On both of our trips to Vietnam, we traveled to Dalat by bus from Ho Chi Minh City. Both times we were told the trip would take five hours, and both times it took eight. In 2002 the road out of Ho Chi Minh City was filled mostly by motorbikes, but in 2006 there were a great number of cars. In 2006, on the road just outside of HCM City, there was actually a concrete divider so that the motorbikes would travel on the right side, separate from the cars.
The ride from HCM City to Dalat gets more and more scenic as it winds up into the Central Highlands. On the side of the road there are many coffee and pepper plantations, along with interesting little villages, and the inevitable groups of school children, all the girls wearing beautiful white Ao Dai.
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Dalat is an extremely pleasant and picturesque city, and the climate is great, especially coming from hot Ho Chi Minh City! During our first trip to Dalat we stayed in a hotel that is no longer open. On our second trip, we stayed at the Dai Loi hotel in a very nice and clean room for just $22/night including breakfast. The staff were both helpful and friendly, and the location of the hotel was great. It is about a 5 minute walk from the beautiful Xuan Huong Lake and the central market.
Because the climate in Dalat is different from other cities in Vietnam, a variety of fruits and vegetables are grown there that are uncommon in the rest of the country. At the central market you can buy delicious strawberries, mulberries, jams, and candied fruits, along with very pretty dried flower arrangements. Dalat is also known for its pastries, and northwest of the central market, there are a number of bakeries with a good selection of them.
Before we left for Vietnam on our trip in 2006 we looked for a guide to take us through difficult to reach areas in the Central Highlands. We found an excellent Vietnamese tour guide named Tuan, after reading several great recommendations for his services. We met him on our first day in Dalat, and were excited to begin the trip north in a couple more days. Although he more often takes people on motorbike tours, he arranged for a driver, Thanh, to take the three of us by car.
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During one of our days in Dalat we attempted to walk to Lam Ty Ni Pagoda to visit the monk there, listed in the Lonely Planet guidebook. After walking around for two or three hours, we realized the map in the Lonely Planet was missing a street, and decided to try again the next day. On the way back to our hotel, I ate a fried concoction from a street vendor, and was mildly sick the rest of the evening.
The next day we called Tuan to ask him for directions, and he offered to give us a ride. We never would have found the pagoda otherwise. Our visit with the monk was great. He is a very interesting and eccentric character. He gave us a piece of baguette to share, showed us his multitude of paintings, and told us that it would be dangerous for us to see his dog! We highly recommend visiting this man if you get the chance. We also walked to the Hang Nga Gallery & Guesthouse, but would not recommend it. It seemed to be built purely for tourists, and there was nothing Vietnamese about it.
The scenery outside of Dalat is spectacular. There are beautiful rolling hills with perfectly tended coffee and tea plantations, and small villages that specialize in everything from silk to mushroom production. In 2002 we traveled southeast from Dalat to the coast, and in 2006 we traveled northwest toward Buon Ma Thuot and the Central Highlands. The vegetation becomes more and more lush towards the coast, with the temperature getting hotter and hotter. On the way to the coast there are a number of interesting Cham ruins not too far from the road. When we arrived on the coast in 2002, we turned north toward our next major destination, Hoi An.
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In 2006 when we traveled from Dalat toward
Buon Ma Thuot, we stopped in a village to see people producing baskets that would hold silk worm cocoons, and were invited into a villager's house for tea. We found out he was a former North Vietnamese soldier. He asked where we were from, and when I told him I was from America he told me that he loves the American people, but that he dislikes the American government. We had a very interesting conversation with him. Throughout our trip, when we would stop on the side of the road, people would often come to see us and invite us into their houses.
Continuing on down the road we visited several more villages associated with silk production. We saw each phase from silk worm cultivation to the weaving of scarves and other silk products. We knew the rest of the trip with Tuan and Thanh was going to be great!
For information on Hotels, Tours, Flights, and Books on Vietnam, check out the pages below:
Hotels in Vietnam - Recommended hotels in Vietnam.
Tours in Vietnam - Recommended tour companies in Vietnam.
Flights to Vietnam - Includes information about our experiences on different airlines we've taken to and from Vietnam.
Books on Vietnam - Excellent books on Vietnam's history, people, and travel.
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