A Day of 'Wild Dahlia - Rose Garden - Green Tea' Hunt in Da Lat

From Da Lat, heading to the Cau Dat tea hills, you'll capture photos amidst wild dahlias, roses, and lush green tea hills.

An Adventure in Pursuit of Wild Dahlias, Rose Gardens, and Green Tea on a Trip to Da Lat

Perched on a hill in Xuan Truong commune, Da Lat, Cau Dat tea hills lie approximately 20 km southeast of the city center, attracting visitors year-round. This route offers ample opportunities to experience the 'wild dahlia - rose garden - tea hill' combo in a day, especially during November.

Wild Dahlia Flowers

One of Da Lat's unmistakable features in November is the abundant bloom of wild dahlias across the mountainous terrain. As these flowers grow wild, you can encounter them in various locations without necessarily leaving the city. If you're in the city center, the area near the Pedagogical College is an ideal spot. Though not abundant, their golden hue provides a perfect backdrop for capturing countless surreal photos.

Exploring Off-the-Beaten-Path Wildflower Photography in Da Lat

Rose Gardens

Few people realize that late in the year is also the time for the blooming of roses in Da Lat, as rose garden tours aren't as common as those for strawberries or tomatoes. Farmers don't pay as much attention to these plants as they do to strawberries or tomatoes, as rose gardens don't require the same cleanliness. Nevertheless, this is an ideal photography spot for a mystical concept. Ripe red fruits on the trees, dried leaves, wild grass at your feet, and the eerie atmosphere of the gardens tucked away behind, often near the foothills or adjacent to the mountains, add an air of mystery to your photos.

Many couples choose the rose gardens at the foot of Mimosa Pass as their wedding photoshoot location due to its convenience. However, if you're willing to drive about 17 km out of the city, towards the Cau Dat tea hills, you'll come across larger rose gardens, with trees lining the mountain slopes, resembling something out of a fairytale. After your photo session, you can choose to buy some ripe and juicy roses or crisp, non-astringent ones as gifts. Prices range from 13,000 to 15,000 VND per kilogram if bought directly from the garden.

Tea Plantations

Compared to the tea plantations in the North, those at Cau Dat are smaller but still enchant tourists exploring Da Lat with their lush greenery enveloping the surroundings. Although it's the final stop on this route, it's best to visit Cau Dat first before heading back to the rose gardens and hunting for wild dahlias. By noon, when the sun is high, the glare can be exhausting and the photos less appealing. It's best to depart from the city center as early as possible to catch clouds or admire the sunrise from atop the hills.

The route is quite distant, accompanied by dust, but the scenery will compensate for the effort you've put in. This place is always crowded with tourists, especially during flower seasons or festivals, making it quite a struggle to find a spot for photography. Therefore, the suggestion for you is to skip the initial farm stops and instead ride a motorbike or take an electric vehicle deeper into the farm where it's less crowded. The container coffee shop near the entrance is a resting point, perfect for travelers to enjoy a warm cup of tea amidst the cool weather. Drinks here range from 40,000 to 55,000 VND depending on the item.

Directions: Proceed straight on Tran Quoc Toan Street until you reach Hung Vuong Street (National Highway 20). Then, at the large roundabout at the end of the road, turn right towards Trai Mat. From there, follow the winding mountain road for another 20km until you reach Cau Dat tea hill. The winding mountainous section of the road has many large vehicles, so drivers must have a firm grip, be cautious, and avoid speeding. The travel time by motorbike is approximately 1 hour.

By Vi Yen/The Star

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Reference: Travel Handbook from Mytour