Da Lat (Cool Capital of Lam Dong Province) living guide

Finally, the third of the top recommended city choices is Da Lat (Da Lat).

This city is different from Nha Trang and Da Nang in that it isn’t anywhere near the beach. Da Lat is further inland and is situated higher in the mountains of Vietnam.

The average yearly temperature in Da Lat is only fourteen (14) degrees Celsius (57 F) degrees. Yes, you read that correctly. This is truly a mountain resort atmosphere and you can rent an apartment here for less than three- hundred ($300) per month.

This city is very famous for their flowers and holds an annual flower festival every December to January.

Living in Da Lat can be quite inexpensive for many things. As examples you can get a wonderful, hour long massage for around five dollars ($5) and eat out for about one dollar ($1.00).

It may be difficult to find a real estate agent who speaks English, but the locals suggest trying the local University of Da Lat for assistance with translations if or when necessary.

While you can choose to live in the center of this small town, with a mere two-hundred thousand residents spread over 152 square miles, most recommend living more on the outskirts of town.

Da Lat retains a lot of the historical French Colonial charm and provides easy and fast access to local eateries, groceries and shopping.

There are many amazing views on the outskirts of this charming city including a stunning man-made lake.

Da Lat is situated only about three hours from Nha Trang (beach town) which allows for relatively cheap vacation trips, or even day trips, to the heat of the beach anytime you’d like.

Da Lat, located in the central highlands of southern Vietnam, is surrounded by a beautiful lake, golf course, hills full of pine trees and several waterfalls. It is called the City of Eternal Spring because of its distinct and temperate climate.

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In the early 1900s, the city was created to be a resort by the French and, like much of Vietnam, much of the colonial heritage remains. It is approximately one hundred and fifty three square miles and is home to about 212,000 people. (as of 2011)

Weather

Top new and beautiful destinations for tourists "virtual living" in Dalat

Being known as the City of Eternal Spring means the weather in Da Lat fits its description. As touched on earlier the weather ranges from 14-24 Celsius (57-75F) on average.

Like most of Vietnam, Da Lat has two seasons…wet and dry. Since the temperatures do not drop too low, there is no real fall or winter there. For Da Lat in particular, the seasons are wet spring and dry spring. The wet season in Da Lat is the longest and lasts from April to November with the dry season being December to March. The driest month is January and the wettest month is September. Average rainfall in September is about three-hundred millimeters.

Transportation

Living In Da Lat As An Expat: The Advantages And Drawbacks You'll Face

Getting around in Da Lat is easier, than for example in a city like Ho Chi Minh City, because it covers a markedly smaller area. Most expats and locals prefer to walk while some will ride a bicycle.

Da Lat is one of those places where it can also be a good idea to own a motorbike. That is also a common method of travel for getting around the city. However, the busy streets are closed to both motorbike and automobile traffic on the weekends so you will need to plan accordingly.

Da Lat is one of the smaller cities, in this guide, and that means there are less public options for transport out of the city. However, you still have the option to ride the bus, take a taxi and of course the train.

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Food

Da Lat also does not disappoint when it comes to food. Their restaurants offer a variety of food from traditional Vietnamese to Western cuisine and just about everything in between.

The city itself is famous for its use of fresh meat, herbs and vegetables in all their dishes. Due to its size, and the fact that most Da Lat food places use mainly fresh ingredients, you probably won’t go wrong in your selections on where to eat.

Nightlife and shopping

Da Lat Nightlife – What To Do At Night In Da Lat?

As far as the nightlife in Da Lat goes, it is a pretty quiet and quaint little town. Unlike Ho Chi Minh City, there is not a lot to do once the sun goes down. If quiet and quaint is what you prefer, then Da Lat is definitely the place for you.

The city does have a couple of bars where you can get good beer or wine and hear live music, but for the most part, people will spend their time at home or in some of the local restaurants until closing time.

What Da Lat lacks (or not depending on your personal view) in nightlife, it makes up for in shopping.

For a small city, there is an abundance of shops, markets and unique boutiques for you to discover. From specialty teas and coffees to flowers and silk, you will find everything you could possibly need making it unnecessary to ever leave this beautiful, yet sleepy town.

Recreational activities

Living In Da Lat As An Expat: The Advantages And Drawbacks You'll Face

When deciding to reside in a small town like Da Lat, you may need to give up some of the luxuries you may be used to in your native country.

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If sports and recreational activities are your thing, you might not find all of these in Da Lat. Because it is so small, they don’t offer all of the amenities you can find in larger cities such as Ho Chi Minh City.

With all of the lakes and waterfalls surrounding the city, there is always the option of swimming and other water related activities. They do offer motorboat, jet skiing and canyoning for tourists and locals alike.

Cost of living

One of the great things about this gem of a town is, because of its size and location, the cost of living here is much cheaper than in comparison to Ho Chi Minh City. Here are some of the basic costs using our 900 sq ft one bedroom apartment as an example for approximated living expenditures in Da Lat.

  • One bedroom apartment in Da Lat rents for approximately

4,000,000 VND per month. (This is much less expensive than in Ho Chi Minh City, for example, plus this is in the city centre that is typically considered a more expensive area of Da Lat on average).

  • Heat, electric, gas, water & garbage in a 900 sqft apartment is about 1,200,000 VND. (NOTE: many long-term rentals include utilities, although you will need to clarify this with the owner of the property).
  • Internet at 60 Mbps is about 350,000 VND per month.

While Da Lat is small, and much cooler than the cities that sit below it, the town is considered a gem. It is a place where locals that live nearer the beaches like to go on vacation.

It is quiet and quaint city, so if that is what you are looking for this may be the place for you!

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