emendedgypsy: Dalat

Now for a day outside the city limits…

I highly recommend renting a motorbike and going with some friends to the waterfalls nearby Dalat. There are 3 waterfalls that myself and two others drove to…

Datanla Falls (easy 10 minutes)

Elephant Falls (Voi, not so easy because of construction, 1 hour?)

Pongour Falls (a little further, 50 km, but worth it! Full day)

So much fun! Datanla Falls is only a 10 minute ride outside of the city and you can take a one person self guided roller coaster to the bottom! One thing I wished I would have done is take the ride down the hill TWICE. It was SOooooo much fun! The round trip cost is $3. Put it in your budget to ride twice! Here is a video to enjoy and give you something to look forward to...

At the bottom of the hill there are a few different waterfalls to see. One thing to be careful about after reading other blogs... someone said that they had to pay to use the elevator to get to the bottom waterfall. I don’t believe that this is true because I did not have to pay on the day that I went. However, there was a chair near the entrance. Whether or not someone is supposed to be in that chair collecting, I’m not so sure. There is a gondola that you can pay to take down, but truthfully the stairs are not too difficult at an easy pace. Its all up to you on what your budget is and how much you want to spend.

After visiting the falls, make sure you stop at the coffee shop (the only one with the view!) on the way back into town! Best view and cheap coffee!

Elephant Falls

Now here was a real adventure. One of those things that you keep saying... oh my gosh! Is this really happening?! Elephant Falls is only about XX kms from town and would be an easy ride... BUT it wasn’t. As of February 2014, the ONLY road to get to elephant falls was under construction. Mind you, it is still open, but VERY. UNDER. CONSTRUCTION.

I was the lucky driver, with my friend, Ben on the back. As we approached a turn in the mountain hillside, we were wondering why people were putting on rain ponchos, it was a beautiful sunny day! And then about 2 minutes later, we understood. It was because of the MASSIVE amounts on red DUST that were in the air. The road was mostly just dust and dirt. All around were large rocks being cut out of the mountain, dump trucks, cranes. Again, back to the safety standards... there was one point that a crane reached OVER the road and I had to go under the arm to pass by, that is just what you do you know! A few prayers later and a slow progress for at least 5 kms of construction, we finally got out of it and about 20 minutes later found the turn to get to elephant falls. From the top it isn’t too impressive, so you most definitely MUST go down!

On the way down my group of 3 Americans was keeping up with a group of locals, a few of them young monks in training. The most impressive thing about this group of teenagers, though, is that one of them was missing a leg! There he was taking this treacherous trail with only one leg! I give this guy mad props!

I'll always remember this guy, doing what others with two legs would shy away from...

It took some navigating to find the proper way to get to a nice spot for viewing and pictures. The grass all around is wet and muddy from the spray, so do step carefully! But again I say, if the guy with one leg can do it...

Here are a few fun shots from the area. I’d recommend a picnic. We were going to swim, but the water is a little dirtier than we hoped and because of construction our time was at a minimum. Make sure you get home before dark! Know what time sunset is and give yourself enough time to make it back to the hotel. Be safe!

Going home at least we knew what to expect. Coffee plantations, and construction. LOTS OF CONSTRUCTION. At least the construction guys were friendly and amused as we passed by.

Pongour Falls is one of my favorite places, only because of this picture…

I had seen this picture on Pinterest before knowing I’d be headed to this location. The water wasn’t flowing much so perhaps it was a little disappointing, but it is still so much fun to walk around on the tiered waterfall! Some people say to skip this site, but I LOVED it! Make sure you pack a picnic lunch and be prepared for a LONG ride if you choose to go on your own via moped. Its TOTALLY doable and a lot of fun. BUT, it is a pretty long ride, at least an hour. We had some trouble seeing the sign and went down the wrong road TWICE. Its near the dam. Don’t go too far!

We went swimming a little way down the river. There are signs below the falls saying “do not swim” and we were concerned maybe there would be bacteria or something, but no one broke out in a rash. ;-)

On the way home I let Ben drive and had a few moments of “freak out” (sorry Ben!) I’m not so used to riding as passenger and Ben wasn’t so used to driving. He had to dodge a herd of cows and a few semis... almost to the point of “this is ridiculous”! But good news, WE SURVIVED! Another great day in the sun and I feel like Pongour Falls was a check on the bucket list of places to see before I die. I hope if you get the chance to go that the water is flowing a little more. Make sure to get a friend (or stranger) to take photos for you!

That was the last day in Dalat. Next up, Ho Chi Minh by bus.

From Hoi An we decided to fly to Dalat. It would be much cheaper to take the bus, but we were much more interested in saving time, considering we only had a short 2 weeks in Vietnam. For only $50 for the one way flight from Danang to Dalat, it was an easy decision. We were both impressed with the airports and if you need a snack it is easy and not too expensive to grab a sandwich and a coffee at HighLands Coffee.

Once in Dalat we took the shuttle into the city. Its a pretty quick 30 minute ride to the edge of the city, but then you will probably have to get a taxi to your hostel. One thing about Dalat... NO ONE HAS MAPS! It was nearly impossible to find a place that had a map of the city, so my recommendation is to make sure you have one BEFORE you get there. When you don’t have wifi and don’t have a map, you are left at the mercy of your own sense of direction and the locals who may not be very helpful. The taxi ride shouldn’t cost much more than $2-3, make sure the meter is on!

Dalat was the one city where we decided to save money on a hotel. It did the job. For $10 a night we shared a room (that’s $5 per person!) and it wasn’t a dorm. It was a “wet” bathroom, which we were used to from living in Korea anyway. No frills, no breakfast, but what can you expect for $10?! There is a great bakery or two not far from most of the hostels, so this is one city where it shouldn’t matter much that breakfast is not included.

Just an FYI when visiting Dalat. There is not much of a night scene. Also, mixed drinks are pretty expensive. All that said, I’d suggest hitting this city for its nature and waterfalls. Great place to rent a moped and explore the countryside. Moped rental is just $6 per day plus gas (about $4-$5). Traffic isn’t too bad and easy enough to navigate if you aren’t a nervous driver. Though do stay on your toes and learn the system (i.e. Honk while passing!) If you are too nervous to drive in a foreign country then Dalat is also famous for “easy riders”. You will be approached many times on the street offering an “easy rider”. Its a lot more expensive ($30 or so) but you will have a guide that can tell you all about the area and you can probably go further because the bikes are bigger and faster.

I’d suggest one day in town exploring the Flower Park and Crazy House and then at least two days getting out and exploring the waterfalls. Here are a few photos from Crazy House and the Flower Park. Both places are a "must see" and super cheap entry fees. (Under $3)

Enjoy some photos, and then go see for yourself!