Is Bao Loc the new Da Lat?

The 'City of Eternal Spring' tourism benefits from its reasonably close proximity to Ho Chi Minh City and an international airport connecting to 8 destinations from Vietnam, South Korea and Malaysia. Despite it being one of the country’s most popular retreats, many feel the city has lost a lot its charm in recent years due to rapid urbanization and underperforming tourism services.

Around 110 kilometers southwest of Da Lat is the smaller and appealing, Bao Loc City. The entire town is just 229 squ.km and has one immediately apparent advantage over its neighbor - it is nearly half the distance between Da Lat and HCMC. It takes between 4-5 hours to reach Bao Loc from the country's biggest city and therefore makes it much more plausible for a weekend trip. In contrast, reaching Da Lat usually requires an overnight bus, meaning you will only have around 36 hours over the course of the weekend if you are traveling by road. Although it does not boast an airport, the shorter journey up the mountains is optimal for many travelers.

Loc Thanh pass on Bao Loc outskirts. Photo by Kim Nhan

One of the standout alluring features of Da Lat is its cool climate, thanks to it being situated on the Langbian plateau 1,500 m above sea level. However, Bao Loc also enjoys similarly pleasant temperatures throughout the year and visitors can experience the freshness and coolness of the air embrace them as they venture up Bao Loc pass while approaching the city.

Once summiting, travelers are greeted with misty mountains, evergreen forests and picturesque tea plantations. During sunrise in particular, the area has a magical vibe as clouds blanket the region providing heavenly views for all the early-risers.

The most notable site in Bao Loc is Damb'ri Waterfall. The 70-meter drop offers visitors an impressive view as seemingly endless clear water runs off the mountains into a huge pool below. It is arguably the only major tourist destination nearby, but unfortunately it has been affected by the spirit of Vietnamese ecotourism with tacky figurines, pedalos, oversized restaurants and unnecessary and likely unsafe, theme park rides.

Damb'ri Waterfall in Bao Loc. Photo by Duc Hung

Truthfully, visiting here is reminiscent of being in Da Lat, particularly at sights such as Valley of Love or Datanla Waterfall, and is a perfect exemplification of the grotesqueness many popular tourism places are evidently doomed for in Vietnam. Despite some of these unsavory features at Damb'ri, it is still undoubtedly one of the most stunning waterfalls in the country and trumps others in the region.

One destination in Bao Loc that certainly does not struggle with inauthenticity and mass tourism is Linh Quy Phap An Pagoda. The site is an incredible blend of Vietnamese and Japanese architecture with torii gates symbolizing the sacredness of the shine. Each morning, as the sun rises over Dai Binh mountain, monks and visitors congregate to welcome the start of a new day and pray at this breathtaking pilgrimage site. A sense of serenity and stillness overwhelms anyone who visits the contemplation hall, library and sanctuary within the pagoda and each individual is invited to meditate with the monks and share a meal with them.

The three gates on top of Linh Quy Phap An Pagoda in Bao Loc. Photo by Dulichso

For now, Da Lat dwarfs Bao Loc in regards to its development and despite some voicing their discontentment towards over-tourism in the area, there are some key advantages the bigger city possesses. For example, despite there being some similarities in local specialties such as artichoke tea and fresh strawberries, the food scene in Da Lat is far more established and extensive. Favorites such as avocado ice cream, banh trang nuong (grilled rice paper snack) and banh mi xiu mai (banh mi with meatballs) are more abundant and tastier compared to Bao Loc's simpler offerings.

Unique activities such as ATV tours and canyoning, which is often cited as many international visitors favorite experience in Vietnam, are only available in Lam Dong's more prominent location.

Despite an impressive amount of charming cafes in a relatively small area in Bao Loc, the coffee culture and range of roasters in Da Lat can arguably only be rivaled elsewhere in Vietnam by Buon Ma Thuot.

Additionally, Bao Loc may be more accessible for residents of Ho Chi Minh City, but for the rest of the country, particularly northern cities such as Hanoi and Hai Phong, Da Lat is much easier to reach.

Ultimately, Da Lat has numerous characteristics that both domestic and international travelers can complain about and stumbling across a place with the essence that Bao Loc has is always a treat, but perhaps we need to see how the next few years play out before we can fairly compare them. Will each destination develop in a way that satisfies the million of visitors Lam Dong Province welcomes each year?