Weekend in Da Lat

After our last weekend was spent running around in the hot, busy city of Ho Chi Minh, it was a total 180 degree difference in the calm, quiet foothills of our new home, Da Lat. Da Lat is a city blessed with year-round cool weather because of its placement within the hills and mountains and is responsible for supplying the country (and many parts of the world) with flowers and different agricultural products. We took full advantage of our weekend off from the clinic and used our time to explore the beautiful scenery and local delicacies.

Saturday:
Lang Biang Mountain
We woke up early on Saturday morning and had coffee at our local cafe and bánh mì at our local street vendor in preparation for our hike up Lang Biang Mountain. Lang Biang is a mountain about 10 kilometers north of where we are staying in Da Lat, so it made for an easy taxi ride to get to the bottom. The mountain is split into two different peaks: one smaller peak accessible by Jeep or a the largest peak (coming in at 2,176 meters = ~7110 feet) accessible only by hiking, so naturally, we opted out of the Jeep tour and took on the mountain by foot, starting at its base.
The hike was relatively peaceful, until we arrived at a point in the path where the trees and foliage thickened, the track began to narrow, and the ascent became fairly steep. Luckily, there were wooden steps to help prevent us from slipping back on the dirt and mud, but there were still difficult obstacles to overcome, like fallen trees, mud covered rocks and steps, and tight turns. After about an hour and 45 minute ascent, we had finally reached the top and the view was absolutely worth every drop of blood and sweat we acquired during the hike.

After enjoying the views and a nice bánh mì lunch, we began the far more treacherous descent down the mountain, both taking a number of slips and falls from the muddy, slippery, and steep decline.
Once returning back to the city from our wilderness excursion, we agreed that the hike was plenty of exploring for one day and took the rest of the night off to plan for next the day of sight seeing.

Sunday:
In order to see and experience the city of Da Lat at its fullest, we booked a tour with a local guide (our buddy, Quang, or Q) who showed us a number of places in Da Lat and was able to bring us to a couple places that were off the beaten path, not polluted with tourists.
1. Da Lat Flower Garden
Our trip around the city began at a flower garden housing thousands of different species of flowers and a number of different fruits and vegetables. As mentioned previously, the climate in Da Lat makes it perfect for growing a number of plants year-round, making the flower and agricultural industry one of the biggest money makers in the city. Our guide, Q, explained that with the upcoming Lunar New Year, Tet, the flower industry is expected to bring in hundreds of thousands of dollars for the city.

2. Cricket farm & rice wine making house
Our next stop was at a little place off the beaten road, a couple kilometers away from the city that is known for its plates highlighting crickets and house-made rice wine (or Happy Water, as the locals call it). Here, we had one of the owners show us and explain the process of harvesting crickets to eat and also the process of distilling the rice wine. Not only did we have an opportunity to see the process from start to finish, we also were able to try both. The rice wine was literally as fresh as it could be (it was still hot from jug, which made for an interesting shot) and the crickets were fried with lemongrass and served with chili sauce. We both indulged in tasting the rice wine; however, Michael was less adventurous when it came to the crickets. With that being said, the crickets truly weren’t bad, and I may actually say they were pretty tasty with the chili sauce (honestly reminded me of a mix of tiny french fries and the crumbs at the end of Lays potato chip bag).

3. Cuong Hoan Silk Factory
Our next stop was a silk factory where we were able to see the whole process of making silk and see how the silk is gathered and harvested from silkworms and then processed into the clothing we have all seen. Q explained to us that with just one silk cocoon, they are able to harvest anywhere from 800 to 1000 meters of silk, which is honestly wild. Q was also quick to explain to us that there is not one piece of the process that generates waste, that led us to have an option to try cooked silkworm pupae. Michael opted out, and I went all in. I can say with absolute certainty I would take a full plate of crickets over silkworm pupae any day.

4. Elephant Falls
Honestly the highlight of the day. Elephant falls is a powerful waterfall located about 30 kilometers from Da Lat and about 30 meters high. Q led us down a rocky pathway down the side to view the waterfall from the bottom (this descent was FAR easier than Lang Biang, by the way). Not only did we get to see the waterfall from the bottom, but Q brought us through a rock crevice, down and around some other rocks and we ended up literally underneath the waterfall, with water crashing down and whipping around. It was absolutely one of the coolest experiences we’ve had.

5. Weasel Coffee Farm
Our day around Da Lat ended at another place on the path less traveled, a coffee farm that is responsible for making the most expensive coffee in the world. Upon arriving, there were breathtaking views of the hills and coffee tree plantations and Q brought us through the coffee farm (which also happened to be the family’s home) to see the process.
The coffee here is some of the most expensive in the world because of the way it is made. The coffee cherries are eaten by the weasels on the farm and are partially digested because their stomachs are unable to breakdown coffee beans. Fermentation occurs as the cherries pass through a weasel’s intestines and after being defecated with other fecal matter, they are dried and collected. The coffee is so expensive because this process of fermentation and drying out the beans can take more than 3 months and the coffee cherries can be rough on a weasel’s GI tract, but results in a coffee brew that is less bitter with a deeper taste. Q explained that a number of places in Vietnam advertise the weasel coffee, but it is often not authentic and overpriced. We both were lucky enough to try a cup of the real deal, and can attest that the coffee was astounding (with no hints of weasel poop).

With that, our day ended and we went back to our guesthouse in Da Lat, exhausted from a weekend of experiencing so much this city has to offer.