Top News

In recent days there have been landslides that closed major routes to Da Lat, including Prenn Pass, Mimosa Pass and National Highway 20.

On Nov. 20 access to the city was only possible via two main routes, Sacom Pass (also called Prenn 2) and Ta Nung Pass, but they too had been hit by some dangerous landslides.

Many tour operators report huge cancellations in the last five days.

Dao Duc Thien, a day tour organizer in Da Lat, said since Nov. 16 people have canceled or rescheduled more than 90% of bookings in November and early December.

Vietourist Holdings in Ho Chi Minh City, which saw a cancelation by a party of 40 people, said: “We will only depart when weather conditions and traffic are safe.”

After learning that Mimosa Pass was blocked, Cam Anh from Nghe An asked her travel agent to hold her flight reservation and asked the hotel to retain her deposit.

The 11-km pass on National Highway 20 is the southern gateway to Da Lat along with Prenn and Sacom passes.

Some hosts have been accommodating.

Tan Quang Dung – Thanh Lien Buslines has gone a step further and is providing free accommodation for some 50 stranded tourists.

Kelly Nguyen, owner of Trung Nhan Da Lat Hotel, said despite this being the peak season and occupancy being near full, she is offering discounts for stranded travelers.

Nguyen Mau Ha, a local official, urged tourists to carefully consider traveling to Da Lat amid the continuing heavy rains.

The natural disasters that have hit in quick succession have posed major challenges for local tourism.

Kelly Nguyen noted that her hotel’s revenue has sharply declined since September.