After days of sunlight and sea, I left the coast behind. The road from Nha Trang to Da Lat curves inland like a ribbon, climbing steadily through the Central Highlands. I took one of the comfortable limousine buses—an elegant upgrade from the usual intercity ride—and watched as the air changed with every kilometre. The palm trees thinned, pine forests took their place, and the heat softened into something cooler, lighter, easier to breathe. By the time we reached the plateau, the temperature had dropped enough to feel like a different country altogether.
Da Lat greets travellers with a gentler rhythm. Built by the French in the early 20th century as an alpine resort, the city still carries the perfume of another era—villas in soft pastels, steep roofs, wrought-iron balconies, and avenues shaded by pine and jacaranda. I began, as most visitors do, with a slow walk around Xuan Huong Lake, its still surface reflecting the spires of Da Lat’s churches and the soft evening light.
When night fell, I followed the hum of voices to the Da Lat Night Market, where smoke rose from charcoal grills and the scent of grilled rice paper—Banh Trang Nuong, affectionately called “Vietnamese pizza”—mingled with the sweetness of strawberries and the warmth of soy milk. In Da Lat, even street food feels like comfort in the mountain air.
Da Lat’s Natural and Artistic Wonders
Morning brought a different kind of brightness—the clear, luminous quality of air that only mountain towns possess. I set out toward Datanla Waterfall, a cascade hidden among the pines on the outskirts of town. What makes the visit unique is not just the falls themselves but the way you reach them: by a self-controlled alpine coaster, a winding track that lets you regulate your speed as you descend through the forest. It’s part amusement ride, part communion with the landscape—adventure softened by laughter echoing between trees.
From there, I moved to a place that defies category altogether: the Crazy House, officially known as the Hang Nga Guesthouse. Designed by architect Đặng Việt Nga, it is less a building than a living sculpture—part Gaudí, part Dalí, part dream. Stairways twist like vines, windows bloom like flowers, and entire rooms seem to have grown out of the trees themselves. It’s whimsical, surreal, and utterly unforgettable—an artistic embodiment of Da Lat’s creative spirit.
Later, I drove into the countryside where coffee plantations roll over the hills. Da Lat is Vietnam’s coffee capital, the source of beans that are exported around the world. Touring one of these estates reveals the quiet craft behind every cup: the handpicking, the drying, the roasting, the patience. I sat beneath a corrugated roof, sipping coffee still warm from the roaster, and thought about how each sip carries both place and time—the altitude, the soil, the rhythm of seasons.
…The road to Da Lat is a climb from sea-salt light into cool mountain mist, where pine trees replace palms and spring never ends.
Gardens and Views
If Da Lat has a colour, it must be green—but not just one shade. The city’s gardens and hills shimmer in endless variations of it. The Da Lat Flower Gardens, near the lake, offer a curated display of what the region is known for: hydrangeas, orchids, roses, and chrysanthemums in full bloom. There is an artistry to the arrangement, a painter’s eye behind the floral geometry, reflecting Da Lat’s long association with horticulture and design.
From the gardens, a short ride takes you to the Da Lat Cable Car Station, where small gondolas glide silently over the pine valleys. The journey is peaceful, the city receding into misty blues and greens, until the view opens to reveal Truc Lam Pagoda—a serene Zen Buddhist monastery set on a hill above Tuyen Lam Lake. Here, the wind carries the scent of pine and incense together, and the only sounds are of bells, distant and clear.
As evening approached, I dined in one of Da Lat’s elegant hillside restaurants. The menus are filled with local produce: artichokes, avocados, strawberries, and temperate vegetables that thrive in this highland climate. The food, like the air, feels restorative—a fitting close to a day in the “City of Eternal Spring.”
Read More: Hon Khoi Salt Fields
Departures and Pathways
Leaving Da Lat can be as easy or as extended as one wishes. Option One suits those seeking simplicity: a short drive to Lien Khuong Airport (DLI) and a domestic flight to Ho Chi Minh City (SGN) or back north to Hanoi (HAN) for your international connection. Vietnam’s domestic network is efficient, and flights from Da Lat link smoothly to most major routes.
Option Two is for the traveller not yet ready to say goodbye. With a few more days, the road southward offers the chance to experience Ho Chi Minh City—its energy, history, and culinary vibrancy—before departing the country. Whether by air or overland, the descent from Da Lat’s cool plateau back into the tropical lowlands marks the natural conclusion of this journey from mist to sun.
In terms of logistics, the route includes one domestic flight—from Hanoi to Cam Ranh—and an international departure either from Da Lat or Ho Chi Minh City. Ground transport is best arranged through pre-booked private cars or limousine buses for the longer transfers, while within cities, taxis and ride-hailing apps such as Grab provide the most convenient means of getting around. Specialised experiences like cormorant or anchovy fishing require advance reservations with local operators, as they depend on both seasonal timing and experienced guides.
…Every corner of Da Lat hums with quiet artistry, from waterfalls that whisper to markets that glitter under a gentle highland chill.
Vietnam Highlights: A Journey in Reflection
From the limestone karsts of Ninh Binh to the quiet rivers of Trang An, from the shimmering plains of Hon Khoi Salt Fields to the blue horizon where fishermen cast their nets for anchovies, and now to Da Lat’s mountain calm, Vietnam reveals itself as a country of layered light. Each region speaks in a different tone—one whispering through rice paddies, another gleaming across the sea, a third rising in mountain air fragrant with coffee and pine.
To travel through Vietnam is to experience contrast as harmony. The flat deltas meet the peaks; the salt of the sea finds its echo in the sweetness of mountain strawberries. Even the tempo of life shifts—from the slow rhythm of boats on the Van Long wetlands to the laughter of women raking salt at dawn, to the hum of motorbikes weaving through Da Lat’s evening mist.
For the traveller who follows this route—Ninh Binh Untamed, Trang An, Hon Khoi Salt Fields, and finally Da Lat, the City of Eternal Spring—the reward is a deeper understanding of Vietnam’s geography and soul. It is not a checklist, but a composition: a journey that begins in the north’s quiet waters and ends among the highland pines, where spring seems to linger all year long.
Read More: Visiting Vietnam for Anchovy Fishing
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