The Kitsch of it All
I found Da Lat a bit, kitschy when I was there. There were all sorts of decorations and attractions that felt childlike. Let's just say Da Lat was different from the places I've been to in Vietnam.
Crazy House
If you're looking for an attraction that mixes fantasy with reality, the Crazy House is the place to go. Whoever designed and built this house had Alice in Wonderland in mind.
The fairy tale-like design of the house is like a kid's imagination gone wild.
It was nice walking around, inside, atop, and below the houses in this bewildering complex.
*There is an entrance fee of VND40,000 to enter the Crazy House.
Flower Park
There were few attractions that were easy to get to and cheap or free in Da Lat, so I decided to go to the Flower Park. Da Lat's cuteness and kitschiness continued as I explored the flower park.
There's a small cabin reminiscent of a fairy tale in the park.
The flower displays and other plants were well done though.
There were quite a few statues scattered in different parts of the park.
Teacup-shaped plants were watering the plants. There was also quite a number of animal statues and slides in the park. It seems to me that this park was targeted for a particular kind of audience.
Walking around the park, and generally taking things slow, as my trip around Vietnam came to a close end was refreshing. The cool breeze in the city and just being around nature was an afternoon well spent.
*There is an entrance fee of VND20,000 to enter the Flower Park.
Lake
To add to the kitschiness, there were carriages and swan-like rides on the lake. Can you believe it?
Da Lat isn't just known for its eco-tourism and adrenaline pumping activities, there's a childlike vibe going on here. From the carriages to the crazy house, Da Lat may bring out the inner child in you.