Nhung is a long-time study friend, and coincidentally, we finished our degrees around the same time. Before work life would start, we both independently decided to stay in Vietnam for an extended period. Now that we were both here, it was a rare occasion that we couldn’t miss—we had to plan at least one trip together. The only challenge was that she arrived in Vietnam around August and settled in the north, while at that time I was in the south, doing an internship at OUCRU. After some consideration, we agreed to meet in Da Lat right after my internship would end. Nhung would fly in, and I would take a bus from Ho Chi Minh City.
Late Arrival and Reunion | 12.09
My bus ride was comfortable but had some obstacles. The rain was quite heavy, and it was during the drive that I realized just how steep the journey to Da Lat really is. Stepping off the bus it already felt much colder here in the mountains than back in HCM. I arrived at our hotel a little after 8 PM, where Nhung was already waiting for me. After changing into some long sleeves, we headed out together to explore the city.
Now it was already past dinner time and we were already quite hungry. Nevertheless, to celebrate our unique reunion, we still wanted to do something fancy. After some wandering around, we eventually settled for Korean barbeque with some tasty Soju.
Southern Part of Da Lat | 13.09
The next day, after sleeping in and enjoying a banh cuon brunch, we headed to the Datanla Waterfall and the surrounding area, which is a kind of touristy hiking forest park located in the south of Da Lat. The main attraction was a tall natural waterfall, which you can reach via a 1km long zip line. To be honest, the zip line was a bit underwhelming and ended too quickly, but it was still an interesting experience. After finishing the zip line, we walked about 15 minutes to the waterfall, but we took our time, snapping photos and goofing around. We were very lucky with the weather as it just occasionally drizzled. From the waterfall area, there was a dedicated hiking trail to return to the starting point or explore other areas, but we opted for the more fun option, which was also included in our zip line ticket—riding an alpine roller coaster.
Since Da Lat is located at a higher altitude, it’s much cooler than the surrounding coastal areas. Because of this, many occupying forces, like the French, would escape the summer heat by retreating to Da Lat, where they built luxurious vacation homes. These buildings can still be seen today—and when we explored the area, it really did feel a bit more Westernized with its big green parks and blooming flowers.
In the evening, we went to the city center, where all the touristy street food stands were located, and snacked our way through them. Having a hot sweet potato on a mild summer evening is just a different feeling, compared to having one in the 30°C heat.
Northern Part of Da Lat | 14.09
Today, we started out relatively early, but were slowed down by the slightly rainy weather. So, we took the opportunity to visit the local mall and began our day with lunch. The mall also had a supermarket that surprisingly looked and was priced very much like what we’re used to in Germany—something like a REWE (?!).
Our main goal for today was to explore the ‘northern region’ of Da Lat, or at least the spots we had noted down to visit. The first destination was a hilltop that had a mention on Google Maps. But as we drove towards it, we started getting the strange feeling that it might not be what we expected. Even our Grab driver mentioned that there shouldn’t be much at this location, as it was quite remote, with people working on plantations nearby. Despite the rain, we decided to check it out anyway and wanted to see what there is to see. We drove back and forth trying to find the entrance until we realized we’d need to climb up a clay path. The whole journey made us wonder if Google Maps had made a GPS mistake, but when we finally arrived, it actually matched the photos—a nice overview of the city, and even the distinctive tree from the Google Maps reviews was there. Unfortunately, there were also clear signs that others had been there too, in the form of random trash almost all over the place 🤷.
The next stop was something that looked like the Vietnamese version of TeamLab. This kind of art museum had two floors where you could take picturesque photos, but aside from that, there wasn’t much else to do. Nevertheless, we still spent a considerable amount of time—about three hours—in the museum, way more than one would expect. What started out as a joke turned into a full commitment to filming video clips that we planned to cut together into a random movie. At first, it was really fun, but after so many retakes, it became almost too tiring. Still, we had a great time, got a lot of weird looks, and I’m so grateful to my patient travel companion for continuing to film, even when I, who hardly ever gets tired of trolling like this, was starting to feel it.
After leaving the museum, the sun had already set, and we were planning what to do the next day before heading back to Hanoi. This decision would ultimately determine whether we should end today’s evening early. We spontaneously decided to book a sunrise tour that started at 4 AM. So, with no time to lose, we had some wild Asian fusion pizza sushi Mix for dinner and prepared for the early morning.
Early Sunrise and Departure | 15.09
As with many Vietnamese tours, the organizers picked us up from our accommodation at 4 AM sharp. That was actually surprising, considering how often things run late in Vietnam. We then drove for an hour by bus to the eastern part of Da Lat, arriving in the darkness. We grabbed a quick instant noodle snack and then slowly started looking for a suitable photo spot. It was fascinating to watch how the day quickly shifted from pitch black to dawn. However, the transition from dawn to full sunrise took so long that we sometimes wonder if the sun had already fully risen. Unfortunately, the weather was quite misty, making it less than ideal for photos, but the mist over the fields created a fascinating atmosphere, making us appreciate the moment more than hustling to get good shots.
We then made our way back, but our tour also included what I would describe as random extras. We visited a plantation that sold dried fruits, especially persimmons, which they apparently dried using a special Japanese technique. The fruits were indeed super tasty but surprisingly expensive—even by German standards. Lastly, we visited a petting farm with a variety of animals ranging from goats and alpacas to chickens and rabbits (random much?).
Anyway, that’s it for Da Lat. We caught our flight back to Hanoi, slept through the journey, and then said our goodbyes as students for the last time. The next time we meet in Germany, it will be as employees in the harsh corporate world.