Lê Hương

Each person has their own way to enjoy life. Some like to discover new horizons and new lands, others find somewhere they love and return again and again.

The Central Highlands city of Đà Lạt is one such place that keeps drawing people back in to find new surprises to explore.

Bùi Lê Thanh, a 20-something woman residing in HCM City, loves going to Đà Lạt.

Though she visits Đà Lạt twice a year, upon her return home she immediately plans her next trip to the city.

“People say spring is the best season in Đà Lạt, but I think Đà Lạt is beautiful and romantic in every season,” she said. “Đà Lạt always has attractions to lure people for their first time or many times later.”

Its cool weather, lines of green pines swinging in fading sunlight and flowers of various colours bring the city a romantic air.

“I decided to take this trip to Đà Lạt quite suddenly and accidentally,” she told Việt Nam News. “I just saw a photo of cherry blossoms on my friend’s Facebook. I felt as if I had a date with the flower and had to go. I hurried to book a flight and packed my luggage.”

“It’s like a date, and I had to go,” she said.

Mai Anh Đào, or cherry blossoms, are the typical flower of this land. Their stems look like peach and plum trees in the north while their flowers have five petals like ochna blossoms.

Cherry blossoms in Đà Lạt are a combination between peach and ochna blossoms. VNS Photo Lê Hương

The pink flower always comes into full bloom in spring around January.

The tree has been planted on main roads in the city centre like Lê Đại Hành, Trần Hưng Đạo, Hùng Vương and Phó Đức Chính. It is also popular around Tuyền Lâm Lake, some 7km away from the city centre.

Cherry blossoms season in the city. VNS Photo Đoàn Tùng

Cold winter days in Đà Lạt make the city more romantic.

“The blue colour of sky, grass and trees is quite relaxing,” Thanh said. “In general, I like everything in Đà Lạt, especially its weather and scenery.”

Morning sunlight in Xuân Hương Lake in downtown Đà Lạt City. Photo vietgotravel.vn

A visitor to Đà Lạt for the first time tends to visit popular tourism hubs like Xuân Hương Lake, Love Valley and Than Thở Lake, yet having been to Đà Lạt twice, Thanh did not spend too much time in the city.

She hired a bike to check out the outskirts like Thiên Phúc Đức hill, Secret Garden, Tuyền Lâm Lake and Cù Lần Village.

One may not find any traffic light at junctions in the city yet vehicles flow smoothly.

“It sounds impossible but that’s true as there are plenty of slopes in the city,” she said. “It is difficult for vehicles to stop in the middle of a slope. I found Đà Lạt warm due to such small, interesting features.”

Lâm Mạnh Hải, another tourist from HCM City, said locals are open and honest.

“Just ask them whatever you want to know, like a good restaurant or some beautiful places and they will enthusiastically show you the way to the places,” he said.

Hải said Đà Lạt entertains visitors’ souls with its peaceful charm. VNS

Here is the list of flower seasons for those interested in nature, especially flowers:

January-March: Đà Lạt is decorated with Mai Anh Đào or cherry blossoms

February – March: White ban flowers will appear nearly at the same time as cherry blossoms.

The trees are popular on Quang Trung, Trần Hưng Đạo, Trần Phú and Phù Đổng Thiên Vương streets.

March-April: Mimosa and jacaranda flowers are highlights in Đà Lạt’s streets.

Yellow mimosa flowers grow wild in Mimosa Pass and the Gold Valley tourism site.

Violet jacaranda is another speciality of the are, which can be found around Xuân Hương Lake, Nguyễn Thị Minh Khai, Dốc Đá, Bùi Thị Xuân streets and Ánh Sáng Village.

Violet Jacaranda in Đà Lạt street. VNA/VNS Photo Hoàng Hà

April-June: Sunflowers bloom along the road from Vạn Thành flower village to the end of Tà Nung Pass.

September-November: Lavender and buckwheat flowers are common at this time.

Lavender is grown in gardens open to the public like F Flower Dalat, while buckwheat flowers can be found inside Vạn Đức Pagoda, in Dalat Milk Farm and Ánh Sáng Village.

Đà Lạt weather is suitable for raising lavender  VNS Photo Đoàn Tùng

October-December: Wild sunflowers bloom in every corner in the city. People say the flower is most beautiful in the early morning when fog still remains on the petals and leaves and reflects the early sunlight.

Wild sunflower blooms in every corner in the city in winter. VNS Photo Mạnh Hoàng

November-December: The city is peaceful with yellow rapeseed flowers at the foot of Tà Nung Pass (National Road 725).

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Đà Lạt, the capital of the central province of Lâm Đồng, is located 1,500m above sea level on the Langbian Plateau.

At the end of 19th century, the French governor-general Paul Doumer decided to create a resort centre for the French in the highlands taking suggestions of bacteriologist Alexandre Yersin, who explored the area in 1893.

The French in the first half of 20th century, allocated and built here a city with villas, offices, hotels and schools, a centre for tourism and education of Indochina at that time.

With cool weather year-round and an average temperature of 14 - 23 degrees Celsius,  Đà Lạt has become one of the most popular tourist destinations in Việt Nam.