Scenery, Serenity, and Sipping – Visiting a Dalat Coffee Plantation

Although we were excited to visit a Dalat coffee plantation, the experience was even better than expected. We traveled around Vietnam for a couple months before coming to Dalat. We were always big coffee lovers, but we became total addicts in Vietnam. So we jumped at the chance to see the source of our daily jolts of happiness at a Dalat coffee plantation.

If you don’t know, Dalat is a mountain town in the central highlands of Vietnam. It’s in one of the prettiest areas of Vietnam with some of the best weather. Dalat city is nice, but the countryside is the main attraction with picturesque waterfalls, lakes, and wooded, rolling hills.

There are many great cafes in Dalat city that serve up some fantastic brews, but the best coffee experience by far is in the countryside, at a Dalat coffee plantation. The plantation is lovely and there’s an open-air terrace café with panoramic views. It’s scenic, serene, and perfect for sipping on the freshest coffee possible.

Cool Fact

Did you know that Vietnam is the 2^nd largest coffee producer in the world? This really surprised us. Much of this coffee ends up in various blends. So if you’re a coffee drinker, odds are you’ve had some Vietnamese coffee, even without knowing it. And when you see the beautiful land where it grows, it’s little wonder that this coffee is so delicious.

Roaming the Dalat Coffee Plantation

Enjoying the Pretty Coffee Plants

We began by walking around the plantation and checking out the coffee plants. The coffee plantation itself was surprisingly pretty and fun to walk through. We’re embarrassed to admit how little we knew about coffee as a plant, even though we had millions of cups of coffee in our lives. We were pleasantly surprised by how vibrant and colorful the plants and berries were.

Coffee Berries

It really changed how we think about coffee. Before this, we associated coffee with the color brown, because that’s how we experienced it, as grounds or brew. After our visit, we associate coffee with a host of lively colors and connect it with the natural beauty that creates it. That was a cool side benefit of this visit.

Me Linh Coffee Garden

Me Linh Coffee Garden Staff and Terrace

After strolling through the fields, we made our way to the Me Linh Coffee Garden, which was right on the plantation. This was such an idyllic spot. The café has a big terrace with mesmerizing views of the countryside.

The coffee was super fresh, delicious, and came in so many varieties. And the scenery was beautiful, peaceful, and relaxing.

Scenic View from the Café

Great Coffee with Great Views

More Beautiful Scenery

We really got sucked into this simple moment and stayed much longer than planned. We had several cups while gazing at the hypnotic scenery.

Luckily we were on a private tour with our own driver, so we could change the itinerary on the fly. (By the way, we really recommend hiring a car and driver when touring the Dalat countryside.)

Prices

The prices here were also very reasonable for the quality of the coffee and the experience. Cups ranged from 20,000VND-60,000VND ($1-$3). Slightly more expensive than other places, but worth every penny.

We even learned what “fresh” really means in terms of coffee. The freshness of coffee has to do with the time between roasting and drinking. The shorter the time, the fresher the coffee.

Since they roast and grind the coffee beans on site, the coffee couldn’t be any fresher. It was so tasty, smooth, and indulgent.

Coffee Brewed by the Cup in a Phin filter

If you’re new to Vietnamese coffee, hot coffee is most often served with a mug-top filter. The Vietnamese call this a Phin. The grounds are placed inside the filter. The appropriate amount of boiling water is added. And the water seeps through, brewing the coffee.

The most famous version of Vietnamese coffee is served with ice and sweetened condensed milk. It’s called “Ca Phe Sua Da.” It’s our go-to coffee order in Vietnam, but at the Dalat coffee plantation, we also tried some hot, black coffee with delight.

How to Get to this Dalat Coffee Plantation

As mentioned above, we recommend a private tour when seeing Dalat’s countryside. There are many other great sites that are convenient to the Dalat coffee plantation and make for a nice day tour of the countryside.

Our choice was a car and driver through a company called Dalat Trip, but another great option is with Easy Riders if you fancy riding on the back of a motorcycle all day.

How Much?

Like all prices in Vietnam, the price for these will depend on your bargaining skills, but you should be able to get a day tour for about $25-$35 pax/day. Your private driver should know how to arrange a schedule that avoids the crowds from the tour buses.

If you’re ok with tour buses, there are many options that include a visit to this Dalat coffee plantation. They are fairly inexpensive at $15 pax/day. The downside is the rigid itinerary that includes tourist traps and underwhelming stops.

You can also get here on your own via a rented motorbike. The address for Me Linh Coffee Garden is on google maps and other GPS apps, so it’s not tough to find solo.

So if you’re a coffee drinker and in the Dalat area, don’t miss out on this Dalat coffee plantation. It’s a great opportunity to broaden your coffee horizon and drink some delicious brews in a gorgeous setting.

Have you been to a coffee plantation? Where and what did you think?

Follow our Blog at BlogLovin’