2 Days in Dalat, Vietnam

After spending a few weeks in the northern and middle parts of Vietnam, I traveled south to the city of Dalat. It was the perfect place to enjoy some cool weather as well as the surrounding waterfalls and pine forests.

Day 1 – A Charming Homestay & an Alpine Coaster

I took a morning van to Dalat from the beach city of Nha Trang, and the ride was comfortable and uneventful. I was originally planning to stay at King Kong Hostel, but when I arrived my room was absolutely filthy. I’ve stayed at plenty of subpar hostels over the years, but this was so bad that I decided I would not be staying there and made up an excuse to check out early.

After some frantic searching online, I booked a private room through Mooka’s Home. I headed straight to Mooka’s and felt like I was in a luxury resort compared to my last place! The owner was extremely welcoming, and my room was clean and comfortable. I was so relieved to be staying somewhere nice during my stay.

Once that problem was solved, I had a late lunch at a nearby burger spot and then took a Grab to the Datanla New Alpine Coaster. This coaster is 2,400 meters long and passes through the pine forests. I was a bit lost when I arrived since there are several tracks to choose from, but eventually I found the line for Coaster 3 (the largest one). I waited in line for close to an hour, but luckily the ride was pretty fun. The coaster went a lot faster than I thought, and I didn’t realize I’d be in full control of braking and accelerating. After the fun ride downhill, I got in line for the return coaster back to the top, which wasn’t really much of a ride at all. At least I didn’t have to hike the steep way back up!

Riding the Alpine Coaster

After the coaster, I headed to Crazy House which is a tourist attraction in Dalat. The architecture was really interesting, and you could explore hidden tunnels and passageways throughout the house. I learned that it’s also a hotel, which would be a unique stay! Next, I stopped at the nearby Now Coffee for a caffeine boost, and then I headed back to Mooka’s to join the communal BBQ dinner on the rooftop. We got to grill our own chicken, beef, pork, and veggies, and the food was delicious! It was also fun getting to know some other travelers from the homestay.

Crazy House

Wandering through Crazy House

Rooftop dinner at Mooka’s

A group of us girls headed to the popular Maze Bar after dinner, which is a bar that doubles as a pretty elaborate indoor maze. The decor was really unique, and we only got lost once (although we ran into some creepy sculptures along the way). We stayed there for a couple of drinks and enjoyed hearing people’s tales about the things they found during their journeys through the maze. It was a great end to the day!

One of many themed rooms in the Maze Bar

Day 2 – Waterfalls & Weird Bugs

For my second day in Dalat, I joined a tour of the surrounding areas that was organized by Mooka. I was picked up around 8:30 AM and was joined by a family of 3 from Russia and a couple from Malaysia. Our first stop was the alpine coaster, and I opted not to ride it again since I had already been the day before. Instead, I enjoyed the waterfalls and scenery of the park and spent some time talking with my guide.

Scenery at the Alpine Coaster

Next, we drove to a flower farm and learned about Dalat’s orchid farming. The 3-year-old Russian boy also gave me a flower which was adorable. We went to Me Linh Coffee Garden next to try weasel coffee, which is coffee made from weasel poo. It pretty much tasted like normal coffee but was a fun experience at least. Next, we went to a cricket farm and tried some fried crickets dipped in chili sauce (which were surprisingly tasty).

Weasel coffee

Our next stop was Elephant Falls which were beautiful! The falls were overseen by a 71-meter tall Lady Buddha statue which made the scenery even more amazing. After spending some time admiring the falls, we stopped for lunch and then visited Linh An Pagoda where the Lady Buddha resides. You can choose to visit the top, but none of us opted to climb all those stairs in the heat. Next, we went to a silk factory where we admired all the fabrics and got to taste test the worms (which were peanuty and juicy; I wouldn’t recommend). We then drove a ways to Pongour Falls, which were pretty but not as spectacular as Elephant Falls had been.

Elephant Falls overseen by Lady Buddha

Pongour Falls

We had a long car ride back into the city, and then I was dropped back off at my homestay. I had Italian food for dinner at Primavera and then packed my bags for my next adventure. The next morning, I enjoyed a delicious breakfast at Mooka’s and then headed to my bus that was arranged by the homestay. Mooka even paid for my Grab to the bus station which was so nice of her! Seriously, I can’t recommend this place enough if you ever visit Dalat. I was sad to be leaving but had an enjoyable couple of days in the city.