Shopping
Flowers, farm fruit, and highland jars on the market slope above the lake.
Da Lat Market
Climb the sloping halls above Xuan Huong Lake in the morning. The flower hall is rows of cut stems, and the produce stalls sell the farm crops Da Lat is known for: strawberries, avocados, artichokes, and vegetables from the hills. Buy a cup of strawberries with condensed milk while you walk.
Entry is free. Check the stall scale before you pay for fruit, then carry it back down to the lake.
Jam, tea, and wine to take home
Around the edge of the market, counters stack fruit preserves, candied ginger, coffee, and artichoke tea, the jars Da Lat is known for. Go early, when they set out. Dried persimmon from the Mimosa Pass orchards, strawberry jam, and Da Lat wine made from local grapes are the other gifts people carry home. Cao atiso, the cooked-down artichoke extract, is a separate jar from the tea.
The night market
From about 18:00 to 23:00 the centre fills with stalls. Most of it is food, grilled rice paper, hot soy milk, and skewers, so treat it as the evening walk rather than a shopping trip, and arrive well before the stalls pack up.