I always enjoy hiking when I can, and so I looked for a good place to do so while I was on the Dalat Peninsula. To the north of Dalat is a small town sitting beneath a mountain, both bearing the name Lang Biang. It seemed like a good route, so I got up early one morning and made my way there.
The entrance to Lang Biang Mountain is around 20 minutes drive north of Dalat. The entrance is at the top of the village and is very obvious. Before entering the mountain, however, I decided to stop and get some coffee.
K’Ho Coffee
The K’Ho Coffee Farm is a good place to stop and learn about Vietnamese coffee. The K’Ho are one of the oldest minorities in the Central Highlands, and one of the first to cultivate coffee. Seeds from the K’Ho were taken by French colonisers.
The K’Ho name is said to be inspired by a myth about the mountain. K’Lang and H’Biang were two lovers of different tribes, who fled so they could be together. Men from H’Biang’s tribe hunted them down and tried to slay K’Lang. H’Biang leapt in front of an arrow, saving her lover’s life, but sacrificing her own.
K’Lang’s tears became the Da Nhim river, and the two peaks are the place they laid to rest. H’Biang’s father went on to unite the tribes, who became the K’Ho, now infamous for their coffee farms.
After tasting the coffee, I was able to briefly wander the plantation where you can see huge arrays of coffee plants stretching across the landscape. It makes you understand how important coffee is to Vietnamese culture.
To Jeep Or Not To Jeep?
After my morning stimulant, I went to the trail entrance and paid the 50,000 VND entrance fee. Once inside I could see there were options. There was a parking area for bikes and cars, since you aren’t allowed to drive up to the peak.
If you don’t want to walk there are jeeps you can hire that will drive you to the lower peak. I briefly considered this option, since I wanted to get to Bidoup Bap, the higher peak. I knew I wouldn’t have time to walk there and come back down, so taking a jeep half way would still give me a chance to get to the Roof of Dalat.
In the end I decided to just walk up to the lower peak, since the price of a jeep was high, and I would have to wait around for it to fill up before they would even move. I could have hired one for myself, but to do that I’d have to pay for every seat (around 700,000 VND).
Lang Biang Trail
I started toward the trail, and before I even reached it I could look back and see the sprawl of coffee farms that stretch around the village. It was clear that Lang Biang is a major part of Vietnam’s coffee industry. After taking in the view I followed the road up to the start of the trail through the woods.
The trail took me through a cleared out part of a pine forest. This was managed land, though if you wandered off the trail you could find yourself in some heavy undergrowth. It was a pleasant walk, with many grassy clearings providing a great space for a picnic along the way.
There wasn’t a clearly defined footpath for most of the walk, but there was a clever system of providing directions that didn’t damage the local environment. Several trees would have some white spray painted symbols indicating the direction you need to go. A straight line (|) means you keep moving forward, whereas angled lines would point left (\) or right (/). It was a very simple system, easy to learn and follow.
Though the trail was close to the road leading up, I never felt that I was walking along it. As I approached the peak I came across a small shrine next to the road. The final part of the hike would follow this road to Lang Biang Peak.
The Roof of Dalat
At the peak there are several interesting sculptures and buildings, paved walkways, shops and bars to explore. It was a clear day, so I got some spectacular views and could see all the way back to Dalat town. There are plenty of places for photographs, and couples can pretend to be K’Lang and H’Biang as they pose.
After enjoying the scenery I stopped at the restaurant for a beer and some ice cream – a reward for completing the hike. Just as there were below, there were jeeps here ready to take tired hikers back down the mountain.
Of course, I opted not to do this. After a short rest I was ready to take the trail back down and make my way back into Dalat.
