Dalat city is full of mesmerising landscapes, highland temperature, friendly locals and delicious food. Originally established as a summer retreat by French to escape the heat, it's not surprising that a lot of French-inspired buildings still remain and continue to draw attention from people across the globe.Saving food recommendations for my next post, this post features the main attractions of the city.
Robin Hill and Truc Lam Monastery
Opening hours: 7am to 5pm daily
Entrance ticket: 80,000 VND per pax for round trip of cable ride
Robin Hill offers one of the best panaromic views of Dalat city. Next, enjoy the fresh air in Dalat by taking a scenic (and quite lengthy) cable car ride from Robin Hill to Truc Lam Monastery. Again, the view from the cable car was incredible on a clear day, featuring pine forests, rolling hills, lush green farms and a bird’s eye view of shimmery Tuyen Lam Lake. However, at times, the cable car was so shaky due to strong wind that I got butterflies in my stomach.
From Truc Lam Monastery, you can take a short walk to Tuyen Lam Lake. The tranquility here will help you to release stress from busy city life. Drop by a cafe to enjoy Vietnamese coffee or simply wander around. There were at least 2 couples doing their precious pre-wedding photoshoot on the day we visited Tuyen Lam Lake. :)
Planning wise, all these activities can be comfortably completed in 2 to 3 hours, but kindly note the cable car service is unavailable during lunch hours between 11.30am to 1.30pm. Of course, you are more than welcome to spend more time immersing yourself in the tranquility of its surrounding environment. If you come in the evening, you can probably catch a sunset at Tuyen Lam Lake.
Absolutely beautiful.
Look at my evil face, hehehe...
Tuyen Lam Lake.
Opening hours: 8.30am to 7pm daily
Entrance fee: 50,000 VND per pax
An apt description for its "crazy" structure that is out of norm and doesn't make any sense to ordinary people. It's a big maze that is full of narrow staircases, hidden rooms and undulating surface. Very fun to explore as you can never tell what's ahead of you. According to the artist behind the structure, Mrs Dang Viet Nga, the Crazy House will never really be finished and it is always changing.
In case you are not aware, it's a real hotel in business. However, I don't think I will enjoy the stay as it's can be annoying when tourists try to open the door or sneak a peek. For those who want to experience, maybe staying for one night is sufficient.
Barely fitted myself in for a photo.
Opening hours: Mon to Sat: 5.15am to 6.15am and 5.15pm to 6.15pm; Sun: Whole day
St Nicholas Cathedral is also known as the Rooster Church, owing to a copper rooster perched atop its bell tower. While it is beautiful in terms of the colour combination and architecture, a mere 10-min stay is sufficient unless you come at the right timings to enter the church. Don't miss the splendid city view from the little garden at the side.
Dalat Railway Station
Opening hours: 8am to 5pm dailyEntrance fee: 10,000 VND per pax
The iconic Dalat Railway Station is a must-visit place for all the first time travellers. While you can actually take a train ride from here to Trai Mat village, most people just come here to take photos around the historic building and restored carriages, including us.
Domaine de Marie Church
Opening hours: 6am to 5pm daily
Entrance fee: Free
Another French colonial building not to be missed. The dusty pink church has the reputation of being the most beautiful architecture in Dalat and we have to agree with that. Don't leave without paying a visit to the functioning nunnery with accompanying poetic garden at the back. I was kinda upset that we only managed to take 1 photo at the entrance using my DSLR before ran out of battery.
Luckily, the photo was a good one, minus the elegant lady in pink behind.
Beautiful place, lousy phone camera T.T
Linh Phuoc Pagoda
Opening hours: 8am to 5pm daily
Entrance fee: None
Also known as the pagoda of broken glass, the pagoda is famous for its unique decoration with small pieces of broken terracotta, porcelain, and glass. Do take your time exploring the temple and climbing up the pagoda stairs to admire the intricate artwork. As this is a popular destination among tour groups, coming early will definitely make your visit more enjoyable with less crowds.
The details were mind boggling.
Nothing was better than a bowl of steaming hot ginger branches to warm yourself.
Garden Hydrangeas
Opening hours: Mon to Fri: 7.30am to 6pm; Sat and Sun: 7am to 6pm
Entrance fee: 15,000 VND per pax
Apparently this garden is a popular pre-wedding photoshoot destination for couples and I can totally see why. Girls will scream in delight when they see the stunning hydrangea flower field. It's so huge that the crowds are spread out evenly, so you will have your own space to play with. There isn't any time restriction and you can hang around for as long as you wish to. And the good news is the hydrangea flowers here bloom all year round.
Opening hours: 6am to 10pm
Entrance fee: Free, but compulsory spending on drinks
Looking for creative yet gorgeous photos? Sunny Farm is the right place to go. It is in fact very near to Linh Phuoc Pagoda. While you can freely enter the farm area, there is compulsory spending on drinks from the cafe (on average: 20,000 VND - 80,000 VND per pax).
The stairway to heaven has certainly drawn a lot of attention on social media. It creates a gorgeous photo background together with the clear blue sky. Apart from this, there are multiple interesting installations such as giant light bulb and colourful wooden houses for you to play with.
Grateful for the good weather!
Datanla Waterfall
Opening hours: 7am to 5pm daily
Entrance fee: 80,000 VND per pax for round-trip roller coaster
There are plenty of activities being offered at Datanla Waterfall, including canyoneering and alpine roller coaster. The roller coaster system here is a unique and family-friendly one. My parents can verify the statement (my dad hasn't taken any roller coaster in his entire life). It was my first experience with a control-your-own-speed alpine roller coaster using a hand brake! A sled can fit in 2 people, in case you think being alone is too horrifying. The roller coaster will bring you to Datanla Falls which are at the bottom of a gorge, after going through deep jungle and (not-so) hazardous cliffs.
Clay Tunnel
Opening hours: 8am to 5pm daily
Entrance fee: 60,000 VND per pax
Interesting village of giant clay sculptures made from local red soil mixed with stone powder and cement. What I like the most is the fact that a huge section is dedicated to the famous architecture in Dalat such as the railway station and St Nicholas Cathedral. As a general tip, wearing bright-coloured clothes will allow you to stand out from dull brownish background, instead of blending in.
Best photospot! Worth the queuing time.
These sum up all the places we visited during our time in Dalat. The attractions are pretty close to each other and you can comfortably cover all these within 2 full days. If you wish to venture further to places such as Pongour Waterfall and Love Valley, you may need to allocate another day to Dalat.
Overall, I love the city (and the cooling weather) so much that I sincerely hope to return here one day. :)
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