Da Lat & Mui Ne: City, Country and Beach Life All Rolled into One

This was a family trip with my parents, my sister, her boyfriend, and of course, WJ to Da Lat and Mui Ne. It’s so lucky we managed to take a few family trips just before the COVID situation hit because who knows how long it’ll be before we can take another one!

We had so much fun during the trip and managed to visit so many places because we hired a driver for most days in Da Lat. It would have been a pain travelling without him as many of the places are far from each other and hard to get to with public transport! We also hired a driver for a day trip in Mui Ne. This is definitely one of the perks of travelling in a bigger group!

But even with a driver, we didn’t manage to go to all the places we wanted to as there are way too many things to see and explore! We’ll definitely have to make a trip back in the future.

Where we went in Da Lat

We had 5 nights in Da Lat, and it’s really not enough! We planned a hike up one of their many mountains too, but changed it in the end as we wanted to view more sights and a hike would have taken up the whole day. Next time then!

Elephant Falls & Linh An Tu Pagoda

The trek down to the falls and up to the top of Linh An Tu Pagoda was a little challenging, especially as we hadn’t had much exercise since… forever. But it’s definitely peanuts compared to our trek up Mount Hallasan in Jeju!

Dalanta waterfalls

The alpine coaster ride up and down the waterfalls was definitely the main attraction for us, and the Dalanta waterfalls a bonus.
It was thrilling speeding down the curves to the waterfall! It felt quite safe too, as there were safety nets and you can control the speed of the car you’re on. It’ll only be annoying if you want to go at full speed but the person in front of you is going as slowly as possible – it depends on how lucky you are.

Da Lat Market

The market was full of shoppers buying meat, fish and vegetables in the morning, and at night, the place transformed into a different atmosphere with street food stalls.

Cu Lan Village

We had so much fun here. Archery, prancing around the hydrangea fields and just taking in the sights – we could have spent way longer than the 2 to 3 hours we were there if we didn’t have other places to go to and if our driver wasn’t waiting.
There’s a short trek to get down to the village (and back up again), but you can opt to pay for a jeep for transport too.

Da Lat hydrangea field

There are a few photoshoot areas to pose at if you don’t mind the wait. But you can just take a shot anywhere against the beautiful fields of hydrangea and it’ll look good too!

Thai Phien Flower Village

Flowers, fruits and vegetables galore!
We bought a few packets of seeds to try planting them at home – only the bitter gourds are living and healthy today though.

Cau Dat Tea Hill

There were countless earthworms on the ground when we went, so we spent a lot of the time walking up the hill trying our best to avoid stepping on them. It was insanely windy as well, and the hot oolong tea we tried at the shop there warmed us up. And it was so aromatic, we ended up buying two tins!

Me Linh Coffee Garden

The owners raise their own weasels here for weasel coffee, and the animals seem to be well taken care of.

And the setting of the sitting areas is gorgeous! The whole area is huge, and you can sit and watch the sunset over the valley beyond. It’s a relaxing place and I would definitely go back again to chill!

Cuong Hoan Silk Factory

It was fascinating seeing how silk is produced – all the way from breeding the silkworms to the way the silk threads are woven to become fabrics. We felt quite bad watching the workers boiling the cocoons knowing the pupa were still alive inside though.

Linh Phuoc Pagoda

It’s one of the most famous temples in the country and it’s easy to see why. Every last inch of the pagoda is covered in mosaics, and even the interior is stunning!

Crazy House

Also known as the Hang Nga Guest House and Art Gallery, Crazy House is like its namesake – crazy. It’s kind of like a theme park where you can explore where the curvy steps lead you, and peek into some of the rooms that weren’t booked.

Yes, you can stay here for the night! But it might get a bit creepy when it gets dark though, and good luck if you get lost in the maze of twists and turns!

Domaine de Marie

One of the oldest churches in Da Lat, it’s a pretty building with its pink tones and garden.

100 Roofs Maze Bar

It was fun getting lost in the giant maze and coming up to an outdoor garden. No photos though as we were busy holding onto our drinks and trying not to hit our heads.

It’s a little pricey, but definitely worth the experience – especially if you’re with a big group of friends.

Da Lat Railway Station

It might be a tourist attraction now, but it’s still in use. There is also a coffee house inside one of the old trains, but it was closed when we were there!

Fairytale Land

We had fun taking plenty of pictures in the colourful little town inspired by Hobbiton in New Zealand. And there’s also a wine cellar where you can order wine tasting sets to try a variety, or just order by the glass or bottle!

Clay Tunnel

Other than viewing huge sculptures and taking pictures with them, there’s really not much to do here. I suggest giving this place a miss unless you’ve gone to all the other sights in Da Lat and it’s not your first trip here!

Golden Valley and Golden Stream

Hint: There’s nothing golden about the valley or stream.

It’s actually a park in a valley, and we were quite disappointed as our driver hyped it up but there was nothing much to see there. There were a few fierce dogs there though, and they kept tailing us to keep off their territory!

Where we went in Mui Ne

We had 2 nights at Mui Ne, and it was just right. Mui Ne has a really relaxed atmosphere, and there isn’t much to do other than the four places we went to and chill. And of course, gouge ourselves with cheap seafood!

White sand dunes

We watched the sunrise from the top of the sand dunes. Even though you can walk up the sand dunes on your own, we took a quad-bike up instead as it was pitch black and we definitely didn’t have the stamina to walk uphill in the soft sand! It was also a fun experience in itself going up the bumps.

Red sand dunes

The red sand dunes were a bit of a letdown after the pristine white sand dunes because of the thrash littered at the bottom area. But walk up to the top, and it’s much cleaner!

Fairy Stream

You have to take your shoes off to walk in the fairy stream, and the cold water was a welcome from the heat. There’s also a stall near the entrance selling coconuts and ice cream to cool down even more.

The stream is supposed to lead to a waterfall, but we couldn’t find it after walking for close to 30 minutes and had to turn back.

Fishing Village

We went around peeking into the baskets to discover the treasures the fishermen had caught! We wanted to take a ride in the famous basket boats but it wasn’t obvious if we could, and we also needed to head to our next destination before the sun set.

Where we stayed at

We stayed at the amazingly convenient Hotel Colline in Da Lat. It was brand new when we booked it, and the didn’t even have real pictures of the hotel on Expedia yet. So… We got a great deal and only paid S$395.94 per couple for the 5 nights!

Just walk down the steps right next to the hotel and you’ll find yourself in the Da Lat market, right at the entrance of the meat and vegetable section in the morning. And the hotel is also just a short walk to everything you might need. Convenience store, check. Laundry, check. Bustling night market, check.

In Mui Ne, we also stayed at a pretty good hotel right next to the sea. The daily breakfast at Meraki Oasis Hotel was tasty too!
As there isn’t any direct flight from Da Lat or Mui Ne to Singapore, we had to stay overnight in Ho Chi Minh. We chose The Chill Suites as it was close to Ben Thanh market and the airport.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t very “chill” for WJ and I as we got locked inside the bathroom which had a faulty lock! And this was in the middle of the night after a flight delay from Da Lat for about 3 hours. We shouted and kicked at the door in the hopes of getting someone to help us, but nobody came. Worse, our phones were outside in the room so we couldn’t call for help!

After trying to open the door and kicking it for a long time, we decided to break down the door. Luckily for us, the door was not made of solid wood and WJ could punch a hole big enough for me to crawl through! Just as I got out and was getting dressed, the staff rang our doorbell. His shocked face was epic when I opened the door to reveal a giant hole in the bathroom door.

The service recovery was not bad though, as they gave us a few free drinks and paid for our ride to the airport the next morning! He also gave us some iodine and plasters for the cuts on poor WJ’s feet.

Although we always jokingly call our trips epic, this experience was definitely not what we wanted! But it’s definitely a memorable end to a fun-filled family trip.