“We travel not to escape life, but for life not to escape us.” – Anonymous

Lam Dong Province

Location

Lam Dong Province is well known with the famous destination named Da Lat City. Located in Lam Vien Highland, the province has the ideal climate for the holiday. There are many romantic places for visiting in this province, so it is not so difficult to understand about its attraction to tourists who come here each year regularly.
Lam Dong Province is bordered with Khanh Hoa Province and Ninh Thuan to the east, with Dong Nai Province to the west, with Binh Thuan Province to the south and south east and with Dak Lak Province to the north.

  • Center city: Da Lat City
  • City, Town and Districts: Bao Loc City, Bao Lam District, Cat Tien District, Di Linh District, Dam Rong District, Da Huoai District, Da Teh District, Don Duong District, Lac Duong District, Lam Ha District and Duc Trong District.
  • Tourist places: Da Lat City, Bao Loc City and Lac Duong District.
  • Climate: Lam Dong Province is in the tropical monsoon climate region. There are the rain season from May to November and the dry time from December to April. The average temperature is from 18 C degree to 25 C degree. 
  • Transportation: Travel conveniently by land and airline to the province and from it to other provinces.

          The distance is for reference as below:
          From Lam Dong to Ha Noi: 1.373 km
          From Lam Dong to Ho Chi Minh City: 288 km
          From Lam Dong to Binh Thuan – Phan Thiet:  172 km
          From Lam Dong to Khanh Hoa – Nha Trang:  137 km
          From Lam Dong to Ninh Thuan – Phan Rang Thap Cham:  97 km
          From Lam Dong to Dak Lak: 172 km
          From Lam Dong to Dong Nai: 267 km
  • Population: There are the main groups who live together such as Kinh, K’Ho, Ma, Nung, Tay, Hoa, Chu-ru and some other ethnic groups.


Landscapes

  • Truc Lam Buddhist Pagoda: Truc Lam is a name of Buddhist sect founded by Tran Nhan Tong King.  Truc Lam Buddhist Pagoda is located in beautiful natural scenery, nearby Tuyen Lam Lake. The construction of the pagoda consists of a two ha area covering Buddhist institute and twenty-three ha area surrounded many kinds of decorative plants and beautiful flowers.
  • Linh Son Pagoda: was built in 1938 and inaugurated in 1940, Linh Son Pagoda is one of famous sites in Da Lat City. Surrounded by lush green old-aged trees, Linh Son Pagoda’s architecture was designed in simple and harmonious Asian style. In the middle altar, there is a 1,250kg bronze statue of Sakyamuni Buddha cast in 1952.
  • Thien Vuong Co Sat Pagoda: Located at 385 Khe Sanh Road, 5km from the city center, the pagoda was built in 1958 by the Bronze Superior Tho Da, a Buddhist dignitary and member of Chinese Association, follow Chinese Hue Nghiem Buddhism, therefore, the pagoda is also called Chinese Pagoda. In 1989, the Thien Vuong Pagoda was restored.
  • Linh Phuoc Pagoda: Located on Hung Vuong St, 8 km from the center of Da Lat City, Linh Phuoc Pagoda was built in 1949 and restored in 1990. The pagoda is very impressive due to its architecture decorated with pieces of terracotta, porcelain, and bottles to design many particular shaped statues for the whole pagoda, therefore, people call the pagoda “Ve Chai Pagoda”.
  • Dalat Cathedral:  Located on Tran Phu Road, 500m from Da Lat market, the cathedral is often called “Rooster” Cathedral by the local people but officially named Saint Nicolas Cathedral by the Christian Church. It was built on 19 July 1931 and inaugurated on 25 January 1942.The Cathedral looks like a European cathedral from the Middle Ages with its 70 stained glass windows and 47m high bell tower. The image of Cock Cathedral is popular to national visitors as well as international visitors.
  • Da Lat Palaces: Da Lat has three magnificent and large palaces, which are simply referred to as Palace 1, Palace 2, and Palace 3. Located on the top of hills in beautiful surroundings, the palaces were built according to French design.
-  Place 1: Located on Ly Thai To road, it is a grandiose palace in the 18ha area, 4km from the center of Dalat City. For a long time, the Da Lat people are acquainted with calling Palace 1 to Bao Dai Palace. In fact, Palace 1 was a former palace of a French official, named Robert Clement Bourgery, for whom the colonial French government allocated land to build palace in Da Lat in 1920s. In August 1949, Bao Dai bought this palace to be the “Head of State” office. Palace 1 is famous for its name “Hundred Flower Place” with many kinds of valuable flower imported from Japan, China and European countries.

Nowadays, Palace 1 has been restored its whole architecture to welcome visitors.
- Palace 2: Located on Tran Hung Dao road, 2km from the center of Da Lat City, Palace 2 is a dignified building of modern design. Palace 2 was built from 1933 to 1937 to be a palace of Governor- General Jean Decoux. Every year, Jean Decoux went to Da Lat, worked and stayed in this Palace from May to October; therefore, people named it “Summer Place”.
- Palace 3: Located on Le Hong Phong Road, 500m south-east of Pasteur Institute, and 2km south-west of the center of Da Lat, Palace 3 was owned by the last emperor of the Nguyen Dynasty, Bao Dai; therefore, it is called “Bao Dai Palace”. A French architect and Huynh Tan Phat- a well-known architect in Vietnam designed and built the Palace 3 from 1933- 1938. Bao Dai Palace is a modern-styled European architecture surrounded by pine hills and four-season flower gardens.  The palace has two floors including 26 different-sized rooms such as Showroom exhibiting pictures and activities of Bao Dai King, Working Room, Khanh Tiet Room for meeting and banquet, Living Rooms, Prince and Princess’ Rooms, Queen Room etc.
Nowadays, Palace 3 is one of interesting sites in Da Lat for tourists to visit. 
  • Da Lat Train Station - the Cham Tower Railway Route: Da Lat Train Station, which was considered the most beautiful station in Indochina, is 500 m from the center of the city. Architect Reveron designed the architecture of the station and Architect Moncet directed to execute the project from 1932 to 1938. The station was serviced until 1964 it was stopped because of the war. In 1992, the railway route was restored about 10km from Dalat to Trai Mat to serve tourists. Recently, the railway route to Da Lat has not been in service anymore but Da Lat Train Station is an interesting site to visit. 
  • Biological DaLat Sub-Institute (also called Natural Central Highland Museum): Located at N0116, Xo Viet Nghe Tinh St. in Da Lat City, the museum was founded in 1985. There are nine rooms exhibiting many objects that are kinds of fauna and flora in Central Highlands.
  • XQ Su Quan: Located in the 2 hectare wide area, in Mai Anh Dao St., opposite to Mong Mo Hill and the Valley of Love, XQ Su Quan is a centre of exhibiting traditional arts and performing artisans’ embroidering skills. Mr. Vo Van Quan and Mrs. Hoang Le Xuan founded this centre in 2001.The area divided into Traditional house relating to embroidered XQ, Art Gallery, Garden, show room etc.
  • Da Lat Orphan Children Village- SOS: Located at N0 67- 69 Hung Vuong, the SOS Village is a social charity non-government organization, which has the head office is located in Venice, Austria and the financial office in Germany.The SOS Village has a spacious campus planted various kinds of flowers. Visiting the village, tourists can combine between visiting and doing social work.
  • Hang Nga Villa (also called “Crazy House”): Located at N0 3, Huynh Thuc Khang St., Da Lat City, Hang Nga Villa is a particular villa because of its ancient tree-foot and ant-net shapes, designed and built by Architect Dang Viet Nga. It is said that this is a unique architectural style in the Southeast Asia
  • Tuyen Lam Lake: Located in a small valley among immense pine forests, the lake has a vast and calm surface. It is said that “Tuyen” refers to “Stream” and “Lam” to “Forest”; therefore, Tuyen Lam is a “meeting” place between stream and forest.
  • Xuan Huong Lake: The Lake was named after the name of a poetess considered “the Queen of poetry in Chinese-transcribed Vietnamese” in the 19th century.  Xuan Huong Lake is located in the center of Da Lat City at an attitude of 1,477m. The Lake has the shape like a crescent in the five ha area. At first, the French called the lake “Grand Lac” (Large Lake). In 1953, Mr. Nguyen Vi, a chairman of the Da Lat municipal council, renamed the lake “Xuan Huong Lake” base on the name of the famous poetess of Viet Nam. The surface of the lake is as smooth as glass with the reflection of the surrounding pine trees. Visitors can go fishing, pedal boating on the lake and admire the lovely architecture of Thuy Ta Pavilion.
  • Flower Garden of Da Lat City (Da Lat Flower Park): Located in a valley nearby Ho Xuan Huong, Cu Hill and Da Lat University, Da Lat Flower Park is considered a natural museum that houses the fine collection of native and exotic flowers, especially; there are many kinds of orchids. In 1995, the Japanese Embassy in Vietnam offered Da Lat City 50 cherry-blossom trees, 40 of which are planted in the park.
  • Valley of Love: Valley of Love is a famous site in Da Lat, 5 km to the north from the city’s center and surrounded by Pine Hills. The French came to Da Lat and named this valley, “Vallee D’Amour” translated into Vietnamese meaning “valley of love”. In the reign of Bao Dai King, this place was called Hoa Binh (Peace) but 1953, was changed to the Valley of Love based on the old French name.
  • Lake of Sighs: Situated on top of a hill covered with pine trees, 6 km from the centre of Dalat, the Lake has been named “Lake of Sighs” for hundred years since the Viet just settled in this mountainous area. Before, it was just a small lake but when the French came to and developed the city, they built dam, enlarged the lake to be a reservoir and named it “Lac de Soupris”. Since 1959, the lake has been called with its old name, “Lake of Sighs”.
  • Cu Hill - Da Lat Golf Course: Cu Hill gently slopes close by the famous Ho Xuan Huong Lake. Cu Hill spreading like an immense steppe is located in the area of 65 ha. There is the golf course designed into the 18 hole-golf course with the international standards.  
  •  LangBiang Mountains:  Located in Lat Commune, Lac Duong District, 12km from the centre of Da Lat, LangBiang is about 2,287m high. The mountains were named after a legend of the faithful love of a couple- Lang and Biang. Nowadays, Langbiang Mountains are an ideal place for climbing, trekking or studying flora and fauna etc.
  • Cam Ly Waterfall:  Cam Ly Waterfall is about 3 km from the center of the city. Before getting the waterfall, we can hear the running water noise. The city’s lake is supplied with the water from a small stream running north of the lake. On the other side, there is another small stream bringing water from the place to the western part of the city. This stream runs beneath a bridge near a bus station where there is a small dam. Both the streams to and from the lake are named Cam Ly. From the distance, Cam Ly looks like a winding dragon in the beautiful natural landscape. However, Cam Ly Waterfall is beautiful in the rainy season with its rapid currents. 
  • Datanla Waterfall: Datanla Waterfall is situated in the middle of the Prenn Mountain Pass, approximately 5km from the center of Da Lat City. Basing on the K’ho language, Datanla means “water under leaves”.
  • This is an impressive waterfall about 35m in height. In the rainy season, the waterfall pours impetuously, therefore, the surrounding landscape is still wild but beautiful.
  • Prenn Falls: Located at the foot of the Prenn Mountain Pass, Prenn Falls is about 30m high and 20m wide. In the past, Bao Dai King chose Prenn Falls to be a stopover after every hunting trip and meet the tribes in the highland regions. Approaching the falls, we can feel the change in temperature caused by the mist of pouring water. Nowadays, visiting to Prenn Waterfall, we can travel on telphers to admire the landscape, enjoy the traditional weaving products of the minorities as well as take part in sport game services nearby the falls such as shooting arrows, shotgun etc.
  • Mong Mo Hill Tourist Site: Located nearby the Valley of Love, Mong Mo Hill was just built in 2003 but it has become one of the attractive tourist sites in Da Lat City. There are the performances of gong chieng (traditional typical instruments of the minorities) in a stage that tourists can enjoy, the stand of which is capacious for 300 spectators.
  • Madagui Forest Tourist Site: (also called Suoi Tien Tourist Site). Madagui forest is a part of Bac Cat Tien Forest in Madagui Commune, Da Huoai District. This is an ideal site for ecological tourism due to its various terrains. Beside the primeval forest, there is Suoi Tien (Fairy Stream) flowing through to create many beautiful landscapes.


Festivals:

  • Buffalo Festival: The Buffalo Festival of the K’ho ethnic group usually takes place after one harvest to prepare for the next. During the festival, the K’ho people kill a buffalo and play numerous kinds of traditional musical instruments. Sitting around the fire and drinking Can alcohol, the patriarchs tell the younger generations the stories about various historical events, recite poems and sing popular songs praising their origins.
  • Worship of the Stream Spirit: The Ma believes in the Sun, River, Mountain and Fire Spirits. The ceremony of the Ma to worship the Stream Spirit incorporates folk belief.
  • New Rice Ceremony: The Ma and K’ho minorities in B’lao, in Bao Loc Town celebrate the new rice ceremony for praying for a good weather and preventing wild animal from destroying their crops. The festival nearly coincides with the lunar New Year. The Ma and K’ho people worship the new rice to ensure their descendants are aware of the importance of the rice. The offerings for the ceremony include new sweet-smelling rice, a cock, a castrated hog and other wild animals, and a pot-bellied jar of Can alcohol drunk by bamboo straws.


Local specialties

There are different local specialties in the province such as Dalat wines, fresh fruits and vegetable, jam, juice, local rice pancake, noodle with beef, bread with pork shumai, soymilk, and other typical specialties.