Last updated January 2025 | Words and photos by Vietnam Coracle
Tom Divers is the founder and creator of Vietnam Coracle. He’s lived, travelled and worked in Vietnam since 2005. Born in London, he travelled from an early age, visiting over 40 countries (he first visited Vietnam in 1999). Now, whenever he has the opportunity to make a trip, he rarely looks beyond Vietnam’s borders and his trusty motorbike, Stavros. Read more about Tom on the About Page, Vietnam Times and ASE Podcast.
Dalat, the former French colonial hill station on the Lang Biang Plateau 1,500m above sea level in the Central Highlands, is often painted as a romantic city of mists, pine trees, century-old villas and cool temperatures with a tangible sense of the past. In reality, the only place that truly lives up to this romanticized image of Dalat today is Ana Mandara Villas Resort & Spa. Spread across a pine-studded hillside just west of Dalat city centre, Ana Mandara consists of 17 beautifully restored French colonial villas dating from the 1920s and 1930s which have been lovingly and tastefully converted into an 87-room luxury boutique resort. Ana Mandara is by far the best high-end accommodation in Dalat, as well as one of the most atmospheric properties anywhere in Vietnam. I have been visiting Ana Mandara for more than a decade. This is where the fantasy Dalat really does exist. While other colonial-themed properties tend to be stuffy, pretentious, forced, kitsch or over-the-top, Ana Mandara has got it just right: it’s classy, elegant, tasteful, well-judged and quite simply a beautiful place to spend time. The Indochina aesthetic may be problematic for some international visitors, but if you’re willing to let go of any scruples you might have about celebrating the colonial past, it doesn’t get any better than Ana Mandara Dalat. [BOOK HERE]
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REVIEW: ANA MANDARA VILLAS
Address: 2 Lê Lai street, Đà Lạt, Lâm Đồng province, Vietnam [MAP]
Average Rates: $85-$110/night
CONTENTS:
MAP:
Ana Mandara Villas Dalat
The Location: The property is situated on a small hill just west of Dalat city centre. Although central Dalat is just a 5-minute taxi ride away, Ana Mandara feels pleasantly removed from the concrete jumble, traffic and tourist paraphernalia that blights so much of central Dalat these days. Ana Mandara is calm and peaceful, but not so far from the city that it’s isolated. From the resort, one can see the forested slopes of Mt. Lang Biang (2,167m), the highest mountain in the region, as well as some smallhold farms and the densely packed, higgledy-piggledy rooftops of suburban Dalat. Local food, cafes, and markets are within easy walking distance of the resort. For example, a quick stroll due southwest through narrow alleyways leads to Hoàng Diệu street, where there is a local market and lots of good food and drink to sample. Indeed, this is a much more appealing part of Dalat to explore on foot than the over-touristed centre. However, if you do want to visit the popular sights, they are just a matter of 5-10 minutes away from the resort by taxi.
Resort Grounds & Layout: The villas are spread among large (7 hectares) grassy grounds beneath pine trees on a hillside. Cobbled lanes and pathways lead around the property, linking the villas to one another from the reception gate. The pool, restaurant and spa are all located near the centre of the property, so each villa is within a 5-minute walk of them. The grounds are big enough and pleasant enough that strolling around – especially after breakfast or at dusk – is a rewarding activity in itself. However, some of the pathways are quite steep (which can leave you breathless when you factor in the altitude), so many guests prefer to be shuttled around the resort by electric buggies. Guests who arrive in their own car are allowed to drive their vehicle straight up to their villa; but guests on motorbikes must leave their wheels at the carpark by reception, which seems a bit of a double standard. Each villa is numbered and customers get a useful map of the resort layout at reception.
Pools & Activities: Ana Mandara has a heated pool (necessary in the cooler climes of the Central Highlands) with loungers and a pool bar, either side of which is a reasonably equipped gym. The pool is one of the prettiest in the region, but it is just a bit too short for swimming laps; great for kids, though. The La Cochinchine Spa occupies an entire villa and is reportedly one of the finest spas in southern Vietnam, offering Asian, European and Hindu massages. There are also early morning yoga sessions around the pool. A small, rather incongruous putting green spoils the garden in between Villa 13 and Villa 11. A kids playground, featuring a treehouse and a seesaw, occupies the garden behind Villa 13. There’s even an art gallery, Le Lycée, between villas 10 and 12. An interesting vegetable and herb garden (Le Petit Jardin) is next to the spa, which can be combined with a pleasant stroll around the resort grounds admiring all the different villas. In addition, the resort has bicycles for guests, and various excursions in and around Dalat can be arranged, including nearby attractions and some hikes.
Guest Rooms & Décor: The 17 restored French colonial villas at Ana Mandara mostly date from the 1920s and 1930s. The architecture and décor are predominantly Art Deco with classical flourishes here and there, and great care has been taken to ensure that the villas retain the character of their original design, both inside and out. Most villas are painted ochre with tiled roofs and wooden shutters enclosing sash windows. Each villa is divided into several private rooms (5-7 rooms per villa), including a spacious, elegantly furnished communal area with sofas, chairs, dining table and fireplace. Inside, the majority of rooms feature polished wooden floors, period furniture, ceiling fans, soft lamp lighting operated by vintage switches, four-poster beds with mosquito nets, freestanding clawfoot bathtubs, framed photos of French Indochina, balconies and windows with views of the surrounding grounds and countryside. Nightly turndown service includes chocolates on your pillow and there are open fireplaces in most rooms that can be lit by staff. Although this is very appealing in the cool highland nights, in reality the chimneys aren’t well maintained, leading to a smoke-filled room. There are several different room types (Le Petit, Villa Room, Villa Studio, Villa Suite) in each villa, varying in size from 22m2-70m2. Rates usually range from $80-$140 depending on room type and season.
Breakfast, Dining & Drinking: Housed in another beautiful French colonial villa, Le Petit Restaurant is the resort’s primary dining venue. A buffet breakfast (included in the room rate) is served every morning, featuring a wide range of hot and cold Western and Asian dishes, including good, freshly made coffee, such as espresso and cappuccino, on request. Having breakfast sitting on the veranda in the crisp morning light looking over Dalat is a real treat. Inside, the restaurant is a fabulous space, with floor-to-ceiling windows, tiled floors, a large open fireplace, hanging lamp lighting and candle-lit tables. Evening meals here can be very romantic with the roaring fire and good company. However, being such a large space, the restaurant can feel a bit empty and echoey on most nights. The à la carte menu includes French inspired dishes as well as some Vietnamese specialties. Complimentary afternoon tea is served in the restaurant daily from 3-4pm and there’s a buy-one, get-one-free happy hour at the bar between 3-6pm. Upstairs, the wine cellar is an intimate space with a large selection of wines. The pool bar serves drinks and snacks – it can be a good place for a late afternoon cocktail.
Summary: Ana Mandara Villas maintains a coherent style and attention to detail throughout the resort, which is often lacking in Vietnam’s other colonial hotels. Tasteful and elegant, I still get excited each time I visit. I’d recommend anyone who likes the idea of the ‘Indochina aesthetic’ to consider staying several nights at Ana Mandara. For anyone who can afford the rates (which are actually fairly reasonable for this level of accommodation), this is by far the best value luxury resort in and around Dalat. For a romantic getaway, Ana Mandara is ideal. And for families, the resort has everything you need. Ana Mandara Villas is not only the best accommodation in Dalat, it is high up on my list of favourite properties in Vietnam. It would be nice if the chimneys were cleaned and maintained so that guests could enjoy a fire in their rooms, and although the pop music in communal areas, such as the restaurant, has certainly been toned down over the years, it would still be preferable only to hear the sound of the wind in the pines. Finally, as Joshua Zukas suggests, it would also be nice if there were more information available to guests about the history of the villas on the property.
*To check rates & make a booking for Ana Mandara Villas Dalat please BOOK HERE
*Disclosure: I never receive payment for anything I write: my content is always free & independent. I’ve written this review because I want to: I like this resort & I want my readers to know about it. For more details, see my Disclosure & Disclaimer statements & my About Page
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I’ve wanted to visit Dalat for so long, it’s becoming absurd…I’d really love to go there in August, when my university is closed and I can escape the oppressive heat and polluted air of Hanoi for a few days. You’ve written a mouth- and soul-watering description of the Ana Mandara resort which is very tempting…but is it affordable and still agreeable for a singleton?
I’ve stayed with Ana Mandara before, in Hue, and you are right to praise their understanding of style and decor and their more restrained and classical approach. As you’ve described it, everything about the place is exactly my kind of retreat!
Thank you.
Hi Dominic,
Yes, Ana Mandara Dalat is suitable for a solo traveller – I’ve stayed on several occasion by myself. Rates usually hover around $80-$120.
I’ve also stayed at the other Mandara locations around Vietnam, but Ana Mandara Dalat really is much more atmospheric than any of the others. It’s a special accommodation.
Best,
Tom
Thank you, Tom
Hi Tom can you check your map you have inserted showing the location.
It doesn’t seem to agree with Google Maps for Ana Mandara on Le Lai.
Hi Rob,
I just checked: my marker and Google Maps’ own marker are practically at the same location. The entrance to Ana Mandara is right at the corner of Le Lai and Tran Binh Trong streets – where the marker is.
I hope this helps,
Tom