Dalat 3 days 2 nights, self-guided, budget 8,000
Sharing my family's experience traveling in Vietnam without a guide. We booked both flights and hotels through the Trip.com app, costing 6,500 baht per person, not including meals. Starting...
Day 1: Landing at Don Mueang Airport, we had to get off at Son Nhat, Ho Chi Minh City, and wait at Terminal 2, departures, to catch our connecting flight to Dalat. In the meantime, I can top up my eSIM and wait comfortably. Initially, I didn't have enough 1G, so I forgot to think about it, lol.
There are convenient places to charge my phone. The food is easy to eat. I used my Youtrip card and finished. I topped up 5,000 baht, so I had plenty left over. I landed in Dalat. The airport is beautiful, there are few people, and it's safe. The taxi driver was on time, smiling, and spoke English. I checked in at The Nature Hotel, which is near the Night Market. It's very close, within walking distance. The food is cheap, there's an ATM nearby, and there's an izakaya. It was so much fun.
On Day 2, I took the Dalat Cable Car for 180 baht per person. It was so beautiful and worth it. It's a cable car ride through the lush pine forest. Then, I continued to Dalanta Waterfall. It was an 80 baht walk per person, I can't remember, lol. It's 500 meters up and 500 meters back. It was just a short walk. The waterfall itself is so beautiful. In the afternoon, I went to Lam Thien Square, a cool shopping mall. There's Highland Cafe upstairs. Coffee was 60 baht, delicious, and crispy. Then I went back to take a nap.
On the third day, on the way back, I strolled around waiting for the taxi I called when I first bought my ticket. It arrived on time. I boarded the flight and ate instant noodles at the airport. They were good prices, delicious, and easy to eat. I landed in Ho Chi Minh City to wait for my 6-hour flight to Don Mueang. I spent some time exploring Ho Chi Minh City, calling a Grab taxi for about 100 baht because it was far and crowded. The atmosphere was very different from Dalat. There were a lot of people and traffic. I made the right decision to go to Dalat, lol.
Conclusion: Cheap food, easy to get around, Grab is friendly, and you won't be confused. You can easily come by yourself, but you have to plan carefully because everything requires internet. I recommend the 3-day, 100GB package for peace of mind. It costs 300-400 baht, which is a good value. Don't be stingy, because when you arrive, there's no internet and you can chat with ChatGPT and it's over.