Da Lat attracts tourists thanks to its cool climate year-round, poetic landscapes, and countless exciting amusement and resort spots. This place is always a dream destination for travel lovers. So, what makes the special allure of this city? Let's explore detailed information about this misty land through the article below.
After merging the three provinces of Lam Dong, Dak Nong, and Binh Thuan into the new Lam Dong province, Da Lat is the old city territory belonging to former Lam Dong province.
1. Geographical information of the old Da Lat city
The old Da Lat city covers an area of 394,64 km2, located on the Langbiang Plateau in Lam Dong province. This is an area with an important position and is the strongest developing economic region in the province.
The terrain here is relatively complex and divided into 2 main types: mountains and plains. Most of the high mountain areas belonging to the Langbiang Plateau surround the city, creating a natural wall that blocks the wind. Nestled in the middle of these mountain ranges is the central area of Da Lat at an altitude of about 1.700 m.
The city is located near many other developed localities, with the distance to Nha Trang (Khanh Hoa) being 205 km, to Bien Hoa (Dong Nai) about 278 km, and 293 km from Ho Chi Minh City. Thanks to the mild, cool temperate weather throughout the year and beautiful natural scenery, Da Lat is an exceptionally ideal travel destination.
2. Climate divided into 2 distinct seasons in Da Lat
Located at an altitude of 1.500 m above sea level and surrounded by mountain ranges and forested hills, Da Lat has a very pleasant temperature profile. The average temperature here ranges from 20 to 21 degrees Celsius; even during deep cold spells, it does not drop below 10 degrees Celsius. The weather here is demarcated into 2 distinct seasons: the rainy season and the dry season.
- Rainy season: This period usually lasts from around 4 to the end of 10 each year. During this time, there are often sudden showers or lingering rains that last all day. Under the influence of the Southwest monsoon, rainfall here peaks in months 7, 9, and 10, with an average air humidity of about 80%.
- Dry season: The dry period begins from the end of 10 until 3 of the following year. The weather during this time is very mild and pleasant, with sunshine that is not overly harsh in intensity. This period always attracts a large number of tourists thanks to weather that brings comfort to everyone. Average sunshine duration reaches about 2.258 hours per year.
3. The meaning of the name of "Da Lat" city
Although the city is extremely familiar, not everyone clearly understands the origin and specific meaning of the name "Da Lat". This name is believed to originate from a Latin adage: "DAT ALLIIS LAETITIU ALLIIS TEMPERRIEM". When joining the 5 initial letters of the words in this sentence, we get the letters "DA LAT", carrying the message "giving joy to some, bringing freshness to others". This is a hypothesis from the French colonial period, as the French discovered this land and named it with such a meaningful phrase.
However, according to many Vietnamese ethnological researchers, the name Da Lat originates from an indigenous transcription with the root word being Da Lach. According to the K'Ho language, Dak, Da, or Da means water, stream, or river. Meanwhile, Lach (Lat) is the name of a tribe of the K'Ho ethnic group. Da Lach is the stream of the Lach people. To this day, the name Da Lat is understood by many with the meaning of the stream of the Lach people, and the Lach people are members of the great family of Vietnamese ethnic groups.
People often bestow upon Da Lat many special and impressive names, such as the "city of dreams", "city of a thousand flowers", "city of four seasons of flowers", or "city of fog"...
4. What makes Da Lat famous?
Coming to visit Da Lat, this place possesses a series of unique things waiting for visitors to explore. The unique experiences you will undergo when coming to the city include:
4.1. Countless poetic and romantic landscapes
This city is always immersed in hazy mist along with chilly weather throughout the year. That explains why this place becomes a tourist destination attracting a large number of visitors. The Da Lat scenic spots possess vast pine forests, rivers, lakes, streams, along with a cool, fresh atmosphere, completely contrasting with the cramped, suffocating feel of urban life. Waking up early in the morning, you can watch the sunrise and hunt clouds in Da Lat right in the middle of the vast wilderness. The experience of standing on a high mountain peak looking down at a sea of floating clouds slowly drifting in a quiet, surreal space brings a feeling akin to stepping into a dream realm.
This city is an extremely romantic dating spot for couples. You can walk with your loved one to admire the poetic sunset falling over Xuan Huong Lake in Da Lat, Mong Mo Hill, Valley of Love… or handpick fresh, delicious strawberries directly at a Da Lat strawberry garden which is extremely
4.2. A diverse culinary map with countless famous delicious dishes
When visiting here, you should definitely try the delicious dishes and Da Lat specialties rich in variety. Two familiar breakfast dishes of the locals are steamed rice rolls with chicken offal and Da Lat mini savory pancakes. In the chilly morning air, eating a piping hot mini pancake filled with shrimp, meat, and egg dipped into the shop's specially mixed dipping sauce, or enjoying a fragrant bowl of steamed rice rolls with chicken offal, is truly a complete culinary experience.
For lunch, you can choose Da Lat meatball bread famous or visit clay pot rice restaurants, simple family rice restaurants to find back the cozy flavor. When late afternoon comes, the whole group can go together to eat Da Lat chicken hot pot with lemon basil leaves or Ba Toa beef hot pot which is extremely popular. In the cold as night falls, gathering around a steaming hot pot, chatting happily with loved ones and friends will be an extremely memorable memory.
After a full dinner, you can invite everyone to stop by Da Lat night market to sip familiar snacks like Da Lat grilled rice paper, shaken strawberries, or warm soy milk.
4.3. Cafes with beautiful views and unique designs
Currently, the city sees many cafes appearing that possess beautiful views and diverse designs. The feeling of sitting by a window on a quiet afternoon, enjoying a warm glass of drink, listening to gentle melodies or flipping open a book page, gazing out at the stretching green pine hills is truly very special. This quiet and romantic space is precisely what keeps tourists returning here many times. You can stop by to take photos at addresses with very lovely spaces such as Lung Chung Cafe, Cafe Doi Mot Nguoi, Tui Mo To Cafe, or The Beti Dalat…
4.4. The land gathering place of countless flower colors
Thanks to the year-round mild weather bestowed by nature, this place has become an ideal growth environment for countless flower species. The Da Lat flower gardens vibrant with colors of roses, wild sunflowers, lavender, sunflowers, hydrangeas… are always favorite photo stopovers for everyone. Not only at garden houses, local people here still maintain the habit of planting flowers right in front of house porches, along walkways, or letting flowers grow wild naturally across all paths. That very rustic touch has further decorated the beauty of the city, worthy of the title as the land of countless flower colors in the hearts of tourists.
4.5. The hospitality of Da Lat people
Local residents are very hospitable, approachable, and friendly. Living amidst romantic nature and cool atmosphere, they always maintain gentleness, honesty along with a deep wealth of knowledge. The lifestyle of the people here is a subtle blend of long-standing tradition and an open mind from the West. Besides, their accent is very warm, gentle, and clear. This very thing has created a special attraction, bringing a pleasant feeling to tourists when visiting.
4.6. Cultural beauty appealing to tourists
Besides the romantic natural landscape, this city also possesses a rich ethnic cultural treasure of the Central Highlands region. When coming here during festival seasons, you will have the opportunity to watch traditional singing and dancing performances and enjoy sounds from unique ethnic musical instruments. Among them, the flower festival held periodically 2 years 1 time is the time when the largest number of tourists visit. This event is held to honor the beauty of cold-climate flower species, while introducing the tourism image and prestigious local brands.
Dotted in mist, this urban area also has a series of ancient mansions built from the French period carrying very unique and impressive architectural styles. An interesting detail is that this place possesses 1 library currently preserving over 200.000 precious book documents along with tens of thousands of document newspaper pages about this land. This facility functions like a large museum of Lam Dong province. In addition, the city also has the Lam Dong Children's House, a place for young children to participate in performing artistic items steeped in regional cultural identity.
5. Notes to know when traveling in Da Lat
- When shopping at markets in Da Lat, you should actively negotiate prices until reasonable to limit price gouging. In addition, the secondhand market here is also a good suggestion for you to hunt for quality, unique items at saved costs.
- You should not buy fruit jam at shops inside tourist areas because it is very expensive. You should stop by Da Lat market to be able to bargain or ask locals to find a quality place to buy at a reasonable price.
- You should avoid buying strawberries in the Da Lat market area because of high costs and vague origins. Instead, to choose gifts, visit Da Lat strawberry gardens directly to hand-pick and freely select them.
- When renting a motorbike for travel, you need to ask clearly about prices, pickup and drop-off times, and support services when the vehicle encounters troubles on the road. Actively schedule visits to attractions on the same route to make travel more convenient.
- When enjoying signature cuisine here, you should choose authentic long-standing addresses because there are currently many fake shops, and actively ask about costs beforehand.
Hope that the above shares will help tourists have many new perspectives on Da Lat and partially explain the special charm of this place. Not stopping there, the city also possesses countless other interesting things waiting for you to set foot and explore. Plan right away with loved ones, close friends, or your better half to start the journey visiting this beautiful land!
