Đà Lạt & Quy Nhơn

We comfortably traveled from the bustling city of Ho Chi Minh to the peaceful town of Da Lat (with a population of around 200,000) by sleeper bus, which took eight hours. Da Lat is popular among local and foreign tourists alike. The city, located in the central highlands, is known for its mild climate, vegetable cultivation, flower breeding, as well as its numerous lakes, waterfalls, and forests in the surrounding area. It's no wonder Da Lat is called the 'Valley of Love.' The idyllic surroundings attract many couples who come here for their honeymoon. As Swiss travelers, we found the lakes and waterfalls to be average and unspectacular. Unfortunately, the flowers and vegetables grow in greenhouses, so they are not visible. The landscape outside Da Lat is adorned with hundreds of greenhouses. This description may sound discouraging, but Da Lat is and remains a very beautiful city that is well worth a visit.

For less than nine Swiss francs per night, we rented a nice room in a small guesthouse. Surprisingly, breakfast was included in this price. After dropping off our luggage, we went for a walk through the town. We strolled along the Suoi Cam Ly Lake and discovered a shopping center with unique dome-shaped architecture. After visiting 'Big C' and enjoying a delicious noodle soup, we took a taxi to the old train station. The reception hall of the Crémaillère Railway Station dates back to 1938 and is well-preserved. From here, nine tourist trains depart daily for the village of Thap Cham, which is about a 30-minute ride away. The rest of the former 84-kilometer route, which led to Tháp Chàm, is no longer in operation. The railway line was built during French colonial rule. The construction was carried out in three sections and lasted from 1908 to 1932. Three classes are available for tourists: wooden benches, padded seats, or the luxury class with leather seats. The wooden class was already fully occupied, so we opted for the padded seats. Slowly, we chugged along to Tháp Chàm and back. The trains are well-maintained both on the outside and inside. We enjoyed the ride. After the leisurely pleasure, we visited the nearby Crazy House. The Hang-Nga House, named after its creator Dang Viet Nga, consists of several houses and has been continuously expanding for years. The fantasy buildings differ in their style of construction. We wandered through winding corridors and admired the curious interiors. From the roof, we could observe the approaching thunderstorm. After our tour, we went to a restaurant to wait out the rain showers. In the evening, we visited a local BBQ near our accommodation. Each table has its own grill embedded in the table. We were the only tourists in the restaurant.

On the second day, we rented a scooter and drove to the Datanla Waterfall. We whizzed down the toboggan run to the foot of the waterfall. This is by far the most interesting toboggan run we have ever visited. We explored the surroundings and climbed a small ascent to another waterfall. From here, we used the toboggan run again to be transported back to the starting point. We continued to the nearby Tuyen Lam Lake, which in shape resembles a Norwegian fjord. We drove along the left bank until the end of the road. By chance, we came across a nice excursion destination. We witnessed a commercial film shoot, although we didn't fully understand the content. We drove back the same way. Many luxurious spa hotels are located on the lakeside. On the other side of the lake, we visited a sculpture garden with huge clay figures. For our taste, the sculptures were a bit too kitschy - presumably, the attraction is aimed at Asian tourists. In the evening, we visited a small eatery where only one dish is offered. Spring rolls are made from rice paper, herbs, skewers of pork, and pork crackling. We dipped the finished rolls in a peanut sauce. Super inexpensive and extremely delicious! Warm tea is served for free.

The journey to Quy Nhon took about eight hours and was quite winding. Luckily, we had a sensible driver who safely navigated us through the mountains. We passed the time on the sleeper bus watching movies and listening to music. We arrived in Quy Nhon late at night.

The next day, we took our dirty laundry to the laundry service (we paid a little over three Swiss francs for seven kilograms), visited the beach, and enjoyed fresh fish. Quy Nhon is often skipped by most Western tourists, but we found the city interesting because it is very authentic.

After just one day, our journey continues to the touristy Hoi An.