Charming roads in winter

A winding section of the road from Nha Trang to Dalat - Photo: Mong Binh

The mild winter is pervading all roads and houses in the Central and Central Highlands regions with cold breezes and scenic landscapes of old, bare trees enveloped in the misty fog.

The romantic scenes welcome both locals and visitors along the roads in Lam Dong and other provinces in the regions. Anyone can feel and experience poetic sights when traveling on National Highway 28 and the road connecting Dalat and Nha Trang City in the central coastal province of Khanh Hoa.

The Dalat-Nha Trang road offers a breathtaking view of picturesque but safe-to-drive sections, where the road winds its way through pine-clad hills and mountains. Running waters of clean streams and clouds of mist suddenly come and disappear, giving travelers a feeling of being on the way to a fairy world.

National Highway 28 linking Di Linh District of Lam Dong Province and Phan Thiet City in Binh Thuan Province offers travelers different experiences when they pass roadside old and beautiful-shape trees and farms of coffee trees with pleasant-to-smell blossoms at the moment.

The two roads are situated in different locations and terrains, but present imposing and beautiful natural scenes, enriched by mist, and many trees with yellow and brown red leaves. Various wild flowers dot greenery and rock hills by the route.

National Highway 20 between Dalat City and Di Linh District also cuts through many areas which are beautified by wild sunflowers waving in tune with gentle winds and the evergreen tea trees stretching ranges of hills until the horizon.    

So, if you have much time driving and traveling around, the journey from Nha Trang up the mist-covered road to Dalat and down to national highways 20 and 28 is the right choice. Just ask locals to make sure that you travel on the right roads when you are in Nha Trang and Dalat cities.

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Charming roads in winter

A winding section of the road from Nha Trang to Dalat - Photo: Mong Binh

The mild winter is pervading all roads and houses in the Central and Central Highlands regions with cold breezes and scenic landscapes of old, bare trees enveloped in the misty fog.

The romantic scenes welcome both locals and visitors along the roads in Lam Dong and other provinces in the regions. Anyone can feel and experience poetic sights when traveling on National Highway 28 and the road connecting Dalat and Nha Trang City in the central coastal province of Khanh Hoa.

The Dalat-Nha Trang road offers a breathtaking view of picturesque but safe-to-drive sections, where the road winds its way through pine-clad hills and mountains. Running waters of clean streams and clouds of mist suddenly come and disappear, giving travelers a feeling of being on the way to a fairy world.

National Highway 28 linking Di Linh District of Lam Dong Province and Phan Thiet City in Binh Thuan Province offers travelers different experiences when they pass roadside old and beautiful-shape trees and farms of coffee trees with pleasant-to-smell blossoms at the moment.

The two roads are situated in different locations and terrains, but present imposing and beautiful natural scenes, enriched by mist, and many trees with yellow and brown red leaves. Various wild flowers dot greenery and rock hills by the route.

National Highway 20 between Dalat City and Di Linh District also cuts through many areas which are beautified by wild sunflowers waving in tune with gentle winds and the evergreen tea trees stretching ranges of hills until the horizon.    

So, if you have much time driving and traveling around, the journey from Nha Trang up the mist-covered road to Dalat and down to national highways 20 and 28 is the right choice. Just ask locals to make sure that you travel on the right roads when you are in Nha Trang and Dalat cities.

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Lurking excitement

Streams and waterfalls give romantic Da Lat a ‘tough’ reputation

Visitors go kayaking on the La Ba River, a new thrilling adventure in Da Lat

Da Lat evokes the leisure of a hillside resort, the romance of lakes, flowers and misty mornings, but it has a dangerous and thrilling undercurrent as well.

The Central Highlands town in Lam Dong Province is a veritable paradise for a series of adventure sports - rock climbing, abseiling, parachuting or biking on rough terrain.

Attesting to the growing popularity of these sports and of Da Lat as an adventure-sports destination are nearly 10 service providers at the end of the sloping Truong Cong Dinh Street. These establishments have professional trainers and instructors, some trained abroad.

For the young and strong at heart, riding elephants, biking up Lang Biang Mountain or climbing down cliffs of the Prenn Falls and overnight stays in the forest are “relaxing” activities.

Among the most adventurous activities on offer is an exploration of the seven-storied Datanla Falls.

On the third floor of the fall is a cliff 20 meters tall that stands almost upright. Passing it is a challenge that is rewarded by gently flowing water on the fourth floor, but the real adventure awaits on the sixth floor with a 25-meter high cliff and a whirlpool. Its decision time... do you accept yet another challenge?

The magnificent seventh floor of the waterfall is sometimes referred to as the “washing machine” because of its crazy, whirling waters.

HOW TO GET THERE

By motorbike: Take National Highway 1A from Ho Chi Minh City. Turn to National Highway No. 20 at Dau Giay T-junction. Da Lat is 306 kilometers from HCMC. By bus or car: From the Mien Dong Bus Station in HCMC’s Binh Thanh District. It takes 7-8 hours and costs around VND100,000 (US$5.14) a ticket. Call (08) 3 836 9859 to book one with Dalattoserco or (08) 3 837 5570 with Phuong Trang, which also drives tourists to Da Lat from Nha Trang (call (058) 3 524 315 – 3 524 945) and Da Nang (call (0511) 3 899 899) By plane: A 45-minute flight takes off from HCMC’s Tan Son Nhat International Airport at 11:10 a.m. every day. There is an additional flight departing at 3 p.m. every Thursday and Saturday. Two flights leave for Da Lat from the Noi Bai Airport in Hanoi every day. Crossing the Tuyen Lam Lake on a rope

If you want a quick way down, a roller-coaster like contraption has been rigged up, adding to the excitement.

All these thrills and danger does not mean safety is not given priority. It is. Trainers will cancel the whole tour at the slightest hint of something unusual, weather-wise.

Vo Duc Trung, director of one of the units, said international schools from Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Thailand and several foreign-invested companies have in recent years been sending students and employees on these tours as a way to build up their courage, creativity and adaptation skills, not to mention to confront and solve problems.

Ngo Anh Tuan, a manager and trainer with Da Lat Discovery Travel, told the Lam Dong newspaper that their new tour – crossing the La Ba River on a rubber dinghy – led tourists to feel proud of their own courage and survival skills.

The tour begins with around 45 minutes of warm-up exercises after which they can enjoy the Hang Cop (Tiger Cave) Waterfall and a walk through a pine forest, pass several hills and walk down to the La Ba River.

Here, rubber dinghies wait. Trainers distribute lifejackets and instructions on rowing it through rough waters and tell you not to panic even when the boat capsizes.

This adventure takes about three hours, during which a seven-kilometer stretch of the river and eleven rocky waterfalls are navigated. After a well-deserved rest, there is another sixty-minute walk through forests to reach National Highway No. 20 before heading back to downtown Da Lat.

The rowing journey costs US$60 a person.

Tuan recalled that a US tourist named Justin had emailed him after returning home, saying he keeps missing the adventure that was “full of joy and excitement.”

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Lurking excitement

Streams and waterfalls give romantic Da Lat a ‘tough’ reputation

Visitors go kayaking on the La Ba River, a new thrilling adventure in Da Lat

Da Lat evokes the leisure of a hillside resort, the romance of lakes, flowers and misty mornings, but it has a dangerous and thrilling undercurrent as well.

The Central Highlands town in Lam Dong Province is a veritable paradise for a series of adventure sports - rock climbing, abseiling, parachuting or biking on rough terrain.

Attesting to the growing popularity of these sports and of Da Lat as an adventure-sports destination are nearly 10 service providers at the end of the sloping Truong Cong Dinh Street. These establishments have professional trainers and instructors, some trained abroad.

For the young and strong at heart, riding elephants, biking up Lang Biang Mountain or climbing down cliffs of the Prenn Falls and overnight stays in the forest are “relaxing” activities.

Among the most adventurous activities on offer is an exploration of the seven-storied Datanla Falls.

On the third floor of the fall is a cliff 20 meters tall that stands almost upright. Passing it is a challenge that is rewarded by gently flowing water on the fourth floor, but the real adventure awaits on the sixth floor with a 25-meter high cliff and a whirlpool. Its decision time... do you accept yet another challenge?

The magnificent seventh floor of the waterfall is sometimes referred to as the “washing machine” because of its crazy, whirling waters.

HOW TO GET THERE

By motorbike: Take National Highway 1A from Ho Chi Minh City. Turn to National Highway No. 20 at Dau Giay T-junction. Da Lat is 306 kilometers from HCMC. By bus or car: From the Mien Dong Bus Station in HCMC’s Binh Thanh District. It takes 7-8 hours and costs around VND100,000 (US$5.14) a ticket. Call (08) 3 836 9859 to book one with Dalattoserco or (08) 3 837 5570 with Phuong Trang, which also drives tourists to Da Lat from Nha Trang (call (058) 3 524 315 – 3 524 945) and Da Nang (call (0511) 3 899 899) By plane: A 45-minute flight takes off from HCMC’s Tan Son Nhat International Airport at 11:10 a.m. every day. There is an additional flight departing at 3 p.m. every Thursday and Saturday. Two flights leave for Da Lat from the Noi Bai Airport in Hanoi every day. Crossing the Tuyen Lam Lake on a rope

If you want a quick way down, a roller-coaster like contraption has been rigged up, adding to the excitement.

All these thrills and danger does not mean safety is not given priority. It is. Trainers will cancel the whole tour at the slightest hint of something unusual, weather-wise.

Vo Duc Trung, director of one of the units, said international schools from Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Thailand and several foreign-invested companies have in recent years been sending students and employees on these tours as a way to build up their courage, creativity and adaptation skills, not to mention to confront and solve problems.

Ngo Anh Tuan, a manager and trainer with Da Lat Discovery Travel, told the Lam Dong newspaper that their new tour – crossing the La Ba River on a rubber dinghy – led tourists to feel proud of their own courage and survival skills.

The tour begins with around 45 minutes of warm-up exercises after which they can enjoy the Hang Cop (Tiger Cave) Waterfall and a walk through a pine forest, pass several hills and walk down to the La Ba River.

Here, rubber dinghies wait. Trainers distribute lifejackets and instructions on rowing it through rough waters and tell you not to panic even when the boat capsizes.

This adventure takes about three hours, during which a seven-kilometer stretch of the river and eleven rocky waterfalls are navigated. After a well-deserved rest, there is another sixty-minute walk through forests to reach National Highway No. 20 before heading back to downtown Da Lat.

The rowing journey costs US$60 a person.

Tuan recalled that a US tourist named Justin had emailed him after returning home, saying he keeps missing the adventure that was “full of joy and excitement.”

Related Articles

• Lurking excitement
• HCMC Oktoberfest offers more than just beer

Lurking excitement

Streams and waterfalls give romantic Da Lat a ‘tough’ reputation

Visitors go kayaking on the La Ba River, a new thrilling adventure in Da Lat

Da Lat evokes the leisure of a hillside resort, the romance of lakes, flowers and misty mornings, but it has a dangerous and thrilling undercurrent as well.

The Central Highlands town in Lam Dong Province is a veritable paradise for a series of adventure sports - rock climbing, abseiling, parachuting or biking on rough terrain.

Attesting to the growing popularity of these sports and of Da Lat as an adventure-sports destination are nearly 10 service providers at the end of the sloping Truong Cong Dinh Street. These establishments have professional trainers and instructors, some trained abroad.

For the young and strong at heart, riding elephants, biking up Lang Biang Mountain or climbing down cliffs of the Prenn Falls and overnight stays in the forest are “relaxing” activities.

Among the most adventurous activities on offer is an exploration of the seven-storied Datanla Falls.

On the third floor of the fall is a cliff 20 meters tall that stands almost upright. Passing it is a challenge that is rewarded by gently flowing water on the fourth floor, but the real adventure awaits on the sixth floor with a 25-meter high cliff and a whirlpool. Its decision time... do you accept yet another challenge?

The magnificent seventh floor of the waterfall is sometimes referred to as the “washing machine” because of its crazy, whirling waters.

HOW TO GET THERE

By motorbike: Take National Highway 1A from Ho Chi Minh City. Turn to National Highway No. 20 at Dau Giay T-junction. Da Lat is 306 kilometers from HCMC. By bus or car: From the Mien Dong Bus Station in HCMC’s Binh Thanh District. It takes 7-8 hours and costs around VND100,000 (US$5.14) a ticket. Call (08) 3 836 9859 to book one with Dalattoserco or (08) 3 837 5570 with Phuong Trang, which also drives tourists to Da Lat from Nha Trang (call (058) 3 524 315 – 3 524 945) and Da Nang (call (0511) 3 899 899) By plane: A 45-minute flight takes off from HCMC’s Tan Son Nhat International Airport at 11:10 a.m. every day. There is an additional flight departing at 3 p.m. every Thursday and Saturday. Two flights leave for Da Lat from the Noi Bai Airport in Hanoi every day. Crossing the Tuyen Lam Lake on a rope

If you want a quick way down, a roller-coaster like contraption has been rigged up, adding to the excitement.

All these thrills and danger does not mean safety is not given priority. It is. Trainers will cancel the whole tour at the slightest hint of something unusual, weather-wise.

Vo Duc Trung, director of one of the units, said international schools from Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Thailand and several foreign-invested companies have in recent years been sending students and employees on these tours as a way to build up their courage, creativity and adaptation skills, not to mention to confront and solve problems.

Ngo Anh Tuan, a manager and trainer with Da Lat Discovery Travel, told the Lam Dong newspaper that their new tour – crossing the La Ba River on a rubber dinghy – led tourists to feel proud of their own courage and survival skills.

The tour begins with around 45 minutes of warm-up exercises after which they can enjoy the Hang Cop (Tiger Cave) Waterfall and a walk through a pine forest, pass several hills and walk down to the La Ba River.

Here, rubber dinghies wait. Trainers distribute lifejackets and instructions on rowing it through rough waters and tell you not to panic even when the boat capsizes.

This adventure takes about three hours, during which a seven-kilometer stretch of the river and eleven rocky waterfalls are navigated. After a well-deserved rest, there is another sixty-minute walk through forests to reach National Highway No. 20 before heading back to downtown Da Lat.

The rowing journey costs US$60 a person.

Tuan recalled that a US tourist named Justin had emailed him after returning home, saying he keeps missing the adventure that was “full of joy and excitement.”

Related Articles

• Lurking excitement

Lurking excitement

Streams and waterfalls give romantic Da Lat a ‘tough’ reputation

Visitors go kayaking on the La Ba River, a new thrilling adventure in Da Lat

Da Lat evokes the leisure of a hillside resort, the romance of lakes, flowers and misty mornings, but it has a dangerous and thrilling undercurrent as well.

The Central Highlands town in Lam Dong Province is a veritable paradise for a series of adventure sports - rock climbing, abseiling, parachuting or biking on rough terrain.

Attesting to the growing popularity of these sports and of Da Lat as an adventure-sports destination are nearly 10 service providers at the end of the sloping Truong Cong Dinh Street. These establishments have professional trainers and instructors, some trained abroad.

For the young and strong at heart, riding elephants, biking up Lang Biang Mountain or climbing down cliffs of the Prenn Falls and overnight stays in the forest are “relaxing” activities.

Among the most adventurous activities on offer is an exploration of the seven-storied Datanla Falls.

On the third floor of the fall is a cliff 20 meters tall that stands almost upright. Passing it is a challenge that is rewarded by gently flowing water on the fourth floor, but the real adventure awaits on the sixth floor with a 25-meter high cliff and a whirlpool. Its decision time... do you accept yet another challenge?

The magnificent seventh floor of the waterfall is sometimes referred to as the “washing machine” because of its crazy, whirling waters.

HOW TO GET THERE

By motorbike: Take National Highway 1A from Ho Chi Minh City. Turn to National Highway No. 20 at Dau Giay T-junction. Da Lat is 306 kilometers from HCMC. By bus or car: From the Mien Dong Bus Station in HCMC’s Binh Thanh District. It takes 7-8 hours and costs around VND100,000 (US$5.14) a ticket. Call (08) 3 836 9859 to book one with Dalattoserco or (08) 3 837 5570 with Phuong Trang, which also drives tourists to Da Lat from Nha Trang (call (058) 3 524 315 – 3 524 945) and Da Nang (call (0511) 3 899 899) By plane: A 45-minute flight takes off from HCMC’s Tan Son Nhat International Airport at 11:10 a.m. every day. There is an additional flight departing at 3 p.m. every Thursday and Saturday. Two flights leave for Da Lat from the Noi Bai Airport in Hanoi every day. Crossing the Tuyen Lam Lake on a rope

If you want a quick way down, a roller-coaster like contraption has been rigged up, adding to the excitement.

All these thrills and danger does not mean safety is not given priority. It is. Trainers will cancel the whole tour at the slightest hint of something unusual, weather-wise.

Vo Duc Trung, director of one of the units, said international schools from Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Thailand and several foreign-invested companies have in recent years been sending students and employees on these tours as a way to build up their courage, creativity and adaptation skills, not to mention to confront and solve problems.

Ngo Anh Tuan, a manager and trainer with Da Lat Discovery Travel, told the Lam Dong newspaper that their new tour – crossing the La Ba River on a rubber dinghy – led tourists to feel proud of their own courage and survival skills.

The tour begins with around 45 minutes of warm-up exercises after which they can enjoy the Hang Cop (Tiger Cave) Waterfall and a walk through a pine forest, pass several hills and walk down to the La Ba River.

Here, rubber dinghies wait. Trainers distribute lifejackets and instructions on rowing it through rough waters and tell you not to panic even when the boat capsizes.

This adventure takes about three hours, during which a seven-kilometer stretch of the river and eleven rocky waterfalls are navigated. After a well-deserved rest, there is another sixty-minute walk through forests to reach National Highway No. 20 before heading back to downtown Da Lat.

The rowing journey costs US$60 a person.

Tuan recalled that a US tourist named Justin had emailed him after returning home, saying he keeps missing the adventure that was “full of joy and excitement.”

Related Articles

• Lurking excitement