Your stay — Ali Hostel
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The Property — Ali Hostel
Ali Hostel is a no-frills, social backpacker spot in Da Lat’s central backpacker strip. Think bright murals, a small common area with beanbags, and staff who organise group tours by day and beer pong by night. It suits solo travellers and young groups who want a cheap bed and instant social life, not peace and quiet. Standing in the lobby you hear a mix of English, Vietnamese and Korean over the whir of a fan.
Chronicles of Da Lat
Da Lat was founded in 1893 by French colonial doctor Alexandre Yersin, who chose the Langbiang Plateau for its cool climate. The French built a hill station of Art Deco villas, a railway line and a cathedral, earning it the nickname 'Le Petit Paris'. After 1975, central planners added Soviet-style blocks, but the city preserved its pine forests and artificial lakes. Today Da Lat is Vietnam’s honeymoon capital and a hub for coffee farming, flower production and domestic tourism, especially from Ho Chi Minh City.
Best Time to Visit
Full Da Lat guide →Best months
December to February: dry, sunny days around 20°C, cool evenings, clear views over Xuan Huong Lake and manageable crowds outside Tet.
Peak / festival surge
April (Reunification Day, 30 Apr) and late December/early January (Tet holidays). Domestic tourists flood in; hotel prices can double. Expect gridlock on the lake loop and 30-minute waits for egg coffee.
Budget shoulder season
March and October: still dry enough for hiking, lower room rates, far fewer people. The rainy season tail ends in October, but you get green landscapes and zero queue at the Crazy House.
Weather & packing
Da Lat has a subtropical highland climate: 15–25°C year-round, but sudden mountain mist can drop visibility to 20m in ten minutes. Pack a waterproof jacket and a warm hoodie even in July; you’ll need both in the same day.
Live City Briefing — Da Lat
- Da Lat’s cable car to Robin Hill is closed for maintenance until end of July 2026 — use Grab or a taxi to Truc Lam Pagoda instead.
- New direct sleeper bus from Da Nang launched in June 2026, cutting travel time to 8 hours; buses drop off at the central bus station, 15 minutes’ walk from Ali Hostel.
- City council banned loud music in public parks after 10pm from May 2026 — good for sleep, but the night market stays open until 11pm.
Your Perfect Room
✨ AI-generated · Jul 2026Before you check in to Ali Hostel, here's what to know about choosing the right room.
Best rooms to request
Request a room on the 2nd or 3rd floor facing away from the main street (likely towards the rear or side of the building). These floors are high enough to reduce street-level disturbance but low enough to avoid any rooftop equipment noise common in budget hotels. The building has no lift, so these floors are accessible by stairs without being exhausting.
Rooms to avoid
Avoid ground-floor rooms near the reception or common area — they suffer from foot traffic, check-in noise, and potentially the smell of cleaning products. Also skip any room directly above the street entrance on the first floor, as motorbike traffic outside can be loud even with windows closed.
Best views
If the hostel has a rear-facing room above ground level, you may get a view of Dalat's pine trees or a neighbouring guesthouse roof — not spectacular, but quieter. The front rooms overlook the street, which can be interesting but noisy. No guaranteed mountain or lake view from a 3-star hostel here.
Quietest floors
Floors 2 and 3 (of what appears to be a low-rise building, likely 3–4 storeys with no lift). These are the quietest for a 3-star hostel in Da Lat's city centre.
🔊 Noise notes
Da Lat's central streets (like Khu Hoa Binh area) are busy with motorbikes from 6am to 9pm, plus occasional late-night revellers. Weekend mornings bring market noise. The building's lack of a lift means no lift motor hum, but stairwell noise echoes. Check windows for single glazing — common in budget hotels — which lets in street sound.
Insider tips
1) Ask for a room on a higher floor (2nd or 3rd) at a side or rear orientation when booking. 2) Arrive before 2pm to request your preferred room in person — staff can often accommodate if you're polite. 3) Bring foam earplugs; Da Lat's guesthouse walls are thin, and neighbours can be chatty.
- Call the hotel directly 24–48 hours before arrival and ask for a specific room type
- Add a note in your booking comments field
- Ask at check-in — front desk staff can often accommodate if a room is available
Hotel Facilities — Ali Hostel
Free for all guests; average speed 15 Mbps download; no login required, connects automatically
No lift; all rooms are on floors 1-3 accessed by stairs only
No complimentary newspapers; TV in common area with local cable channels
Standard check-in from 14:00; early bag-drop allowed from 07:00; late check-out until 12:00 free, after 12:00 charged at 50% of nightly rate, after 18:00 full rate
Free on check-in day and check-out day; longer storage negotiable at front desk
No step-free access; entrance has two steps, no ramp; no rooms on ground floor; not wheelchair-accessible
On-site free parking for motorbikes (10 spaces); nearest public car park at Hoa Binh Square, 800 m away, 35,000 VND per night; no EV charging
Fees, Taxes & Deposits
City / tourist tax: None
Deposit & card hold: 100% of first night charged at booking; 500,000 VND cash or card hold at check-in for incidentals
Faith & Dietary Nearby
- Buddhist temple: Đình Mỹ Thành (554 m · ~7 min walk)
- Place of worship: Đình An Hòa (561 m · ~7 min walk)
- Place of worship: Đình Thiên Thành (581 m · ~7 min walk)
- Place of worship: Đình Đà Lạt (735 m · ~9 min walk)
Local Lifestyle & Recreation
Go — 2.2 km · ~27 min walk
Đồi Tỉnh Trưởng — 1.1 km · ~14 min walk
Ngộ quán — 442 m · ~6 min walk
Khu Vui Chơi — 1.9 km · ~23 min walk
5-Minute Radius Essentials
Nearest — 146 m · ~2 min walk
Pharmacity — 516 m · ~6 min walk
THtruemart — 399 m · ~5 min walk
Trạm xe buýt tuyến ngoại thành — 838 m · ~10 min walk
Money & Currency
Get a travel card →Vietnamese Dong, VND
Change money at gold shops or banks in the central market area for better rates; avoid airport and hotel exchange desks where rates are poor.
Cards accepted in mid-range hotels and restaurants, but cash is king for street food, markets, and taxis; contactless is rare.
Tipping not expected but appreciated – round up taxi fares, leave small change at restaurants, and tip hotel staff 20,000–50,000 VND for good service.
Eat, Shop & Travel on a Budget
Cheap car hire →Local iced black coffee (cà phê đen đá) or egg coffee at a street-side stall or cafe – about 15,000–25,000 VND.
Bowl of bún bò Huế (spicy beef noodle soup) or cơm tấm (broken rice with pork) at a local eatery – around 30,000–50,000 VND.
Grilled pork or chicken with rice and vegetables at a simple family-run restaurant – main dish around 40,000–60,000 VND.
Da Lat Night Market (Chợ Đêm) on Nguyễn Thị Minh Khai offers grilled skewers, bánh tráng nướng (rice paper pizza), and hot soya milk from 20,000 VND.
Co.op Food, VinMart+ (VinMart), and Bách Hóa Xanh are the main budget supermarkets in the central area.
Da Lat Market (Chợ Da Lat) sells casual clothes, knitwear, and local fabrics at negotiable prices – a scarf or jumper from 50,000 VND.
Rent a motorbike for 120,000–150,000 VND/day – cheapest way around town. From Lien Khuong Airport, take a xe buýt (public bus) number 1 to the centre for 20,000 VND, or a shared minibus for 50,000 VND.
Eat street food or at local markets rather than tourist restaurants. Haggle politely at markets. Use ride-hailing apps like Grab or Gojek for fixed-price taxis instead of flagging down metered cabs.
Emergency Contacts
Da LatInternational tourists can call the Da Lat Tourist Information Centre at +84 263 3822 590 for assistance. For consular help, contact your embassy in Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City. Save these numbers before you travel.
💡 Save these numbers in your phone. In life-threatening emergencies, call immediately.
Where to Eat
💡 Booking tip: For popular restaurants in Da Lat, book at least a week ahead — especially for weekend evenings and during festival season.
Your arrival at Ali Hostel
🕒 Check-in is from . Arriving earlier? Most hotels store luggage free — just ask at reception.
🧭 First things nearby: cash · Nearest — 146 m · ~2 min walk — pharmacy · Pharmacity — 516 m · ~6 min walk
🚐 Pre-book an airport transfer →Getting Around
Anywhere in Da Lat (including airport or city) → Binh Yen Hotel or any local point
💡 Download the Grab app in advance and link a card — data signal can be spotty in the hills. From the city centre to Binh Yen, expect about 25–30,000 VND. For airport trips, Grab is often 30% cheaper than street taxis, but wait times can be 10–15 minutes if the driver is coming from the city.
Da Lat Airport (DLI) → Binh Yen Hotel, Da Lat city centre
💡 Use Mai Linh taxi (green) or Vinasun (white) from the official rank. Avoid drivers who quote a flat rate without the meter — typical metered fare runs 160,000–200,000 VND depending on traffic. Airport pick-up area is small, so walk to the rank if you can.
Da Lat Airport (DLI) → Da Lat city centre (Nguyen Van Troi roundabout)
💡 The bus drops you at the roundabout near the market, which is a 10–15 minute walk to Binh Yen Hotel uphill. If your flight lands after 5 pm, take a taxi — the bus stops running. Cash only, exact change if possible.
Da Lat bus station (Ben xe Da Lat) → Any central stop near Binh Yen Hotel
💡 Routes 1 and 3 pass near Binh Yen — ask the driver to let you off at 'Cau 2' (Bridge 2) stop. Buses are cramped and often packed with students, so avoid peak hours (7–8 am, 4:30–5:30 pm). Have small notes ready.
About Da Lat
Wikipedia ↗
Da Lat, or Dalat (Vietnamese: Đà Lạt; Vietnamese pronunciation: [ɗâː làːt̚] ), is a former city in Vietnam and the former capital of Lâm Đồng Province. It is the largest city of the Central Highlands region in Vietnam but ceased to exist as a municipal city on 1 July 2025, following the elimination ...
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best rooms at Ali Hostel?
Request a room on the 2nd or 3rd floor facing away from the main street (likely towards the rear or side of the building). These floors are high enough to reduce street-level disturbance but low enough to avoid any rooftop equipment noise common in budget hotels. The building has no lift, so these floors are accessible by stairs without being exhausting.
Which rooms should I avoid at Ali Hostel?
Avoid ground-floor rooms near the reception or common area — they suffer from foot traffic, check-in noise, and potentially the smell of cleaning products. Also skip any room directly above the street entrance on the first floor, as motorbike traffic outside can be loud even with windows closed.
Is Ali Hostel noisy?
Da Lat's central streets (like Khu Hoa Binh area) are busy with motorbikes from 6am to 9pm, plus occasional late-night revellers. Weekend mornings bring market noise. The building's lack of a lift means no lift motor hum, but stairwell noise echoes. Check windows for single glazing — common in budget hotels — which lets in street sound.
Which rooms have the best views at Ali Hostel?
If the hostel has a rear-facing room above ground level, you may get a view of Dalat's pine trees or a neighbouring guesthouse roof — not spectacular, but quieter. The front rooms overlook the street, which can be interesting but noisy. No guaranteed mountain or lake view from a 3-star hostel here.
What are insider tips for staying at Ali Hostel?
1) Ask for a room on a higher floor (2nd or 3rd) at a side or rear orientation when booking. 2) Arrive before 2pm to request your preferred room in person — staff can often accommodate if you're polite. 3) Bring foam earplugs; Da Lat's guesthouse walls are thin, and neighbours can be chatty.
What time is check-in at Ali Hostel?
Check-in at Ali Hostel is from null. Check-out is by null.
Does Ali Hostel have Wi-Fi?
Free for all guests; average speed 15 Mbps download; no login required, connects automatically
Is there a city or tourist tax at Ali Hostel?
None
Where can I eat cheaply near Ali Hostel?
Bowl of bún bò Huế (spicy beef noodle soup) or cơm tấm (broken rice with pork) at a local eatery – around 30,000–50,000 VND.
What is the cheapest way to get around from Ali Hostel?
Rent a motorbike for 120,000–150,000 VND/day – cheapest way around town. From Lien Khuong Airport, take a xe buýt (public bus) number 1 to the centre for 20,000 VND, or a shared minibus for 50,000 VND.
When is the best time to visit Da Lat?
December to February: dry, sunny days around 20°C, cool evenings, clear views over Xuan Huong Lake and manageable crowds outside Tet.
Top Attractions in Da Lat
💡 Head to the back alleys for cheaper banh trang nuong (Vietnamese pizza) – look for the ladies working over small charcoal grills, not the touristy stalls. Bring cash, small denominations.
💡 Come at sunset for the best light on the buildings and fewer crowds. The food court inside has clean toilets and free wifi – useful for a pit stop.
💡 Visit during mass on Sunday morning (around 7am) to hear the organ and choir – it’s open and welcoming. The small garden behind has good views of the city rooftops. Closed 11am–2pm.
💡 Go early morning before 7am to see mist rising off the water. Rent a swan pedal boat for 50,000 VND (around £1.60) if you want to get out on the lake.
💡 The museum is free but unstaffed – ask at the guard gatehouse for the key. The campus canteen serves a decent bowl of pho for 20,000 VND (65p). Weekdays only.