Most of the province of Lamdong is located in a mountainous area, so it is interesting and exciting to travel here. Especially if you visit the Buddhist temple of Chuk Lam, which is located near its capital – Dalat.
How to get to the temple
Although the provincial capital of Lamdong is still quite young – it was founded only at the end of the nineteenth century, it already now boasts a considerable list of attractions. Among them – located in the heart of the city Xuan Huong lakes, Tyamov towers and the most famous cable car in Dalat. She leads to the monastery of Chuk Lam. Many locals advise her to pay special attention.
Coordinates: 11.903716, 108.434460
So, suppose you arrived in Dalat and decided to visit a Buddhist temple. First of all, it should be noted that there are as many as four options how to get to it. And all are radically different, giving a unique experience.
On foot
The first will bring you as close as possible to nature – this is a walking tour to the temple. Of course, it is better suited to people with trekking experience. After all, the length of the route, if you take the starting point of the city center, will be about 6 km. And do not forget that this is a rise in the mountain, albeit smooth.
By taxi or bike
If long walks are not for you, they can be replaced by a trip. Easier and faster will be call a taxi, which will cost about $ 4. But to admire the local beauty will be much nicer if you use the alternative – rent a scooter for the whole day, which will cost only $ 2 more than a taxi. At the same time, you will get more positive emotions, because you can stay in a particularly beautiful place and choose a comfortable trip speed. Yes, and from the road you can turn anywhere, without thinking about the cost of the trip.
Cable car
However, the most interesting way to get to the monastery is to climb the cable car. Of course, you will get a lot of impressions, but you will admire the scenery from a greater distance than traveling in one of the three ways described above. Naturally, the starting point of the route in this case will be the lower station of the funicular. It is located near the bus station, which is very convenient. A walk from the Xuan Huong Lake to the cable car will take almost an hour. Or you can take a taxi, it is worth this small luxury of 2-3 dollars.
It is better to plan a trip by cable car in advance, because it works from half past seven in the morning to five in the evening. But do not fall for lunch, it starts at 11.30 and lasts two hours. It is better to come early to have time to admire the views of the city spread out at your feet. For this there is a special observation deck.
The trip by cable car lasts a short time – about ten minutes, so it is better to prepare a camera in advance. It will take pictures, because all the details of the landscape stretching around are worthy of attention – both neat fields and green pine forests. The higher you rise, the fresher the air becomes, and the needles are more and more felt in it. And at the top station are already waiting for souvenirs and a small cafe.
The territory of the monastery
The monastery itself is not fully open to the public. Monks live on a part of its territory, it is closed to tourists. Even on the stairs leading to the gates of the monastery, you begin to feel a special calm. It is caused by the height, beautiful and light coniferous forest and flower beds on the sides.
And at the entrance this feeling is only intensified due to the silence and pacification reigning around the atmosphere. You see around the many details designed to decorate this place, such as gazebos and statues. They are elegant and pleasing to the eye, but at the same time emit restraint, which is a part of their creators. And everything around is permeated with this restraint, it seems as if the monks living here “soaked” everything around with it. But she only emphasizes the local special beauty.
Of course, ordinary tourists would stand out too much in this corner of peace. Therefore, for them on the territory of the monastery special rules apply. Clothing should be more or less restrained, T-shirts and shorts are not the place. And you can enter the temple only with bare head and no shoes. Following these simple rules, you can walk around the monastery, relax in the gazebos, and even look at the houses where the monks live from a distance. They are separated from the open to the territory of a hedge.
Do not forget about time, admiring the local beauty, because the cable car is only up to five hours. And if the park sprawled on the territory of the monastery is annoying, you can go down to the nearby lake. It is called Tuyen Lam, with a beautiful view of the mountain. You can admire them by renting a boat or catamaran.