All roads in Da Lat lead to coffee shops

There's a saying "All roads lead to Rome." And after a few times going to Da Lat, I took the liberty to copy it: "All roads in Da Lat lead to coffee shops."

Let me tell you about the last time I came to the hill town with my friends. We got on the sleeper bus at night in Saigon and arrived in Da Lat early the next morning. As it was chilly and we could not check in yet, my friends and I went to a roadside coffee shop.

Then we left our bags and took rented motorbikes to go have breakfast at a local diner.

After that, a friend in the group suggested that we visit a cafe which "is new on the internet." So, the group went to that cafe, where some sat with their phones and others walked around taking selfies.

After sitting in the shop for more than an hour, my group decided to drive to Ta Nung Pass because there was a new coffee there with a nice view of the city. So, we just went there and had our third drink of the day. At this coffee shop, just like the last one, some of my friends continued taking photos while others spent time on their phones.

At noon, the group decided to return to the city center to have lunch and then back to the hotel to rest. In the early afternoon, we drove to Tuyen Lam Lake, and once again, to sit at a coffee shop doing nothing. Later, a friend in the group while surfing Facebook saw a post about another coffee shop that "looks chill" on the side of Mimosa Pass, so we went there. Similarly, in the evening we sat at another coffee shop until it was time to go to bed.

Just to be clear, it was not the first time we had traveled Da Lat through its coffee shops from dawn to dusk.

I couldn't stand that routine for another day, so I decided to go alone the next morning. Following instructions on the internet, I went to visit the hill that hosts the tomb of Nguyen Huu Hao, father of Empress Nam Phuong who was the wife of Vietnam's last king Bao Dai. I bought a ticket to tour Bao Dai's palace and take some relaxing time around the pine forest at Truc Lam Zen Monastery.

Not only Da Lat, but I have seen many people traveling not to sightsee or experience the place, but only to sit at different coffee shops and surfing the internet. I don't think that's a cool way to travel because we can do just that at home.