Da Lat: Vietnam's City of Eternal Spring
At 1,500 metres above sea level, Da Lat sits in a pine-scented plateau surrounded by strawberry farms, waterfalls and French colonial architecture. It is unlike anywhere else in Vietnam.
Da Lat was built by the French at the turn of the 20th century as a hill station — a cool-climate retreat from the heat of the coast. At 1,500 metres in the Central Highlands, the temperature rarely exceeds 25°C even in the hottest months, dropping to single figures on winter nights. The French left behind a peculiar collection of villas, a Gothic cathedral, a railway station that looks like it belongs in Normandy, and a food culture unlike anywhere else in the country.
The Climate and When to Go
Da Lat's cool, relatively stable climate makes it a year-round destination — and its proximity to the coast means it works as a counterpoint to beach days in Nha Trang or Mui Ne. The dry season (November to April) brings clear blue skies and cold nights; the wet season (May to October) brings afternoon rain, mist, and the lush green landscape that photographers love. The flower farms are most spectacular in December and January.
The Countryside
The plateau around Da Lat is extraordinarily fertile — strawberries, artichokes, avocados and hundreds of flower varieties grow in greenhouses and open fields in all directions. Renting a motorbike is the best way to explore. Ride out to the Valley of Love (kitschy but fun), the Elephant Falls (a short jungle walk from the road), or the flower farms around the village of Trại Mát, where the Linh Phuoc Pagoda — built from millions of broken ceramic pieces — is one of the most extraordinary buildings in Vietnam.
Datanla Falls offers an unusual downhill approach via an alpine coaster — a toboggan-style run through the forest. Langbiang Mountain provides a half-day trek to a viewpoint over the entire plateau.
The Food
Da Lat's cool climate produces ingredients unavailable elsewhere in Vietnam, and the local cuisine makes the most of them. Look for:
- Bánh mì xíu mại — baguette with meatballs in tomato sauce, a French-Vietnamese fusion unique to Da Lat
- Artichoke tea — bitter, earthy and oddly addictive; sold in every café
- Strawberry wine and jam — buy directly from the farms on the roadside
- Avocado smoothies — thick, creamy and cheap; a Da Lat institution
- Hotpot — the cold evenings make Da Lat ideal hotpot weather
The Architecture
Da Lat has the highest concentration of French colonial architecture in Vietnam. The Da Lat Palace Hotel (now the Dalat Palace Heritage) is a 1922 grand hotel that still functions as accommodation — worth a look even if you're not staying. The Crazy House (Hang Nga Villa) is a fantastical Gaudí-inspired guesthouse that looks like it grew from the hillside. The Bảo Đại Summer Palace is an art deco villa where the last Vietnamese emperor retreated from the summer heat in Hue.
Da Lat rewards slow travel. Rent a motorbike for two days, stock up on strawberries and avocados from the market, and ride wherever the road looks interesting. The town centre can be done in an afternoon — the surrounding highlands deserve much more time.
