Have fun at the Crazy House
Nguyen Thanh Van

Swing by the summer palace or the King Palace of the last emperor of Vietnam to enjoy beautiful pieces of French architecture.

The Summer Palace in Dalat was built in 1933 and used as a Bao Dai’s summer retreat to get away from the tropical heat. Inside the palace are the furniture and personal possessions of Bao Dai.

Bao Dai Summer Palace also houses many valuable and well-preserved artefacts that were left behind, including sculptures of the royal family, a large white bust of Bao Dai himself, and an engraved glass map of Vietnam.

The King Palace‘s most highlighted feature is the lovely flower garden in the front courtyard of the palace. The garden is a wonderful spot for couple to take photos and spend time together with each other.

Today, visitors can explore all 25 rooms within the palace, where they can take a step back time to learn about royal history. Located 3.5 km southwest of Da Lat French Quarter, Bao Dai Summer Palace is set along Trieu Viet Vuong Street near the Pasteur Institute.

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Short visit to Bao Dai’s Palaces
Nguyen Thanh Van

Dalat is a mountainous area, so it is influenced deeply by the regional climate of Central Vietnam. There are two distinctive seasons in Dalat: wet season and dry season.

The rainy season starts from April to October, which is not the most ideal time for traveling to Dalat. The dry season is in between November to March which is most pleasant to enjoy the beauties of Dalat. The weather during this season is mild with not too high or too low temperature. Attractions like Xuan Huong Lake or Valley of Love would absolutely worth visiting in this time of year.

You can also visit Dalat during the flower seasons: January and February is the time mai anh dao flowers are in full bloom, creating such a dreamy and romantic look for the town. An annual festival is also held in Dalat in January where many types of flowers in Dalat and from other areas will be exhibited colorfully. During this time, Dalat is a perfect destination for a honeymoon vacation.

Source: asianwaytravel

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When is the best time to visit Dalat
Nguyen Thanh Van

Renowned as a romantic and poetic city of Vietnam, Dalat today is emerging amongst the community of travelholics and especially teenagers as it is the home of their ideal check-in points. Do not hesitate to discover where those places are!

Dalat Flower Park

Located at Tran Quoc Toan Street, Ward 8, Dalat City, Dalat Flower Park is really an ideal check-in place for a trip to this highland in 2017. At the park is the concentration of many different flower species through the country and from other regions in the world. It just costs you about VND20,000 to have an entrance ticket to the park.

Dalat Market

Dalat Market is depicted as an emerging point of the city center. There are lots of things sold every corner, such as clothes, shoes, fabric, fruits, food, and souvenirs. More amazingly, most of those products are fixed, so there is no reason for bargaining. When the dark covers the skype of Dalat, it is time you can perceive the specially pulsating prospective amongst the cold weather of the highlands and take impressive pictures here.

EXPLORE DALAT NIGHT MARKET

Lam Vien Square

The most outstanding point of Lam Vien Square is Glass Pavilion in the shape of an artichoke flower bud. Thanks to this structure, plenty of photos on Facebook get millions of likes and even it is compared to some image found abroad. Just need to park your motorbikes in Big C (free of charge) and walk along the square to check in.

Cock Church – Cathedral

Situated at No.15, Tran Phu Street, Ward 13, Dalat City, Cock Church is a typical example of French colonial architecture with brilliant bas-reliefs and an 80 year-old bell. Therefore, there is no doubt that it is a hot check-in location for teenagers when they take a trip to Dalat.

Bao Dai Palace

The palace is perched on the top of a pine hill and referred to as an ancient structure deserving to visit in Dalat. The entrance fee is just VND20,000, and it may be higher if you take a local guide who helps you understand more the Vietnam history in the dynasty of King Bao Dai.

SHORT VISIT TO BAO DAI’S PALACES

Truc Lam Pagoda

About 5 kilometers to Phung Hoang Mountain from the heart of downtown, Truc Lam Pagoda is certainly one of the amazing check-in places in Dalat for 2017 because of the charming landscape and the calm ambience around here. Do not miss out on the chance to experience such a trip when coming to Dalat.

Tuyen Lam Lake

You will be overwhelmed by poetic prospects around the lake. It is amazing to gaze into a stunning natural painting Dalat is gifted by the Creator. A hint for you is that surrounding the lake is perfect for camping; Big C nearby will help as you need to buy something for this activity.

RELAX YOURSELF AT TUYEN LAM LAKE AND TRUC LAM ZEN MONASTERY

Linh Phuoc Pagoda

Linh Phuoc Pagoda is the finest piece of architecture to behold in Dalat. Located at 120 Tu Phuoc Street, Linh Phuoc boasts a grand, beautiful and eye-catching appearance. Take your time walking around the temple and climbing up the pagoda stairs in order to appreciate the fine details of the tile work.

VISIT LINH PHUOC PAGODA

Crazy House

A hotel turned a fantasy park for children and those who love architecture and design. Crazy House is actually Hang Nga Villa. Get on the top of the house where you can enjoy a splendid view of Dalat city from an unusual house setting. This house is also constantly listed as one of the most bizarre buildings in the world.

HAVE FUN AT THE CRAZY HOUSE

Dalat Railway Station

Dalat Railway Station is a railway station on the Da Lat–Thap Cham Railway line in Vietnam, serving the town of Da Lat in Lâm Đồng Province. Dominated by orange-red tone, the Station has three sharp roofs and stained glass, highlighting the ancient exotic. The train, with open seat carriages, runs toward the terminal village. You can enjoy the scenery along the way. This is also one of the venues where locals to take wedding pictures.

MUST ATTRACTIONS IN DALAT – DALAT RAILWAY STATION

Top Check-in Locations in Dalat
Nguyen Thanh Van

Linh Phuoc Pagoda is the finest piece of architecture to behold in Dalat. Located at 120 Tu Phuoc Street, Linh Phuoc boasts a grand, beautiful and eye-catching appearance. Completed in 1952, a dragon statue made of 12000 bottles of bear is the most unique feature of this pagoda, also the reason for its other name – Ve Chai Pagoda.

Take your time walking around the temple and climbing up the pagoda stairs in order to appreciate the fine details of the tile work. Once you come inside, you’ll be amazed by the huge golden Guanyin statue. The chedi inside the pagoda’s courtyard can be seen even from afar. You can write wishes on small yellow pieces of paper, stick them to the bell, and chime the bell three times to send their prayers to Buddha – a sacred experience. What might be the heaviest bell in Vietnam, it weighs in at an impressive 8,500 kg. Beside the bell tower stands an 18-metre-high golden statue of Bodhisattva, which is decorated with over 600,000 flowers.

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Visit Linh Phuoc Pagoda
Nguyen Thanh Van

Looking for a place to refresh yourself and enjoy the beautiful nature in Da Lat? Tuyen Lam Lake is the place where you can do exactly that. Located on a height of 1000m above the sea, and only 5km south of the city’s center, right on the Prenn Pass.

Xuan Huong Lake is lovely but Tuyen Lam is just divine, especially during October or November, when the lake’s surface turns all foggy and dreamy.

To enjoy the feeling of floating on the this beautiful lake, you can rent a boat with a fee of 200,000VND for a round trip. You can rent it with a group to make it cheaper.

Near Tuyen Lam is the Truc Lam Zen Monastery – a peaceful place to seek for spiritual inspiration. From the monastery, you’ll enjoy not only the breathtaking view of Tuyen Lam lake but also the unique Buddhist architecture.

Source: asianwaytravel

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Relax yourself at Tuyen Lam Lake and Truc Lam Zen Monastery
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