This past week I took an unplanned, short noticed trip to Đà Lạt city (city of flowers, of love, city in the clouds, city of pine trees 😄)
This was more of a work than leisure trip for me and it was one week earlier than my plan. I did not book a place to stay or mark any places of interest in my itinerary as usual. To my surprise, I had a greater experience than I could expect this entire week. Therefore, I’m writing a review for my stay in Dream Valley Homestay to share and hope that next time you visit Đà Lạt, you will also check out this cute home.
Dream Valley – Thung Lũng Mơ as the name suggests is located in a valley outside of Da Lat city center (district 11). While travel, my preference in any city I visit has always been to stay in the outskirts rather than near the center. This place’s location is perfect for me. The area is quiet and peaceful. Every morning, I woke up to the clear blue sky and LangBiang mountain view in the distance and the greenery in the valley thru my window.
The cool weather here was perfect for me to curl up in my warm blanket to snooze…for just a little bit! My bed was so comfortable and warm and I could really just stay in bed or near the window to enjoy the view here. The first 2 days were hectic with work and I didn’t get to enjoy the home much since I got up and left and didn’t get back till the sun was down. However, the owners and staff here were extremely friendly. They made me feel at home. Since I traveled alone, I was invited to all family meals either carryout or at a restaurant. Those meals were warm, delicious and friendly.
This is a family-owned business. The owners happily shared with me stories about the home since the buildout, introduced me to the staff, some are relative and family members. I even heard stories about their 2 dogs. The first one is Lành, Vietnamese word for Healing, as a reminder of one of the staff who survived a breakup. The second one is called Sữa, or Milk. She was rescued on her way to the slaughter house by the owner’s friend, who loves animals. To their surprise, ultrasound result showed Milk was pregnant. The owners adopted her and ended up saving four more puppies. I watched the puppies and wish I could adopt one of those. They’re precious.
The time I stayed was a slow time right after lunar new year holiday in Vietnam. I was offered a ride with the family to a remote valley area call LaAn resort area. I later on found out that even Da Lat locals may not have heard about this place. It’s quite a far ride from the city center. As we arrived, there was nobody else in the resort so we had the whole valley to ourself to take pictures and to enjoy the view. At the valley, there was a lake, a vegetable garden and coffee shop for visitors and of course villas for guests to stay. I am grateful for this chance to visit such a new, secluded area in Da Lat city. I appreciated the scenery on the way there as well as the unpopularity of this place, yet! Pine tree forest is always a calm and romantic view for me. The driver didn’t go too fast either since the road was steep and uneven. This could be a highlight of this trip for me. I still feel adventurous and excited as I’m writing about it now.
Unfortunate for me, I dropped my phone and might have stepped on it as well. The owner was very kind to lend me a spare phone and offered to send my phone to his friend in SaiGon to fix and send back to me overnight. I am grateful for the help since I didn’t really know how to deal with it right away. Even though the phone ended up unfixable, I felt taken care of as a family member!
After I was done with work, I had opportunities to explore the entire home and nearby area, mostly on foot. The home itself is cute with 5 floors, a rooftop diner and its own car parking space. There are rooms with hill view and valley view, which is my favorite.
The entrance is welcoming with tons of flowers, all of which are well cared for.
I was excited to find out a side staircase leading down from the lobby to the valley.
I love the deco around the house, a mixed of simple style with hints of Chinese-Vietnamese origin from the owner.
I spent most of my time up on the rooftop area, having coffees, viewing the mountains, enjoying the green plants while working. At night, as the outside air gets chill, the lights here are warm and comforting.
For afternoon stroll, I took long walks to explore nearby neighborhood. There are not a lot of tourists in this area, which I prefer. Here and there, I see cute coffee shops with view of the hill or valley. You won’t miss the greenhouse here in Da Lat. I saw one with celery growing inside. The walk was peaceful, I enjoyed the cool air, all beautiful wild flowers along the way, and even some wild tomatoes. At the end of the street, I stopped to view Than Tho Lake area. The lake is more peaceful than Ho Xuan Huong in city center. Everything here just calms my mind!
Lastly, the highlight of this homestay to me, beside the view and cute green plants around and friendly staff, is the skyline and square hammocks installed for each floor. It’s unique design and I love the idea of using the natural light this way. I think it’s a cool idea! I wish I brought my books and had more time to lie here all day just to read or to nap because it’s quite comfortable, especially during weekdays when I almost had the whole place for myself.
As I said my goodbye, I know it’s not my last time I’m here in Dream Valley Homestay. I know I will be back soon to enjoy this place more and to explore this area more.
Thank you for reading my post!
*All content and pictures are original and created by me, unless otherwise stated