Oh My Đà Lạt, a voyage in the South Central Highlands of Vietnam

When I planned this holiday, I don't have any idea that there are more interesting place to visit in Vietnam other than Ho Chi Minh and Hanoi. I always do my research a week before my trip specially for the places which are not commonly visited hence accessible by foot or wheel.

 

I have a friend who once told me that there is a place in Vietnam which is worth to visit. A place far beyond Ho Chi Minh's humid tropical climate, hazardous air pollution and busting traffic jam. This place is Da Lat, located in Lâm Đồng Province in the southern central highlands of Vietnam. 

 

Da Lat is dubbed as the "city of thousands of pine trees" and "the city of eternal spring" with elevation of 1,500MASL thus climate contrast the humidity of the central and southern Vietnam. Since it was colonized by French in 1900, infrastructures are built in European style. 

 

Phuong Trang Sleepers Bus

After my Cai Dao - Cu Chi tour, I checked out for a night but left my bagpack in the hostel for safe keeping. I bought a ticket from Phuong Trang Bus  for a night ride. The terminal is also located just beside my hostel, along de Tham St. Travel time from Ho Chi Minh City to Da Lat is about 8 hours thus sleepers bus is more convenient than the conventional. I was able to save one night accommodation as I spent overnight inside the bus and had a good sleep. The sleepers bus left HCM at 23:10H and arrived in Da Lat at 07:15H the following day.

When I arrived in Da Lat, the sun was up hence a cool breeze ran across my body. The temperature was about 8-10 deg. centigrade that morning.

Ben Xe Lien Tinh Da Lat Bus Terminal

From the bus terminal, I decided to just walk going to the city proper, about 3km away from the bus terminal, pine trees are everywhere. On my way to Da Lat Trip office, the tour company I've contacted prior to my trip, I was able to visit the man-made lake of Da Lat, which is fairly located in the center of the city. 

A view of Xuan Huong Lake

City town proper

I arrived in Da Lat Trip office at 08:30AM where I waited for the tour van for my country-side day trip tour. I had my Pho' for breakfast and croissant. I opted for group tour rather than the Da Lat habal-habal as it was more cheaper. We first started the tour to Da Lat Flower Farm, about 30 minutes away from the city...

The flower farm

  

 

Then we headed to Meh Lin Coffee Farm. Da Lat is the number one producer of coffee in the world according to Karen, our tour guide.



Weasel or Alamid in Philippines





Traditional coffee maker, dripping

I strongly agree that Da Lat has the best coffee in the world. I've tried the cape moka that morning.







 







A pose in a coffee plant









Then to Cricket Farm. You can taste fried cricket for free. I was dared to try it, it was crunchy but juicy.

 

Live cricket

Free taste cricket 

Few meter away from the cricket farm is the silk factory.

 

The Silk Factory

And then the Elephant Falls. You have to trek down for about 15 minutes for great view of the majestic falls


The Elephant Falls

 

 



Temple near the Elephant Falls with a Happy Buddha

Past half noon when we headed back to the city for our Lunch.

 

Then continued our tour to Da Lat Train Station, the first train station in Vietnam which is still operational.

Da Lat Train Old Railway Station

And then to XQ Historical Village.
 

Our last destination is the Crazy House wherein the whole architecture of the house is like a museum of abstract. 

Our tour ended about 05:00PM and went back to Da Lat office where I was dropped-off. I continued my Da Lat exploration by walking around the city while waiting for my night trip back to Ho Chi Minh.



St Nicholas of Bari, Da Lat Cathedral

Ho Chi Minh City: Outskirts and Side Trip

Ho Chi Minh (HCM) City is formerly known as Saigon. It is located in the southeastern region of Vietnam, the largest city and the central business district of the country, a city rich in culture and history. It is the bagpackers haven and home of the hundreds motorbikes and busy streets.

 

 

Before I go through with my city tour, let me show you first what I've done on my first day. Although I arrived late in the evening and with lack of sleep, I was able to wake-up early as I am excited with my HCM outskirts tour. I decided to have this tour on my early stay as I plan to go to Da Lat the following day and back to Ho Chi Minh on my last day for the city tour. I was torn between Mekong Delta Tour and Cao Dai - Cu Chi Tunnels but chose the latter because I remember, my grandfather has been part of the Vietnam war history. He was then with the American troops who fought during the Second Indochina War and atleast to internalize how they lived during the war.



A week before my trip, I started sending emails to the tour operators in Ho Chi Minh and Da Lat, to compare and get a reasonable price for the tour. I ended up transacting with Delta Adventure Tour because they offer good price (without making any down payment) and it is strategically located near my hostel.

 

Prior to my tour, I had Banh Mi and Vietnamese Ice Coffee for my breakfast, just in front of Delta Adventure business office while waiting for the tour bus. The tour bus arrived at exactly 08:30 in the morning, with Binh as our tour guide, a half-Filipino, half-Vietnamese in late 50's.

 

First, we headed to Cao Dai Temple in the town of Tay Ninh. It is approximately 100 kilometers away from Ho Chi Minh City, about 3 hours drive. A colorful temple in pastel colors strike my eyes when we arrived.

 

Cao Dai Temple in Tay Ninh, Southern Vietnam

We were just on time for the daily worship wherein we were greeted by the devotees upon our arrival. According to Binh, the temple structures represent major religions such as Christianity, Hinduism and Buddhism etc.



 

 During the ceremony, the worshipers line up according to their spiritual level and designation

 

Cao Dai Temple interior

 

 

It was past half noon when we left for Cu Chi district, second part of the tour. We arrived around 3 o'clock in the afternoon thus weather is still humid.

 

Cu Chi Tunnel is a connecting underground tunnel constructed by Viet Cong soldiers during the Vietnam war as hiding post. I was amazed how it was built, the idea from guerillas to build an underground city, complete with armory, hospital, kitchen and quarters and even traps.

 

 

Before the walkthrough, a video presentation in black and white was played about Vietnam War and how the tunnel was constructed by the Viet Cong soldiers.



Map and tunnel structure of Cu Chi tunnel



AVR



With the Viet Cong soldiers



Entrance of the tunnel

Underground traps

   

 

The underground tunnel

 Last part of the tour was a challenge, we were asked by Binh to walk and crawl inside the tunnel, about 500m and feel how the guerillas hardly fought with the American soldiers during the war. It was exhausting as the air is limited and you have to duck walk the entire stretch.

 

We left Cu Chi district around 5 o' clock and arrived Ho Chi Minh just on time for dinner.



MNL-SGN-DLI-MNL, Discovering Vietnam MMXIII

Something came up to my mind, why not spend my pre-birthday vacation somewhere I haven't been to? Not the usual beach bumming down south or trekking up north, but to a place where I would  definitely enjoy my holiday.  Looking at the map, heading to western Philippines is way better, lot of things to discover and great places to explore. Since I've visited Coron and Puerto Princesa, I skipped these islands and decided to go far beyond the boarder, Vietnam!
 

My trip to Vietnam was planned early this year, waiting for a seat sale offer by low-cost carriers. I've got a round trip ticket from Cebu Pacific for Php2,8000++, good deal!

"Traveling alone is an absolute freedom, it is an ability to do what you want."

"Vietnam, the easternmost country in the Indochina Peninsula, blessed with a ravishing coastline, emerald-green mountain, breathtaking national parks, dynamic cities, outstanding cultural interest and one of the world's best cuisines, Lonely Planet.

Citizens of the Philippines are allowed to stay in Vietnam for upto 21 days due to bilateral visa exemption agreement of both countries thus Filipinos need not to worry in getting a visa before flying out for Vietnam. For other citizens, you may contact the nearest Vietnamese diplomatic offices or competent travel agencies for a written invitation which will then issue the visa upon arrival.

Cebu Pacific has only one flight to Ho Chi Minh (HCM) or Saigon that departs Manila at 22:50h everyday, so expect to arrive late in the evening. Taking a bus is the cheapest way in getting to the city but bus service is only available until 18:00h, so opt to take a taxi instead. Taxi scams are common in Vietnam so make sure to transact with a legitimate taxi companies. There's a taxi queue right after getting out of the airport but make sure to approach the staff of Mai Linh (in green neck tie) or Vinasun Taxi (in brown) as they are reliable and honest.

My taxi fare from Tan Son Nhat International Airport, HCM to my hotel, Suite Bagpackers Inn which is located in De Tham St. District 1 in the bagpackers area costs me Vnd150,000 or about Php300, cheaper than expected.

de tham st, pham ngu lao district (bagpackers haven)

There are reasonable accommodation for those on a budget and can hop to any bagpackers inns around Pham Ngu Lao (PNL) area, district 1. Since I used to stay in a dorm-type hostel for my holidays, sharing a room with other bagpackers is not a big deal for me as long as individual locker is available to keep my things secured. I booked my accommodation via Agoda for only Php196/night. However, make sure to inform the hostel about your late arrival because most of the inns closes around 2am, and to avoid knocking their door once you arrive. I also bought travel insurance for this trip that cost me about Php400 as incidents of robbery and theft are rampart, and also to cover my medical expenses in case I get ill or something happen to me. 

For countryside tour in Ho Chi Minh, you may ask your hotel receptionist to arrange it for you or you may proceed to any tour agencies, widespread across PNL area. I took the service of Delta Tours Adventure, located in De Tham St, nearly across where I billeted. Most of them offers a good and cheap tour package however for the city tour, just put on your shoes and walk around the city.

A trip to Đà Lạt which is located in Lâm Đồng Province, part of the Central Highlands region is worth to visit. I was able to include this in my trip in spite of my tight schedule.  ...Exploring da Lat to be continued...

* below is my detailed itinerary and expenses - ho chi minh city countryside and da lat

Vietnam Expenses
Date	Activities	VND	USD	PHP	Remarks
28-Nov-13	Thursday
18:00	Off to Terminal 3 (Cebu PacificAir)			150.00	LRT/MRT and Jeep from Pasay to T3 (Nichols-MRT)
21:00	Check-in			550.00	Terminal Fee
22:50	Departure from MNL
29-Nov-13	Friday
00:20	Arrival at Tan Son Nhat Intl Airport
01:00	Taxi from TSN to Suite Bagpacker Inn c/o MaiLinh Group	150000		310.80	Option (Vinasun Taxi Group)
01:30	Check-in at Suite Bagpackers Inn (228 De Tham St. ,  Dist 1, Pham Ngu Lao)			588.00	Booked thru Agoda @ Php196/day
02:00	Lights off
06:00	Wake-up time, morning walk
07:00	Breakfast (Banh Mi)	15000		31.08	Baguette sandwich (along  De Tham)
	Ca Phe Suada and bottled water	20000		41.44	Ice Coffee
08:30	Depart HCM for Saigon Tour c/o Delta Adventure Tours (De Tham)	183000		379.18	Option (approach hotel recep.); Mr. Binh (guide)
10:30	Snack in Tay Ninh (Bottled Water)	10000		20.72
11:30	Arrival at Great Cao Dai Holy See				Cao Dai religion (South Vietnam)
12:30	Depart Tay Ninh for Ben Dinh
13:00	Lunch in Tay Ninh	80000		165.76
	Fresh buko juice	12000		24.86
14:30	Arrival at Cu Chi Tunnel, Ben Dinh	90000		190.00	Entrance fee and service tax not included in the tour
	Winter melon juice	10000		20.72
18:00	Arrival in HCM
	Booked Ticket for Da Lat at Phuong Trang office (De Tham) for evening trip	220000		455.84	Sleepers bus for 7-8 hours travel to Da Lat
19:00	Dinner at Kim Café (De Tham) Chicken Mushroom plus Saigon Bia beer	9000		186.48
20:00	Night stroll around Pham  Ngu Lao (good to try street food)
	Takoyaki ala Saigon	15000		31.08
	Bottled water	14000		29.01
	Putobungbong ala Saigon	10000		20.72
23:25	Depart HCM for Da Lat
30-Nov-13	Saturday
07:00	Arrival in Da Lat
	Booked Ticket for HCM at Phuong Trang office (Da Lat) for evening trip	220000		455.84
07:15	Taxi from Bus station to Da Lat Trip office	10000		20.72
	Breakfast (Pho)	35000		72.52
	Bottled water	12000		24.86
08:30	Depart Da Lat for Countryside Tour c/o Da Lat Trip (Tran Nhang Tong)	310000		642.32
	Flower farm
	Coffee Plantation in Nam Ban (Buy fresh coffee bean)
	-Weasel Moka (Alamid)	400000		828.80
	-Moka	200000		414.40
	-Coffee tasting	40000		82.88
	-Lotus Tea	50000		103.60
	K'ho minority village; Silk factory and Cricket farm
	Elephant waterfall in Lam Dong Province
	Linh An Pagoda
	Happy Budha
13:00	Back to Da Lat for lunch	62000		128.46
	Bottled water	10000		20.72
	-Da Lat old Train station
	-XQ Historical
	-Crazy house	40000		82.88
	Tour guide tip	150000		310.80
17:00	Arrival in Da Lat Trip office (Drop-off point)
17:10	Continue Da Lat city tour
	-Tuyen Lam Lake (Man-made lake)
	-Domaine de Marie convent
	-St Nicholas of Bari, Da Lat Cathedral				Advent mass
19:30	Dinner at Da Lat market and stroll around (Pho and Saigon Beer)	45000		93.24	Evening market
21:00	Taxi to Da Lat bus station for evening trip	43000		89.10
22:15	Depart Da Lat for HCM
30-Nov-13	Sunday
	Arrival in HCM
	Lights off
	Wake-up time
09:00	Breakfast (Ban Mhi)	20000		41.44
09:30	Start Saigon city "walk" tour
	-Reunification Palace (Entrance fee)	30000		62.16
	-War Remants Museum (Entrance fee)	15000		31.08
	Buko juice break	10000		20.72
	-Saigon Central Post Office
	-Notre Dame Cathedral
	-Saigon Opera House
	-HCM City Mueseum
	-HCM City Hall
13:00	Lunch (Pho)	35000		72.52
	Sugar cane juice	15000		31.08
	Bottled water	10000		20.72
14:00	Ben Thanh Market
	-Coffee drip	100000		207.20	2 small @ VND30000 / 1 medium @ VND40000
	-Blue mountain coffee	140000		290.08
	-Vinamit dried fruit	210000		435.12	2 small @ VND55000 / 1 large @ VND100000
	-Key chain and magnet	50000		103.60
	Saigon Square
	-North Face bag	350000		725.20
	-Bull cap	120000		248.64
17:00	Back to hotel for rest
20:00	Dinner	35000		72.52
	-Mt. Dew	15000		31.08
22:45	Check-out (Pay additional stay for late check-out)		5	218.80
23:00	Taxi to Tan Son Nhat Airport	150000		310.80
	-Duty free shopping		7	306.32
2-Dec-13	Monday
01:30	Departure from SGN to MNL flight 5J571
04:45	Arrival at Terminal 3, Cebu Pacific
06:00	Bus from Terminal 3 to MRT Pasay station			20:00
08:00	Home Sweet Home
	*END*
	*Total Expenses exclusive of Airfare				9815.91