Gyms & spa

Pickleball courts under a roof, so rain doesn't cancel the game — which in Da Lat solves half the problem. Paddles are available to rent, so you don't need your own gear.

Indoor pickleball courts: several of them in a row under a metal roof, nets, ball baskets and a pink panther painted across the wall. They coach children and adults alike, with group sessions and open play running side by side. The courts are roofed, so rain does not cancel the game.

Hatha yoga taught in Russian in a small group — no more than ten people, so the teacher has time for everyone. Two people run it: Tatiana Lapinskiene, a psychologist and yoga teacher, and Linas Dabu, a trainer in sports programmes and yoga; both have practised for more than seven years. They describe the class as a way to slow down, feel the body and step out of the daily rush rather than as a workout.

A tennis court under a roof. That matters more here than it sounds: it rains in Da Lat for half the year, and an open court cancels half the sessions in those months while a covered one keeps to its schedule whatever the weather. Coaching runs both one to one and in groups, and the groups are put together by playing level.

A covered tennis court on the grounds of a hotel: you can play in the rain and late in the evening, when the plateau has already turned cold and damp. The court is a comfortable one, and coaching happens here both one to one and in groups put together by playing level.

A coach who teaches tennis in Russian: one to one, in pairs and in mini-groups of three or four. The groups are put together by playing level, so a beginner does not end up on court with people who have played for ten years. A session covers everything — the court, the coaching, a racket and bottled water — so you can come without your own kit and without a membership anywhere. He describes himself as having coached for twenty years, including at international level.

A gym on the fourth floor of the building on Van Hanh: two dumbbell racks, a Smith machine, cable machines, a leg press, a back extension bench, a treadmill and battle ropes. Full-height windows, mirrors and a rubber floor. A month of training with a coach, five times a week, costs 4.4 million ₫. The longer the pass, the cheaper the month works out.