Things To Do in Dalat

1. Xuan Huong Lake

Dalat's centerpiece, Xuan Huong, was created from a dam project that was finished in 1923, demolished by a storm in 1932, and reconstructed and...

2. Lake of Sighs (Ho Than Tho)

This lake has such romantic connotations for the Vietnamese that you would think it was created by a fairy godmother rather than French dam work....

3. Bao Dai's Palace

Completed in 1938, this monument to bad taste provided Bao Dai, Vietnam's last emperor, with a place of rest and respite with his family. It has...

Type:
• Landmarks

4. Valley of Love

The Valley is scenic headquarters in Dalat and a popular stopover for honeymooners. It's a good place to find some real bizarre kitsch, the kind...

5. Truc Lam (Bamboo Forest) Zen Monastery

What's refreshing is that you can walk around Truc Lam with no harassment, unlike many other temples and most pagodas in Vietnam. This is a working...

6. Hang Nga Guest House and Art Gallery

Otherwise known as the "Crazy House," this Gaudí-meets-Sesame Street theme park is one not to miss. It's a wild mass of wood and wire fashioned...

7. Dalat Market (Cho Da Lat)

Huge, crowded, and stuffed with produce of all varieties, this is the top stroll-through destination in Dalat. Here's where you can see all the...

Type:
• Markets

8. The French Quarter

The whole town has the look and feel of a French replica, but on the ridge-running road, Tran Hung Dao, don't miss the derelict shells of the many...

9. Thien Vuong Pagoda

Otherwise known as the "Chinese Pagoda," built as it was by the local Chinese population, this structure (ca. 1958) is unremarkable except for...

10. Prenn Falls

The falls are actually quite impressive, especially after a good rain. You can ride a rattle-trap little cable car over them if you're brave or...