TRANSPORT

See Basics for a run-down on Dalat center’s orientation.

You can rent a motorbike at various places in town for about 50,000D to 80,000D during daylight hours.

If you have trouble finding one, call THANH XUAN (tel 0919-778-8520), who has a stand on Nguyen Thi Minh Khai St south of the market, and they’ll deliver a motorbike to your hotel, which can be useful if you’re staying outside the center.

Air

VIETNAM AIRLINES (tel 063-833-499; 2 Ho Tung Mau, at Tran Hung Dao St) flies between Dalat and Hanoi and Saigon. Note that Dalat service is on smaller planes, which are often ‘full.’ In actuality at least five seats are set aside for ‘VIPs’ who rarely need them. Do as I did, if you’re in a pinch – or don’t mind hailing a passing bus on Hwy 1 to Saigon if you can’t get a ticket: show up 90 minutes early and see if you can get a stand-by ticket. The staff ‘release’ the VIP tickets 30 minutes before departure.

The cute this-side-departure/that-side-arrival airport is 30km south. A flat-rate fee with THANG LOI TAXI (tel 063-835-583) is about US$10 to/from the town; Deluxe Taxi charges about US$15 to US$18 by the meter.

Bike

PHAT TIRE VENTURES (tel 063-829-422; 73 Truong Cong Dinh St; www.phattireventures.com, info@phattireventures.com) offers thrilling downhill rides to Nha Trang or Mui Ne for US$68 including gear and guide.

Bus, Car & Taxi

The open-bus circuit – led by Sinh Café and followed by other companies – heads to/from Saigon and Nha Trang. Considering the price of a one-way air ticket (US$30), it’s worth bypassing the rough eight-hour bus trip to Saigon (US$5; leaving at 7.30am daily) if you can. The Nha Trang bus (US$4; six hours) also leaves at 7.30am – with a transfer on Hwy 1 if you’re going to Mui Ne (US$6; six hours).

Get open-bus tickets from SINH CAFÉ (tel 063-822-663; 4A Bui Thi Xuan St) or TM BROTHER’S CAFE (tel 063-828-383; tmbrother_dalat@yahoo.com; 58 Truong Cong Dinh St). These guys promise ‘big buses.’ I’ve seen another company – An Phu – going to Saigon in a less-comfortable minivan.

If you need another departure time, MAI LINH (tel 063-542-888; 14 Nguyen Van Cu St), a few blocks west of the central cinema, sends green mini-buses to Saigon most hours from 7am to 11pm (US$4.40; seven hours); to Nha Trang at 7.30am, 9.30am, 2.30pm and 3.30pm (US$3.75); and to Buon Ma Thuot at 8am, 10am, 2pm, 4pm (US$3.75).

Another option, if you’re willing to pay a little, is hiring a car with driver, so you can stop off at attractions south of Dalat en route to Saigon: falls and Cat Tien National Park. It’s about US$100 or US$110 for the day, including petrol. Ask at Dreams (see Accommodations) if you have trouble finding one.