Da Lat and Nha Trang Adventures

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Time for another holiday! The purpose of revisiting Vietnam was to see the parentals but as I had a few days to myself, I decided to hit up Da Lat, a beautiful French settlement 3 hours bus from Nha Trang.

After a picturesque bus journey through the hills, I managed to get to my hostel in Da Lat; Mooka's Home Backpackers which was a bit of town but with the use of a scooter on hire it was fine to get around.

As I only had two full days here, I wanted to make the most of my time here so based on an itinerary provided by my hostel, I manage to cover a fair bit for my short stay.

Starting the day with a delicious breakfast of yoghurt, fruits and chia seeds, I hired out a motorbike, an essential if wanting to get around Da Lat efficiently without the use of Grab.

My first stop was Crazy House. This was an awesome place to visit. The architecture of the place lived up to it's name - it was indeed crazy! With weirdly shaped windows and stairs and bizarre structures it made for an interesting sight to see. I did notice it started getting very busy so luckily with such an early start, I was able to leave before the masses of crowds.

My next stop was taking the cable car (or gondola as us kiwis call it) across the city. This was super relaxing and had stunning views to enjoy. After a view vain selfies it was time to hop onto the bike yet again.

I was getting snacky so I found some pho from a local and then treated myself to a divine coconut milk coffee from a cafe that had nice views and comfortable seats.

Once I had fueled up, it was time to hit the road. I wanted to go see a waterfall which I heard Da Lat was well known for. I drove out to Dalanta Waterfall and after hearing about a roller coaster to the waterfall from a friend, I went on a hunt for that too. I was not disappointed. For 150,000 dong, I got a return ticket to the bottom and top of the waterfall by a rollercoaster that you could control the speed of. It was such a great experience for such a cheap cost so if ya have the chance, do it.

Sadly, I was tiring out and it was time to return back. Unfortunately, I hadn't realised how strong the UV rays were through the overcast weather here so by the time I got back after driving all day outside, I was red as a lobster. Lesson learned.

First thing the next day, I set off to buy myself some sunscreen after learning what happens when you don't apply even when it's not that sunny as the weather is much cooler and misleading in Da Lat compared to other parts of Vietnam.

The target for my last full day in Da Lat was to drive an hour to see Elephant Waterfalls. This was a great choice, mainly for the drive. As I am now a fairly confident motorbike driver, I was able to enjoy the scenery as I passed through the green hills and coffee plantations. It was absolutely stunning.

Elephant Waterfalls was enjoyable but in all honesty, I much preferred the drive to the actual falls. There were quite a few tourists and where I was expecting relatively clean water, it was all a muddy brown. However the walk down was an adventure and it was still a nice scene to take in so can't say I totally regret doing it.

On the way back, I decided to stop by the Cathedral. It was a nice Church so naturally took a photo and a selfie then continued onto Married Beans Cafe where I met up with a friend from the hostel.

My time had come to end in Da Lat so it was time to pack up and head for a night in Nha Trang.

In Nha Trang, I just wanted a time out and since I was flying out first thing the next morning, I decided on arrival to hit the beach, so I did. The beach was gorgeous and the temperature just perfect.

Now I am at the airport awaiting a flight to Ho Chi Minh where I will catch my flight to Da Nang. Stay tuned!

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