da lat in 3 days, 2 nights
The lake and the night market on arrival, a day of Langbiang Mountain, flower farms and cafés, and the Crazy House before flying home via Ho Chi Minh City.
Day 1 Up to the highlands
- Morning
- Fly from KL to Ho Chi Minh City, about 2 hours, then under an hour on to Lien Khuong Airport. Vietnam is an hour behind Malaysia.
- Afternoon
- Drive about 40 minutes into town and check in. Walk or cycle round Xuan Huong Lake as the air cools.
- Evening
- Da Lat Night Market, on the streets and steps around the central market. Have bánh tráng nướng, rice paper grilled over charcoal with egg, and a cup of hot sữa đậu nành, soy milk.
Day 2 Mountain, farms and cafés
- Morning
- Head out to Langbiang Mountain, about 30 minutes north of town. Hike up, or take a jeep, for views over the plateau.
- Lunch
- Bánh căn back in town: little rice-flour cakes cooked in clay moulds, with a dipping sauce.
- Afternoon
- The flower greenhouses and a pick-your-own strawberry farm around the edge of town.
- Evening
- Café hopping. Da Lat has one of Vietnam's biggest café scenes, and the cold evenings are made for it.
Day 3 Crazy House and home
- Morning
- The Crazy House, a surreal, tree-like building of twisting stairs and odd rooms. Then buy artichoke tea, the local speciality, to take home.
- Lunch
- One more round of bánh căn or bánh tráng nướng.
- Afternoon
- Drive to the airport, about 40 minutes, and fly home via Ho Chi Minh City.
Good to know
- Pack a jacket. Evenings get cold, especially from December to February.
- Leave plenty of time for the connection in Ho Chi Minh City, where the domestic and international terminals are separate.
- Avoid Lunar New Year and Vietnamese long weekends, when hotels fill up with visitors from Saigon.