Things to do in Dalat

2. Canyoning – 530,000 VND (£16/$25)

Abseiling 4 waterfalls, sliding down 2 rapids and jumping 12 metres off a cliff is pretty much what Canyoning consists of. This is a hell of a day out for the adrenaline junkies. Again, an absolute steal at £16/$25 for the whole day, you can’t go wrong with this, it sounds as good as it is. Of course, with being in Vietnam, health and safety is at a bare minimum and you should most definitely have some sort of abseiling background to do this, but even if you don’t, any old soul can rock up and have a go. We do advise that if you have a real fear of heights then don’t waste your money though. We saw one girl sit out of every waterfall, it’s not for everyone admittedly, but if you’re feeling brave then bloody do it. Neither of us are experts at abseiling and we’re both slightly afraid of heights but we managed to do it all (Issie skipped one waterfall, but we don’t mention that). It’s amazing and these are definitely are top two recommendations for things you should do in Dalat.



3. Crazy House – 30,000 VND (£1/$1.50)

At first you will think this some sort of cheesy gimmick, some fancy architecture has morphed a building into a crazy house and made it into a cheap attraction. If that is the case, this will be a pleasant surprise. You have pretty much entered Disneyland on a far smaller scale but with way more imagination. This was possibly one of our favourite things to explore, you feel like a hobbit trapped in Alice in Wonderland, it’s great! You climb small staircases into cave like hallways and find yourself three floors up and walking on a one-person pathway over the roof of the building. Then somehow you’re within a tree and your friend is next to you but you’re walking in different directions and on different paths… It’s a maze and a labyrinth in one. A ticket is 30,000 VND but you can also stay the night here as it doubles up as a hotel. Prices are a little steep but you’ll understand why when you see it.



4. Weasel Poo Coffee – 20,000 VND (£0.65/$1)

As names of coffee go, this is possibly the least appealing, yet it’s one of the best coffees we’ve tried. You will definitely experience this delight if you do the EasyRider tour, but if you don’t do that, go on the hunt for it! It’s basically coffee beans that have been eaten by weasels, pooped out, clean (we hope) and then used for your cup of coffee. It honestly tastes really good, and that’s coming from people who don’t drink coffee. So sit back, enjoy the view and drink your poo.



5. Cable Car – 40,000 VND (£1.25/$2)

If you want some stunning views of Dalat, the Cable Car is easily the best option, you can go all the way around in about 20 minutes and it costs £1.25/$2 for the whole journey. Capture some incredible views of Dalat town and villages one way and the see the stunning lake and mountains just south of Dalat on your way back. If you’re lucky enough you will also catch a couple having sex in a passing cable car… although I don’t think this experience happens too often. So, just make sure you are capturing a time-lapse of the views and you might just get a photo of the couple enjoying their not so intimate moment. If you’re even luckier you’ll bump into them again at the Crazy House an hour later – good luck!


6. Lakes

– Xuan Huong Lake

The stunning lake you hopefully passed on the way to you hostel. In the middle of town is a picturesque lake with a mountainous backdrop, it’s quite incredible and a lovely place to walk or cycle around. We motorbiked around the lake a few times just for the hell of it, it was possibly one of our favourite bits of the centre of Dalat.

– Tuyen Lam lake

A short journey south of Dalat is another incredible lake, a lot bigger than Xuan Huong. You will most likely need a motorbike to ride around this one, the views are breathtaking, it’s really hard to describe how amazing it is. It’s also a stop on the EasyRider day tour.



7. Waterfalls

– Datanla Falls

This waterfall is pretty far away and we actually got recommended not to go to it as there wasn’t much water due to the season. So before you make the 40km journey, make sure it’s worth it, especially as pictures on the internet look pretty incredible. We were pretty gutted it wasn’t the right season for us.

– Prenn Falls

The most local of waterfalls to Dalat, we got lost looking for this so you may have to get a decent map and a good translator to put you in the right direction. It’s in walking distance from town, if you’re happy to go for a brisk up-hill trot of course.

– Elephant Falls

We got taken here on our EasyRider tour again, it’s a bit of a climb down and expect to get wet as you go behind the waterfall after clambering over some rocks. It’s a great place for a picture or to relax for a little while. They told us it got it’s name because the rocks made it look like an elephant, personally we couldn’t see it but then again, a few shots of rice wines later and that may be a different story.



8. Home-stay Meal/Rice Wine – 20,000 VND (£0.65/$1)

A lot of the hostels in Dalat offer a home-stay meal, it’s a little intimidating at first as there can be up to 20/30 travellers all scattered around a feast in the middle of the floor and you’re usually not to sure what half the food is in front of you. To be honest, I still wasn’t too sure when I ate it but it was bloody brilliant! We were at Tiny Tigers Hostel, they cooked up a feast every night and each night it got better! A brilliant experience and if your lucky the rice wine will be about and the Vietnamese will show you how to drink their way. Small warning; it’s not easy.

Dalat is awesome, thats’s pretty much all that needs to be said.