Da Lat: the place in Vietnam where you drink coffee with your head in the clouds

Hidden roasteries, motor-taxis, and a four-story labyrinth bar: an afternoon in Da Lat, told as it happened.

Our journey to discover Vietnam continues in Da Lat, an inland city with a deeply magical atmosphere. Due to its geographical location and the unique highland climate, you often find yourself immersed in sudden cloud formations. This phenomenon constantly gives the evocative impression of literally walking with your head in the clouds.

Traveling is wonderful not only because you visit new and exotic places, but especially because you have unique experiences. Very often, if you choose to embrace the unexpected and loosen the leash of planning, you come home with incredible stories. To tell you about the soul of Da Lat and explain how much magic this place holds, I will share with you a series of real events.

The slow ritual of Vietnamese coffee (and how to get around Da Lat)

Vietnam has forcefully established itself as one of the world's largest coffee producers, steadily climbing to second place in the global ranking. However, Vietnamese coffee is not just a simple "drink and go"; it's a meticulous ritual, perhaps even slower and more sacred than our Italian espresso. It has a drip-filter extraction method that requires time, patience, and dedication.

Thanks to this culture and a favorable geographical position, which provides misty scenarios worthy of a cinematic film, there are many cafés in Da Lat with breathtaking views.

Living in an age where everything can be asked of a screen, before leaving, I did a quick internet search and came across a guide listing the best panoramic spots in the area. Among the ten on the list, I unknowingly chose the most challenging and remote one to reach. Through Grab (the application that acts as Uber throughout Southeast Asia), I booked my two-wheeled journey to the destination.

The concept of time in Asia

When traveling in this part of the world, it would be wise to keep in mind that the concept of "readiness" and punctuality is not universal. The hurry and fast pace of the West give way, at least in Da Lat, to a decidedly slower lifestyle, which inevitably also influences the approach to services.

Indeed, after waiting almost twenty minutes on the sidewalk, a Vietnamese driver in his sixties appeared before me who, after apologizing, gestured for me to get on. Yes, in many Asian locations, a motor-taxi is the norm: it is extremely economical and, in case of heavy traffic, it will save you eternal waits. The important thing is to adapt to a driving style that, however reckless it may seem to a European, actually follows precise unwritten codes of conduct. A note of merit for the record: in Da Lat, all passengers are strictly provided with helmets, which is far from obvious in other countries in the same region.

The unexpected: how to choose the only café without a view

The journey with my experienced driver offered amazing mountain landscapes, raising my hopes for an even more extraordinary view once I arrived. After several changes of route and deviations that further delayed the schedule, we finally arrived. I greeted and thanked the driver and rushed inside the establishment.

Upon entering, I noticed three Western tourists at the entrance, but that initially took a backseat. I catapulted straight to the outdoor terrace and, just as I was ready to savor a unique spectacle with my eyes, I realized the irony of fate: I had chosen the only place on the entire mountain completely devoid of a view.

At that moment, the regret was palpable: all those kilometers and delays just to find myself facing a wall of fog and trees. But it was precisely then that the journey decided to become a teacher.

The Salerno connection and passion for one's work

The lady who ran the place, a lean and slender woman, brought me the typical coffee maker to the table. Seeing me alone, she asked where in the world I came from. To my answer "Italy," I was hugely surprised to discover that I shared nationality with the three guys I had crossed paths with at the entrance. As we introduced ourselves, a beautiful but unexpected coincidence occurred: one of them lived in Salerno (the place where I was born) and had met the other two at the airport due to a mishap with lost luggage that had caused them to miss their connecting flights.

Chatting, it emerged that they were there for a business trip as international coffee experts. They explained that the cup I was sipping was "Specialty" coffee, meaning a botanical quality immensely superior to the commercial standards we are accustomed to in European cafes.

Thanks to the Vietnamese owner's excellent English, I was literally captivated by the story of her life. She confessed with disarming transparency that, due to the birth of her youngest child, she hadn't been able to oversee the entire harvest of that year personally, and for this reason, she didn't feel 100% confident in guaranteeing the absolute excellence of her product.

Meeting such people is a pure joy for anyone who loves life. Her honesty, ethics, and self-criticism made me understand how much she cared about offering only the best to her guests. In an ideal world where everyone works with this same identical passion and transparent honesty, we would probably all live a little better.

Night in Da Lat: night markets and labyrinthine bars

Everything happens for a reason, and my initial visual misfortune turned into the good fortune of finding three new friends who offered me a ride back to the city center. If it hadn't been for them, due to the secluded location, I would have been stuck up there for at least three hours.

As the "White Arrow" of the moment ate up the road back, the sun set behind the peaks. The air in Da Lat gets decidedly cool in the evening, making it necessary to pull a structured heavy cotton sweatshirt out of your luggage.

Da Lat's central lake is splendid, illuminated by night lights and dotted with picturesque swan-shaped pedal boats. But the real attraction of the night is the famous Night Market, a gigantic open-air bazaar that winds through the city's uneven terrain and staircases, where you can literally buy anything.

A "Neapolitan comedy" with a Vietnamese twist

If you're lucky, at the night market you can witness a fantastic scene that irresistibly reminded me of the old Neapolitan "sceneggiata" (a dramatic musical performance): the sudden arrival of the local police. This event causes, in total chaos, the immediate and lightning-fast dismantling of dozens of street food stalls and mobile kitchens on the sidewalks. Only a few minutes pass, the patrols leave, and everything magically reassembles as if nothing had ever happened, with the grills smoking again.

If you want to get lost in a surreal place, look for the Maze Bar (also known as 100 Roofs Cafe). It's a place where it's very easy to get in but incredibly complicated to get out. It's structured on four underground and aerial levels, entirely connected by an intricate system of non-linear stairs, tunnels, and secret passages. Each room has a unique, almost dreamlike scenic design, which alone is worth the price of admission and a drink.

Practical tips for your trip to Da Lat

When to go: The best time to visit Da Lat and the inland areas is from December to early March, when the climate is dry and evening temperatures are pleasantly cool.

What to do: It's the ideal place to disconnect from the coastal hustle, enjoy unspoiled nature, and, when you feel like it, immerse yourself in the human flow of the market.

How to get around: Motor-taxi bookable via app (like Grab) — economical and the most common way to reach places outside the center.

Tabishi's tip: If you love coffee, take a day to explore the local roasteries. Go slowly, calmly. Sit on a stool, order your cup, and wait for time to work its magic, drop by drop. That's exactly how you learn to drink coffee with your head in the clouds.

Travel light, think green

The joy of travel lies in the ability to embrace the unexpected with open arms. Protect your moments of high-altitude tranquility with the right clothing. Discover our 100% organic and eco-friendly cotton sweatshirts and t-shirts in our shop, made exclusively on-demand to respect the planet.