Hi everyone, December is probably the best time of the year to visit Da Lat. On a free day, the two of us decided to take a spontaneous trip to Da Lat, and we ended up deciding to camp overnight at the lonely pine tree in Da Lat.
Guide to visiting the lonely pine tree from Da Lat
The lonely pine tree is a must-visit spot in Da Lat, not only because the lonely pine tree has no lover, but the journey here is also extremely exciting. However, do not follow Google Maps if you don’t want to end up bitterly looking at the pine tree from a distant hill opposite, okay.The lonely pine tree is quite far from the central area of Da Lat, so not everyone knows the way to get there, including our legendary Google Maps. Here I will guide you on how to get to the lonely pine tree.
To get to the lonely pine tree, you have 2 options: take a boat or ride a motorbike to the pine tree.
- If you choose to take a boat, the price will be 60K/way.
- If you choose to ride a motorbike, follow the trail for about 15 minutes until you reach the destination.
Notes for riding a motorbike: make sure to hold the handlebars firmly, avoid riding on rainy days, and don’t give up on the slopes, the journey will be very interesting.
Guide to visiting the lonely pine tree by motorbike
First, you move along Xo Viet Nghe Tinh street, then continue on provincial road 723 (if you don’t know the way, ask for directions to Thung Lung Vang on Google Maps for convenience).Drive to Suoi Vang bridge, go another 3.5km, you will see a trail on the right side, move into that trail.
Follow that trail for about 1.5 km, not too far, running through the pine forest to admire the beautiful scenery (note not to choose rainy days to go as the slippery road is difficult to walk on, don’t ride a scooter, use a motorbike because this is all steep roads that scooters can’t handle). Although the journey to the pine tree is difficult, once you get there, you won’t regret the effort you put in, trust me.
Camping diary at the Lonely Pine Tree in Da Lat
When we arrived in Da Lat, we looked for a place to rent a tent, a 2-person tent and a thermal insulation mat cost a total of 150K/day. Before heading to the lonely pine tree, we stopped by BigC at Lam Vien Square to buy meat and supplies for grilling, snacks, drinks, tissues, …
Getting lost on the way to the lonely pine tree
At around 2 pm, we started our journey, relying on Google Maps and ended up getting lost. After asking the locals, we were directed to the riverbank where we could see the lonely pine tree on the other side, but to get there, we had to take a boat which cost 100K/person, leaving the vehicle on the shore. Seeing the high price, we tried to negotiate but failed, feeling frustrated, we decided to find an alternative route.
People directed us towards the Ankroet hydroelectric plant, the road here is quite steep and dangerous, and it was really dangerous for two people to go up here because there were times when the person behind had to get off the bike and push the person in front to get through, but even for one person, it was quite difficult. As it started to get darker and there were more forks in the road, we continued to get lost, and it wasn’t until 6 pm that we finally found our way down to the lonely pine tree.
Overnight diary at the lonely pine tree
When we got down to the lonely pine tree, we quickly set up the tent, struggling for nearly 1.5 hours to finish setting it up.
- At 8 pm, we started going up the mountain to find firewood, it was very scary but quite exciting.
- At 9 pm, we finished setting up the fire and had a BBQ, ate to our heart’s content, then went into the tent to lie down and decided to sleep early because it was quite scary, everyone. Lying there, no one could sleep because there were only two of us on the mountain, afraid of thieves and afraid of that person.
- Around 11 pm, we heard someone walking under the water and some animals in the forest making noise, and some horses grazing around, it was very pleasant to hear. I have never felt the night that long, just wishing for the morning to come soon to ease the fear.
- At 4:30 am, the fog surrounded our tent beautifully.
- At 5 am, the sky began to lighten.
- From 5:30 to 6 am, a beautiful scene appeared, at that moment, seeing what we had gone through to see this scene was truly worth it!
Review of the lonely pine tree in Da Lat
A journey of youth full of experiences is also dangerous, but I think everyone should try it once in their life. I think it’s safer for groups of 4 people or more, helping each other when going downhill if you want to experience the mountain road, and less scary when staying overnight. It’s more fun to go in a group. If staying overnight, wear warm clothes, remember to bring a flashlight and a power bank, start early and arrive at the destination before afternoon for safety.
Cost of the lonely pine tree trip
- Tent: 150K/day
- BBQ and equipment: 350K
- Gas from SG – DL and DL – SG: 300K
- Food along the way from Saigon – Da Lat: 200K
- Total cost: 1000K/2 people. So, it’s 500K per person
Here is the diary and review of the lonely pine tree in Da Lat. Are you ready to experience it? Pack your bags and head to Da Lat today.
