 |
| Bao Dai Palace, Da Lat, Vietnam |
 |
| Crazy House, Da Lat, Vietnam |
 |
| Xuan Huong Lakeside by Night Da Lat, Vietnam |
 |
| Cherry Blossom by Night Xuan Houng Lake Da Lat, Vietnam |
 |
| Lam Vien Square by Night Da Lat, Vietnam |
Day 13 Friday Jan 30 2026 (Bao Loc & Da Lat, Vietnam) - my 3 days 2 nights in Da Lat, departed Bao Loc by sleeper bus (11.30) to the mountain city of Da Lat; after our hotel check-in & a own cooked noodle meal in hotel, both of us took a slow walk from our hotel to Bao Dai Palace & Crazy House; in the late afternoon, I made a solo visit to the Xuan Huong Lake & explore the surrounding environment, cool & pleasant (23c) at this time of the year & admiring Cherry blossom by the lakeside; no doubt, I slept well tonight after a glimpse of Dalat's beauty (in the right place & the right season), a trip long overdue !
Travel itinerary: Bao Loc > Da Lat (110km)
1) My sleeper bus ride from Bao Loc > Dalat - rock & roll all the way to the mountain city of Da Lat (110km), via hilly & winding roads, my middle row sleeper bed depriving me of taking country side scenery but I managed to find a side window bed when a passenger dropped off a village town along the way ..... My last sleeper bus journey experience was from Urumqi > Khorgos, a land port on China / Kazakhstan border in May 2015 ! A terrific adventure !
2) Sleeper bus passing through village towns, countryside, rivers & lakes etc
3) Arriving in long distance bus terminal / deport for a free transfer to a MPV van ride to our hotel in Dalat passing the Xuan Huong Lake.
4) Hotel Accommodation: my 3 days 2 nights stay in Ha Na Hotel, Da Lat, Vietnam; room tariff Rm97 = US$24, twin sharing, walking distance to Da Lat Night Market & Xuan Huong Lake.
5) My travel buddy's beef noodle lunch (50K VND = Rm7.80) in a local noodle stall nearby our hotel.
6) Walking tour (1.7km) from our hotel to Bao Dai Palace, Da Lat
7) Bao Dai Summer Palace, Da Lat, Vietnam - a royal residence, a mansion located on Ai An hill on Trieu Viet Vuong street, built from 1933 > 1938, designed in French architecture, 1000m wide & divided into 2 floors with 26 different large & small rooms, behind the palace, there is a flower garden with beautiful European style walking paths, Emperor Bao Dai was born in 1913 & went to France at the age of 9, an excellent exhibit of royal artifacts, entrance fee 60K VND = Rm9.50).
8) Walking tour from Bao Lao Palace to Crazy House (700m)
9) Crazy House, Da Lat, Vietnam - an architectural wonder located in the heart of Da Lat, a must visit, entrance fee 30K (Rm4.70) VND for Senior above 70+, you will go "crazy" as soon you enter a labyrinth of surreal, organic structures inspired by nature & dreams passing twisting stairways, themed rooms, sky bridges & whimsical gardens that make the place a living art, recognised as one of the top 10 most bizarre buildings & it is truly unique; this Crazy House visit reminisced my visit to Antoni Gaudi's famous architectural budling, La Sagrada Familia (truly unique & a class of its own !) in Barcelona, Spain in May 2014 !
10) Giao So Thanh Tam, Da Lat, Vietnam - a Catholic church, Tran Phu Phung 4, Da Lat.
11) Walkabout from Giao So Thanh Tam to hotel for a rest till evening.
12) My solo evening walk from hotel to Xuan Huong lake & Lam Vien Square, Da Lat.
13) St Nicholas of Da Lat, Vietnam - a cathedral of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Da Lat, originally built as a parish church in 1920.
14) Xuan Huong lake & the surrounding by Night - the night is young, the lake side is scenic for photography especially under the cherry blossom Sakura trees !
15) Lam Vien Square by Night, Da Lat
16) Xuan Huong lakeside & downtown Da Lat by Night - exploring & admiring the mountain city of Da Lat by Night on my 1st day in Da Lat.
