Dalat Destination

Dalat has a unique flavor among Vietnamese towns. Founded in 1897 as a resort for French commanders weary of the Vietnamese tropics, it still has hundreds of huge colonial mansions. Some are being restored by Vietnamese nouveau riche; others are empty and decaying. Dalat's history, combined with the welcome temperate mountain climate and pastoral hillside setting, give it the feel of a European alpine resort which, in fact, it once was. In and around town there are also numerous pagodas to see, in serene natural settings that lend an atmosphere far different from, for example, your typical bustling Saigon temple. Dalat is also a good place in which to glimpse the influence of the Catholic Vietnamese, represented by several churches and cathedrals. Farther out of town are postcard-perfect farmlands, valleys, and waterfalls. A few ethnic minorities, including the Lat and Koho, live in and around these hills, and you can visit their small villages.

Dalat is the number-one resort destination for Vietnamese couples getting married or honeymooning. If the lunar astrological signs are particularly good, it's not unusual to see 10 or so wedding parties in a single day. Many of the local scenic spots, like the Valley of Love and Lake of Sighs, pander to the giddy couples. The waterfalls are swarming with vendors, costumed "bears," and "cowboys" complete with sad-looking horses and fake pistols. A carnival air prevails. Yes, it's tacky, but isn't it interesting to see how other cultures do tacky? Plus you'll get a chance to travel, lodge, and dine with Vietnamese on a holiday, a rare opportunity.

Bao Dai Palace
Completed in 1938, this monument to bad taste provided Bao Dai, Vietnam's last emperor, with a place of rest and respite with his family. Think concrete and velvet furniture. There are 26 rooms to explore, including Bao Dai's office and the bedrooms of the royal family. Deer horns from a poor animal the emperor bagged himself hang on the wall. The place has never been restored, and indeed looks veritably untouched since the emperor's ousting, which makes it all the more interesting. You can still see the grease stains on Bao Dai's hammock pillow and the ancient steam bath in which he soaked. Don't miss the etched glass map of Vietnam in the main dining room, given to Bao Dai by a group of students in 1952. The explanations are in English, and most concern Bao Dai's family. There is pathos in reading them and piecing together the mundane fate of the former royals: this prince has a "technical" job, that one is a manager for an insurance company.

Dalat Market (Cho Da Lat)
Huge, crowded, and stuffed with produce of all varieties, this is the top stroll-through destination in Dalat. Here's where you can see all the local specialties--and even have a try! Some of the vendors will be happy to give you a sample of some local wine or a few candied strawberries.

Dalat Railway Station (Cremaillaire Railway)
Built in 1943, the Dalat station offers an atmospheric slice of Dalat's colonial history. You can see an authentic old wood-burning steamer train on the tracks to the rear, and stroll around inside looking at the iron-grilled ticket windows, empty now. Although the steamer train no longer makes tourist runs, a newer Japanese train makes a trip to Trai Mat Street and the Linh Phuoc pagoda. A ride costs US$5.

Datanla Waterfall
Datanla was once a major power source for the Lat people. Today, it's a mediocre fall, pretty enough after a walk through the forest but a fully fledged tourist site. See it if you're on the way to the Truc Lam Monastery.

Hang Nga Guest House and Art Gallery
Otherwise known as the Crazy House, this is a Gaudi-meets-Sesame Street theme park designed by an eccentric Russian-trained architect. The garden features a tree-trunk couple arguing, a huge spider web, and a towering sculpted giraffe. An overhead bird-cage tunnel contraption winds throughout. Try to meet Ms. Hang Nga, of the soft voice and very heavy eye shadow, herself. The locals call her eccentric for some reason, but she's just misunderstood. You can also stay in the guesthouse, nine small rooms hollowed out of huge fantasy tree trunks.

Lake of Sighs (Ho Than Tho)
This lake has such romantic connotations for the Vietnamese you would think it was created by a fairy godmother rather than French dam work. Legend has it that a 15-year-old girl named Thuy drowned herself after her boyfriend of the same age, Tam, fell in love with another. Her gravestone still exists on the side of the lake, marked with the incense and flowers left by other similarly heart-broken souls, even though the name on the headstone reads "Thao," not "Thuy." The place is crammed with honeymooners in paddleboats and motorboats.

Linh Phuoc Pagoda
Here is another example of one of Vietnam's fantasyland glass and ceramic mosaic structures. Refurbished in 1996, this modern temple features a huge golden Buddha in the main hall, and three floors of walls and ceilings painted with fanciful murals. Go to the top floor for the eye-boggling Bodhisattva room and views of the surrounding countryside. In the garden to the right, there is a 10-foot-high dragon climbing in and out of a small lake. You can get inside of it and crawl around, too.

Prenn Falls
The Prenn falls are actually quite impressive, thundering down from a great height--and you can follow a path under them, which adds some thrill factor. The Prenn experience includes cavorting costumed bears, staged photo opportunities, and vendors selling every kind of tacky knickknack available.

Xuan Huong Lake
Once a trickle originating in the Lat village, Dalat's centerpiece, Xuan Huong, was created from a dam project that was finished in 1923, demolished by a storm in 1932, and reconstructed and rebuilt (with heavier stone) in 1935. You can rent windsurfing boards and swan-shaped paddleboats, although it seems few people actually use them. Nobody is sure if the water is clean or not.

Su Nu Pagoda
Thirty nuns live at this peaceful temple. While the structure isn't very big or impressive, the Su Nu complex is small and you are free to stroll around the temple and serene gardens, usually accompanied by a nun. If you bring an interpreter, you may be invited to have a cup of tea and discuss the way of Buddha.

Valley of Love
The Valley of Love is scenic headquarters in Dalat. You can enjoy walking amidst the rolling hills and charming lakes, all the while enjoying the antics of the Vietnamese honeymooners zipping around on motorboats and posing for pictures with local "cowboys."

Thien Vuong Pagoda
Otherwise known as the "Chinese Pagoda," built as it was by the local Chinese population, this circa 1958 structure is unremarkable except for its serene setting among the hills of Dalat and the very friendly nuns who inhabit it. It does have three awe-inspiring sandalwood Buddhist statues that have been dated to the 16th century. Each is 4 meters (13 ft.) high and weighs 1 1/2 tons. Left to right, they are Dai The Chi Bo Tat, god of power; Amithaba or Sakyamuni Buddha; and Am Bo Tat, god of mercy.

Truc Lam (Bamboo Forest) Zen Monastery
Don't call this a pagoda. There's a difference, one you can feel as soon as you ascend the hill after going past the single, tiny vendor. The complex was completed in 1994 with the aim of giving new life to the Truc Lam Yen Tu Zen sect, a uniquely Vietnamese form of Zen founded during the Tran dynasty (A.D.1225-1400). Adherents practice self-reliance and realization through meditation. The shrine, the main building, is notable mainly for its simple structure and peaceful air, and the quarters for nuns and monks nearby are closed to the public. However, the scenery around the monastery, with views of dam-made Tuyen Lam Lake and surrounding mountains, is breathtaking. The grounds themselves are furnished with a small man-made pond and mimosa trees. As Zen master Thich Thanh Tu said, "Life is but a dream."

TRUC LAM PAGODA

This is the largest pagoda in Dalat now, it is located on Phung Hoang (Phoenic) mountain, 4km from Dalat, established by Thich Thanh Tu Monk in the 90s and it was opened on February 8th, 1994. the area is 24.5 hectares and it is divided into 3 zones: zone for the MonHotel , zone for the nuns, zone for visitors. The first outline design had the attendance of a famous architecture, Mr. Ngo Viet Thu (the architecture of Doc lap Palace-Thong Nhat Palace now in HCM city). This is the large Institute of Meditation in Vietnam. The aim of it is to cover the mediation in Vietnam (which existed in Tran period). Besides, Truc Lam is also an ideal place of interest with its ordery management, its cleanliness vehicles here are kept free as well as tolet service. Besides all of these big pagodas, Dalat has a lot of other small pagodas which can make a religious tour for visitors who want to search for special architecture.

LINH PHONG PAGODA

(The pagoda of Buddhist nuns)

It is 6km from Dalat, and it is located on the high hill at the end of the quiet Hoang Hoa Tham street. It was built in 1944, it used to be the prayers place led by Thich Bich Nguyen Monk. From 1948 to 1962, Thich Nu Tu Huong Nun renovated it to become Linh Phong Pagoda.The Pagoda has architecture like temple, it has 2 floors, a 3 part gate, tiled roof, below is a rolling gate, above is a rectangular gate with the sign “Linh Son Pagoda” the main building Worships Buddha, a statue covered with gold, 1.8high and it was made in 1949. On both sides, there are the statue of the goddess of Mercy and the Intelligent Buddha. Behind is the worshipped place of the great Buddha and Thich Quang Duc Monk. Outside is the place for activities, for guests and the lecture hall.

LINH PHUOC PAGODA

It is 8km from Dalat (in trai Mat zone) near the National Road No. 27. it is in district 11 of Dalat. It was built in 1949-1952 and was renovated in 1990 by Thich Tam Vi Monk. The architecture of the pagoda is Asian style.

The gate of the pagoda is near the National Road. The main building worships Buddha on a lotus flower (4.9m high); the two sides are dragons inland with pottery, decorated with pictures inlayed with pices of dishes and both telling the story of Buddha.

In front of the pagoda there is the picture os a dragon kneeling to worship Buddha. From 1998, Linh Phuoc pagoda and Trai Mat railway station has become a tourist tour and it can be coordinated with Hang Cop waterfall tour (6km from there).

LINH SON PAGODA

It is one of the most ancient and the most beautiful pagoda of Dalat. It was built in 1936 to 1940 with Asian architecture. In front of the building there are 4 big pillars, decorated on their tops. In the main building, there is a statue of Buddha sitting on a lotus flower made of bronze in 1952, 1.7m high and 1250 kg in weight; on the right of the main building there is the Huge Bell, 450kg in weight hung on the wooden frame. Behind is the temple of the Ancestors, where Patma Buddha is worshipped as well as many passed away priests. Linh Son Pagoda has a larger hall, built in 1972 and it now the Lam Dong Buddhism school

Bao Dai palace (Palace No. III)

It is on Trieu Viet Vuong street, 2.5km from Dalat in the South. It was built from 1933 to 1937 when Bao Dai was on his throne in Hue kingdom. Bao Dai used this place as a resting place in summer. When the French returned to Vietnam, Bao Dai became the puppet minister in 1950 and used this place as his office and his house. The place had a

group of guards and private convoys of cars called “Palace convoys”. There was also a private fleet of airplanes served by French pilots

The place had 2 stories: the ground floor was the meeting place to hold feasts to welcome foreign guests and officials of the kingdom. There are such rooms as: an office room, a guest room, a reception room, a room for the private secretary (at the entrance), the play room for the princess and the prince. In the reception room, there is till one souvenir, it is the picture of Angkorvat given to king Bao Dai by king Xi Ha Nuc of Cambodia himself. Bedrooms are all upstairs: Bao Dai’s, Nam Phuong Queen’s (born 1914), Bao Dai Prince’s (born 1934), Phuong Mai Princess’s (born 1936), Phuong Lien Princess’s (born 1938), Phuong Dung Princess (born 1943) and Bao Thang prince’s (born 1944)

Outside the bedroom of the king there is “The Watching Moon Balcony” were the king and the Queen enjoy the moonlight

King Bao Dai had an official wife that was Nam Phuong Queen (her maiden name was Nguyen Hua Thi Lan, daughter of a rich man named Nguyen Huu Hao). From 1949, when Nam Phuong took her children to France to study, Bao Dai had some relations with 3 concubines: Bui Mong Diep, Phi Anh and Jeny Wooong (from Hong Kong). These 3 concubines had their own villas in Dalat, when the king wanted one of them, he would sent out a car to pick her up to have dinner and spent a night with him. After Bao Dai had gone in exile in France, these villas became the holiday home of Ngo Dinh Diem and then Nguyen Van Thieu.

In 1988, people discovered some precious things including 122 things of pearl and tusk of the Nguyen kingdom taken from Hue’ by Lady Tu Cung (the king’s mother). These things belonged to Lady Tu Cung and Bao Dai, and it was allowed to use freely by The Provisional Revolutionary Government in September 1945. There were a lot of noticeable things such as a gold washbasin with 16 pearl stuck in, many pearl bowls, pearl dishes and some other gold things. These precious things are now kept at the Monetary House of Lam Dong. This is perhaps the most precious collection of pearl things of all the feudal regimes that have been kept till now

The government palace (Palace No. II)

It is near the roundabout of the gas station Kim Cuc and it is at once end of Tran Hung Dao street, it is lies on high hill at 1933m. it has an ideal view to Xuan Huong lake and other valleys. When being on power governor Deuco used this palace as a holiday home in summer. To avoid being boomed and attacked, the governor had a tunnel built to have an escaping way. In Ngo Dinh Diem regime, the councellor Ngo Dinh Nhu took this villa as his own palace.

In the palace, there are some precious things such as a roll of paper carved a poem of Tu Duc king in the sitting room. There used to have elephant tusHotel and they are missing now because of the many changes of managers. In the palace now there is still the piano of the governor’s wife.

Da Lat Historical Shelter

It is near the Valley of Love it was built in 2001, and began to operate from the beginning of 2002 and it was known as an artistic museum of hand -broidery art of Vietnam. This place belongs to XQ Ltd, owned by the couple Hoang thi Xuan and Vo Van Quan. The shelter was divided into 10 zones: the traditional zone, the character zone, the original zone, the display house, the art _ in _ life zone, the faithful garden, the heaven garden, the zone displaying “possessions of the abandoned people”, the zone “displayed art for myself” and “My Dalat”, these zones are arranged beautifully with geographical features, Hue _ like architecture, which make it a special romantic beauty. Visitors can understand more about hand broidery in silk and enjoy the feeling of relaxation. From the first idea of only a place to display and to introduce broidery; now Dalat historical shelter has become the place where nature and human meet each other, get on well with each other in a romantic atmosphere.

On Saturday evening every week, there is “the town of food” with traditional food from the Midlands such as cake made from tapioca flour; rice served with small shells, Hue beef soup...

Da Lat University

It is on a romantic hill at one end of Cu Hill (the North of Xuan Huong lake), on Phu Dong Thien Vuong street (near the flower garden) with an area of 40 hectares, the university was founded at the end of the 50s as a private university managed by the Southern Vietnamese Catholics. Formerly, this was the zone of the Youth Cades school of Asia. Before 1975, the university had a famous department called the political business which attracted students all

over the South, this department had over 1,000 students. Formerly, all buildings in the university were called by names taken from Chinese boo Hotel such as Nang Tinh (silence), Dat Nhan (becoming a man), Tri Nhat (knowledge), Minh Thanh (success)...

After 1975, the school became the general university of the zone and began to operate in 1977. The University of Dalat has various departments that satisfy the need of training workmen for the South Midlands and the Western Highlands. Students are from many parts of the country, from the North especially the old provinces of Thanh Nghe, from the costal region of the Midlands. The number of student increased each year and in 2003 there were over 13,000 students. The university has 22 fields with 10 departments.

For landscape, the University of Dalat is one of the most beautiful and the most peaceful school all over the country with a typical architecture of Dalat.

Lam Dong Museum

It is on Hung Vuong street, 3km from Dalat centre. Formerly, it was the villa of the rich land owner Nguyen Huu Hao (Bao Dai’s father in law) then the villa was given to Queen Nam Phuong. At the end of 1999 it was used as the museum of Lam Dong. There is a display of many precious things of history, culture, religion, costume of local people living in Lam Dong and some things found in the archaeological research in Cat Tien.

Elephant Waterfall

It is in Lien Dam commune, Di Linh district, 80km from Dalat and 25km from Bao Loc, next to the National road No. 20, Po Pla waterfall (which means the head of an elephant tusk in K’Ho language) and pronounces as Bobla in Vietnamese, and it is also called Lien Dan Waterfall.

The waterfall lies between 2 hills which have the shapes of 2 elephants kneeling and it is like a cave with house, coffee plantations around, below the waterfall there is a small lake made by water flowing for a long time, beside the lake there is a big block of stone that look like a stone table of the heaven and around there are big old trees.

A very long time ago, when the cham ruled Di Linh, they forced the inhabitant to pay taxes in products of the forest such as tusHotel of rhinoceroses, deer...And especially elephant tusHotel . They chose big elephant tusHotel only, and the chief of the tribe at the waterfall had found a pair of elephant tusHotel which were higher than a person, a horse could not jump over them. Then, the cham king was so happy, called that place Po Pla and the waterfall was also called Po Pla. The name Lien Dam was transformed from Liang dan-the name of a good youth man who had saved the villages of Liang Trak Mur from cham invaders. One time when the chams broke into the village, all villagers ran away, except for Liang Dam, who picked a branch of a tree on the waterfall and pointed branch to the enemy; as the branch broke the chams hurt themselves. When all the chams had disappeared, Liang silently went to the waterfall and vanished, the villagers couldn’t come in time to show their gratitude. So the villagers named their tribe Liang Dan.

Hang cop Waterfall

It is in Tuy Son Commune, Xuan Tho district, 15km from Dalat in the North East (past Trai Mat). It costs about 20,000 dongs by motorbike from Dalat. The name Hang Cop (the cave of the tiger) was called by the local people because at the foot of the waterfall there is a large cave where a fierce tiger was trapped by people. Around the waterfall there are pure pine tree forests and other forests which are favorable for open air tours. From Dalat visitors go towards Trai Mat and left, go to about 2,7km.

Pongour Waterfall

It is in Tan Hoi commune, Duc Trong district, 45km from Dalat, 7km from the National road No.20. It is one of the most beautiful and impressive waterfall in the western Highlands with a height of over 20m, its side is a hundred meters and its base is over 10m so thousands of people can have a good time here. Tourist expert haven’t hesitated to name Pongour “The best waterfall of the Southern Zone”. According to a legend of the minorities, this waterfall is related to the story of Lady ka Nai-a pretty chief of tribe who had built a prosperous life for the K’ho. The legend said that was the place where the animals left their traces of their horns. Pogour has a festival every year on the 15th of the Lunar January and this day is a spring day for Dalat Lam Dong youth with many traditional games, traditional cultural festivities of local people

The Castle of the Spider's net

(Hang Nga villa) on the way to Bao Dai Palace, turning right on Huynh Thuc Khang street. It appeared in Dalat in 1990 and it was considered as a peculiar building owned by Mr. Dang Viet Nga (an architect, a doctor) who once studied in Eastern Europe.

The building was designed like a fairy tale with spiders net, a couple of giraffes, a stylized bungalow, a child on his way to school, a couple of old men having an argument... The owner’s opinion is to symbolize a real life with different problems. Each room has the name of an animal or a fruit to express the closeness between nature and human as: room of the bookworm, room of the kangaroo, room of the tiger, room of the ant, room of the gourd...The building was designed like a fairy tale with spiders net, a couple of giraffes, a stylized bungalow, a child on his way to school, a couple of old men having an argument... The owner’s opinion is to symbolize a real life with different problems. Each room has the name of an animal or a fruit to express the closeness between nature and human as: room of the bookworm, room of the kangaroo, room of the tiger, room of the ant, room of the gourd...

Visiting Golf yard

A visit to the Golf court and getting acquainted with Golf game: Dalat has 3 Cu Hill which were made into a golf court with 9 holes by the French. When being a king and especially when being the leader of the kingdom, ex-king Bao Dai often played golf here with some French officials. At the beginning of the 90s, it was constructed by the Lam Dong Tourist Company and Da Nao Company of Hong Kong to make it an international golf court with 18 holes.

The Golf court has the services of training golf game and organizing sight-seeing tours for tourist at Hotel Doi Cu 2. The more people there are, the cheaper it is.

Contacting Golf club: Tel: 821201.

The City's Flower Garden

It is at the end of Xuan Huong lake, close to the romatic Cu hill, away from the city centre about 2km. Formerly, it had the name Bich Cau Flower garden. From 1986, it has been renovated to a flower garden of the city. Now, the garden has the biggest selection of flowers in Dalat with hundreds kinds of flowers. Besides the traditional flowers that visitors have known such as

ortensiaes, mimosas, roses...etc these are also other kinds of flowers that have been brought to dalat for 10 years now such as daffodils, lilies... Here, there is the garden of orchids, these orchids are pretty big and they are the most beautiful in Dalat so visitors can watch or buy. On Lunar New’s Day, there is a Flower Festival and artists gather here to show their flowers, their orchids, their decorated trees...

Than Tho Lake

It is 5,5km from Dalat in the North on the way Quang Trung - Ho Xuan Huong Street, which costs about 8000dongs by motorbike from Hoa Binh square. For a long time, Than Tho like has been a famous name is Dalat “Dalat has Cam Ly waterfall, than Tho lake so nobody dares going away “The lake locates near the National Military Academy (The ground troops Institute now) and it had a relation with the most successful period of this academy in the 50s and 60s.

Now, it has still the legend of the two lovers Thao and Tam and the legend of the two graves on the pine hill from that time. The graves of the two lovers lie in the North of lake. At Than Tho lake there is also “ a couple of pine trees” which is very strange picture of the couple of lovers embracing and visitors can take photos there. All of these sights are now faced with the shortage of water because of the destruction of the forest and the irrigation for agricultural land.

The Valley of Love

It is 5km from Dalat in the North on the way from the university roundabout. It costs about 8000dongs by motorbike from Dalat market.

From the French regime, it had the name Vallée Dámounr. In 1953, it had a Vietnamese name: Thung Lung Tinh yeu. In 1972, a dam was built to make a pool for agricultural zone of Da Thien (District 8 now) and it was also called Da Thie lake. The good points of this place are the beautiful pine hills, which are suitable for picnic on holidays in an area of 242 hectares. The area of lake is 13 hectares.

Datanla Waterfall

Away from the city centre about 5km (on the way to Prenn waterfall), it cost about 7000 dongs to go from the city centre to the waterfall by motor-bike. The waterfall is pretty deep, it takes about 10 to 15 minutes to walk from the top to the bottom. According to a legend, the waterfall had a deep cave hidden in the forest so it was one of the shelter of a troop of local inhabitant in the war with the Chams; thanHotel to this waterfall the troop can reside an pressure their force. Therefore, the minorities call it Datanla which means water under the leaves, eater under the stone.


According to a legend of the minorities, Datanla was the place where the brave man K’Lang and the mountainous lady Ho Biang met each other. Here the man had a fight with fierce wild animals including snakes, 7 wolves and 2 foxes. This legend wrote: “trees are blown down, wind roars, the fight is absolutely violent. Lang pulls out his knife and chops down the tow snakes, takes out arrows and shoots at the wolves and the foxes which run away...The trees falling down make deep holes which make a death canyon at the bottom of the waterfall, and then Datanla became the meeting place of two lovers”

Up the waterfall, there are green pine tree forests which are a hundred years old and flat blocHotel of stones. The Death Canyon is also the place for visitors to feel adventurous in the cliff climbing game, which means climbing up and down the cliff with sting. Visitors can book this game at Thai Son Co (Tel: 829422).

Prenn Waterfall

It is at the down end of Frenn pass, it is 10km from Dalat. For the chams, Prenn means the border, the invasion zone. Many centuries ago, the chams in Ninh thuan had a fight with the minorities in Lam Dong. Prenn was the border after these fights (from Prenn to Don Duong, Phan Rang it was the land of the K’Ho and the Ma). The waterfall is 8m high, it falls from the high rock above, so standing at the bottom of the waterfall and looking up, it is like the waterfall down from the sky and saigon people call it Tien Sa (rain drops from the sky).

From 1998 till now, Prenn has been strongly interested so it has been popular sight. In the waterfall surrounding, there is a traditional bridge, a pool for crocodiles, and some wildlife such as bears, crocodiles and rubber dinghies. From the Tet holidays in 2003, there was Au Lac temple for visitors to have a visit and pray. Prenn waterfall sight has a well-known food, that is fish soup. The fish is boneless, cooked with rice, served with mustard which make an unforgettable taste for visitor. For only 160,000dongs, 4 to 6 people can enjoy a fish soup course beside the waterfall.