Dalat - City of Eternal Spring

Da Lat is the reason we are in Vietnam. It has taken us sixteen years since we saw a documentary highlighting the beauty of the mist shrouded hills, wide, rushing waterfalls, serene lakes and vegetable and flower farming. Those years have changed both Da Lat and ourselves with Da Lat's population growing from around 86,000 in 2008 to 197,000 in 2023 with corresponding systemic development and urbanisation while we have lost some physical ability and are unable to get to some of the waterfalls or to do the walks in the pine forests. Nevertheless, there is much that we can see, do and enjoy so let's get out there!

Da Lat is only 200km north west of Ho Chi Minh, Saigon. You can get there by bus however we took the more comfortable thirty five minute flight. Of course it wasn't that quick when you factor in the more than three hours from hotel to boarding the plane. 

The airport seemed to be quite new and modern and once our fellow passengers got their bags and left, very empty. Our bags were last off the plane - that's what happens when you are first to check in. There was a taxi desk right beside the baggage belt so I booked a "small car" to our hotel more than thirty kilometres away for VND145,000  AUD8.70. The small car turned out to be not so small and the metre ticked over to VND420,000, AUD25.00. Still a ridiculously small charge for such a distance. [The driver did not ask us to increase our pre payment and cheerily took our bags up the steps to hotel and smiled his goodbyes.]

Leaving the airport, we were immediately cruising along a four lane expressway. The thirty kilometre road had a wide median strip that bloomed with different kinds of flowers and small shrubs the entire stretch. Roses, hydrangeas, chrysanthemums, bougainvillea to name a few. Even better than Singapore, I thought. Da Lat is known as the City of Eternal Spring because of its temperate climate. It's also the City of Flowers, well named, I think.

On check in to our apartment we were told that, as we were staying six nights, we had been upgraded to a two bedroom one. That was great with more space to unpack and create a home for almost a week. It was not so great when we came down to go to a supermarket and were told, in an offhand way, that because we were upgraded, the owner of the property had, to avoid paying a commission I believe, cancelled our booking with the booking platform. I was soon contacted by the booking platform to check that I had made the cancellation so I did not appreciate being put in an awkward position.

Da Lat supermarket fresh fish

Off we went to the biggest supermarket I've been in for a long time! It's located underground in a complex with restaurants, cinemas, indoor playgrounds and other shops at Lam Vien Square. Later we realised that in the evenings this is the place families, couples and friends come to hang out, fly kites and skate around.

Lam Vien Square, Da Lat

Laden with snacks, French pastries and fruit, we took a Grab back to the apartment where we relaxed and planned our first day of exploring this flowered city in the hills.