DALAT
Dalat is a city in the Central Highlands of Vietnam. At 1.500m above sea level, the climate is cooler so it's really popular among Vietnamese people. Dalat grows a lot of vegetables, fruits and coffee so you can see a lot of farms and plantations there. I've lived in Dalat for four months and it will always be a special place to me.
Xuan Huong Lake
Xuan Hong Lake is located in the heart of Dalat City. It's nice to walk around it either in the day- or nighttime. It takes 45-60 mins and be prepared that it can be cold at night!
Tuyen Lam Lake
Tuyen Lam Lake is located outside of Dalat City and you can get there easily by motorbike. It's nice to drive until Happy Hill Coffee and enjoy the beautiful nature and fresh air.
Datanla Waterfall
Datanla is a natural waterfall close to Dalat City. Around it, you can find roller coasters, a cable car and hiking trails.
Suoi Vang Lake
This is my favorite place for hiking but it's a bit further away from Dalat. We went to "The Lonely Tree" which is a bit tricky to find but it's a wonderful hike down to the Lake.
Lang Biang Mountain
Lang Biang Mountain is one of the highest mountains in Lam Dong Province. We hiked up there on a beautiful morning in January and the view was just amazing. The hike might be a bit challenging (especially in the end) but if you're into sports you can do it!
Cau Dat
I love Cau Dat. Driving out there is beautiful already and then you'll see the tea and coffee plantations with the Ocean at the horizon and clouds walking up the mountains ...
You can also do cloud hunting here with the sunrise.
Dalat Nightmarket
Here you will find a lot of Dalat Specialities like Vietnamese Pizza (Banh Trang Nuong), Soymilk or Avocado Ice Cream!
Linh Phuoc Pagoda
This pagoda is famous because of it's 17m high Buddha statue decorated with 600.000 flowers.
Linh Son Pagoda
I like this pagoda a lot. It's close to the city center and very peaceful.
The Bee Candle
Natural Candles and more
This place doesn't just sell candles - it's a support for a project called "Bees4life" - by every purchase, you "can fuel our efforts to inspire people and farmers for a more sustainable lifestyle or farming practices!"
On their website, you can learn about the importance of bees and bee friendly farming and garden design.
Click the button below to get more information on their website.
Tuyen Lam Lake
Fresh Food & Coffee
Dalat grows a lot of vegetables, fruits and coffee. Therefore, the food is always fresh.
The climate is less hot than normally in the South of Vietnam so the taste of the food here might be different, too.
Chay Au Lac
My favorite pho in Dalat. It's also a rice restaurant where you can choose from different kinds of tofu and vegetables and tell them what to out on your plate.
Bep OM Chay
My favorite Bun Thit Nuong in Dalat. As you might know, this is one of my favorite Vietnamese dishes. It's a bit further away from the city but you can easily get there by motorbike.
Chay Dalat
My favorite restaurant in Dalat because I love the view from here. And also, this is where I came on my first night when I moved there.
Lien Hoa
My favorite Banh Mi in Vietnam so far! They have the best vegetarian Banh Mi I've ever had (and they also have traditional Banh Mi with meat and plenty of other delicious baked goods).
In The Forest Dalat
Beautiful restaurant in the forest with amazing food. I'm still dreaming of their kale salad and they do really good steaks!
Bun Bo Hue - Tuyet
Hue Spicy Beef Noodle Soup is basically available everywhere in Vietnam, not only in Hue.
I recommend you to try it from a local shop where the locals like to eat it, too.
Banh Can Ty
Banh Can are mini cakes made from rice flour, traditionally fried in clay pans and dipped in fish sauce.
It's a popular dish in South Vietnam and comes with different toppings like quail eggs, shrimps or pork (here plain).
German Beer House Dalat
As a German girl who doesn't eat meat and doesn't drink alcohol it's just funny to mention the German Beer House. Authentic German Food & Beer. ;D
Sivananda Yoga Resort & Training Center
I've spent my first month in Dalat here for a Yoga Teacher Training Course (YTTC). It was not always easy as it brought up a lot of emotions, but I can only recommend you an experience like this.
You will learn about yourself, Vedanta philosophy and practices like Asana and Meditation.
Please check their website for upcoming courses.
If you have less time, you can also do Yoga Vacation there.
Also, they have a Sivananda Center in Dalat where you can join yoga classes and workshops.
Santosha Home
Yoga & Vegetarian Food
This place is runned by a lovely Vietnamese couple who are both yoga teachers. Apart from yoga lessons, they offer lunch during the weekdays. Please contact them one day before so they can prepare the food for everyone who wants to join. I always feel so welcome in their place - just like home.
Coffeeshops around Dalat
To me, Dalat has some of the best coffeeshops in the world. There are a lot of coffee plantations around Dalat where the farmers grow Arabica and Robusta beans. Robusta beans have the double amount of caffein compared to Arabica beans and they are widely used in local coffeeshops. If you're not used to Vietnamese Phin Coffee made with Robusta beans yet, just be aware that it can be stronger than the coffee you normally drink. In some coffeeshops you can decide which beans you want to try but local coffeeshops normally use 100% Robusta beans. I created the selection of coffeeshops below by my own experiences and apart from coffee, they offer tea or juice too. Going to a coffeeshop in Dalat is always an experience itself as they are all so beautiful, surrounded by nature and lights to look cozy during the nighttime.
Lung Chung
My favorite coffeeshop in Dalat is hidden in the forests outside of the city. The view from this little wooden hut makes me feel so peaceful inside. You can drive down there by motorbike but be careful as it's quite steep!
Tiem Ca Phe Tui Mo To
One of my favorite coffeeshops in Dalat even when it got so popular now. During the night, you can see the greenhouses light up down in the valley.
Happy Hill Coffee
You'll find this flower garden coffeeshop at Tuyen Lam Lake, right at the end of the road so it's very quiet there and a perfect spot for nice photos!
It might be crowded on weekends.
Cabin in the Woods Dalat
The road to this coffeeshop is a little bit bumpy but don't worry, it's so worth it to go down to the Cabin in the Woods!
Nha Ben Rung
The way to Nha Ben Rung is adventurous already, make sure your motorbike is strong enough. The coffeeshop is amazing and they have some cute dogs, too.
Amelie Coffee
A beautiful garden, a lovely view to the mountains and a fresh cup of coffee is the best way to start your day.
An - Tuyen Lam
Sunset at Tuyen Lam Lake and Iced Tea is always a good idea. It's one of my favorite sunset spots in Dalat.
San May Cao Go - Doi Che
Cloud hunting spot, tea and coffee plants and one free drink per entrance fee. Here you can walk around or sit down and enjoy the view - sometimes you can see the ocean (Phan Rang).
Chabon'te
This is the cute coffeeshop of our friends An and Bien in Lam Ha. It's nice to do a day trip to Lam Ha and explore the nearby waterfall and the big buddha statue in Linh An Pagoda.
RUNG NA UY Cafe
This is a nice spot to sit down and wait for the sunset while having a hot flower tea.
Deo May Farm
This was a lucky find - you can pick organic strawberries here and get a strawberry smoothie from it later!
Tiem Cafe Phia Tay Mat Troi
Nice view and good drinks not too far away from the city center but you still have a lot of nature around you.
Tiem Ca Phe Goc Cua Tung
Nice view and good location, I like their drinks and it's light up beautifully in the nighttime.
Tui Ba Gang
This is my all time favorite avocado ice cream! They also sell Dalat specialities and you MUST go there when you come to Dalat.
Ca Phe Viet Y
Great local coffee shop close to Dalat market. You should try Vietnamese coffee here (or avocado ice cream).
Hot Soymilk
Sua Dau Nanh Dung Beo
This is a Dalat speciality that you can find at the night market and many other places in the city. My favorite place is a local shop close to the night market but be prepared - it's busy!
They serve hot Black Sesame Milk, Mung Bean Milk and Taro Milk and they will offer you pastries to dip in the milk.
Apart from that, you can get soy yogurt which I like a lot.
420 Sunset Cocktail Bar
This is a great spot for sunset and nice cocktails!
Normally I don't go to bars but this one became very special to me.
(PayPal)