Buzz
After numerous drives through the hills of Da Lat, the Saigon - Da Lat mountain pass route without QL20 remains my favorite, and I've explored it extensively.
Explore the 500 km forested and mountainous route from Ho Chi Minh City to Da Lat
This route is also beloved by many cycling enthusiasts for its sparse traffic, safety, and the numerous breathtaking and diverse landscapes it offers. Allow me to share my experiences on this route.
Covering a total distance of approximately 500 km, this journey takes you through dense forests, challenging mountain passes, lakes, and waterfalls. Despite the scenic diversity, the road is relatively easy. Cars with 4-wheel drive, scooters, and motorcycles can comfortably traverse it unless the road is excessively muddy. Many sections have undergone significant improvement and upgrades, making it less challenging than before. There are several optional detours for some variation, but the fundamental route remains consistent.
Route Details
From Ho Chi Minh City, take QL1K over Hóa An Bridge, follow TL768 along the Đồng Nai River to Hiếu Liêm Ferry. Cross the ferry near Hiếu Liêm Market (be cautious, there are two ferries here).
Then, continue northward, entering the enchanting D combat zone forest. At the intersection, turn right towards Phú Lý intersection, then turn left towards Phú Lý Market, driving through the beautiful asphalt road amid the forest.
The next section involves off-road through the southern part of Nam Cat Tien Forest towards Ferry 107, crossing the ferry back to rejoin QL20. Here, you can also take the small road, reconnect to QL20 towards Tân Phú, Madagui, as indicated in note (1) in the image above.
After rejoining QL20, continue through Định Quán, Tân Phú, reaching Madagui, then turn left towards Đạ Tẻh. Before crossing the railway bridge at the beginning of Đạ Tẻh town, turn right towards Triệu Hải commune.
You can visit Triệu Hải Waterfall and Dakala Waterfall on the way, then start a gentle off-road journey through the forest up to the beautiful Đạ Pal Lake. If coming from Madagui, instead of heading to Đạ Tẻh, take a detour through Chuối Pass, cross Đại Quay Bridge, turn left onto the road leading to Đambri Hydroelectric Plant. This section has large rocks; then reconnect to the previous route at Đạ Pal Lake as noted in (2). Afterwards, proceed to explore Tâm Châu Tea Hill.
The Triệu Hải section is quite challenging and suitable only for 4x4 off-road vehicles.
In the next section, take a left onto TL725 (you can skip this part near the large bridge next to Tà Đùng Lake). From the Đambri intersection mentioned earlier, instead of crossing the B40 pass and circling Quảng Khê, you can go straight to Lộc Thắng town, following TL725, which also offers a beautiful route. Then, continue straight to Đinh Văn town (Lâm Hà district, Lâm Đồng province).
You can still detour to Tà Đùng Lake when you reach the QL28 intersection as indicated in note (3) in the provided image.
From here, take the newly opened, beautiful, and spacious road, passing by the ĐN2 hydroelectric plant to Đinh Văn town, then to the Lâm Hà intersection. After that, turn left towards Nam Ban town (Lâm Đồng province), visit the Elephant Waterfall if you fancy, and then climb the Tà Nung pass to Cam Ly. Here, you can visit the abandoned Cam Ly airport for some photos before heading back to Da Lat, concluding the Saigon – Da Lat 500 km journey with numerous passes and forests.
Projected Route
Experienced and terrain-savvy riders can complete this route comfortably in a single day. Start at 4 am and reach Da Lat within the day, but consider staying overnight at Tà Đùng Lake to maintain your well-being.
For a more leisurely trip, on Friday evening, depart at 8 pm to Hiếu Liêm ferry terminal (Vĩnh Cửu, Đồng Nai), and stay overnight there. The next morning, follow the aforementioned route to Tà Đùng Lake, camp overnight on Saturday. On Sunday morning, wake up early, continue the journey to Da Lat, and by 3 pm slowly head back to Saigon.
Or, for a relaxed experience, you can enjoy activities and dining in Da Lat until late at night. Then, park your vehicle, take a sleeper bus back to Saigon, get a night's rest on the bus, and be ready for work on Monday morning.
This route offers a myriad of experiences. You can go off-roading during the rainy season, explore the wild sunflowers in bloom along the route, or take a refreshing dip at waterfalls and admire Tà Đùng Lake. Every season has its beauty and unique charm.
According to Zing News
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Reference: Travel guide from Mytour
MytourSeptember 16, 2016
