Photographers go to some trouble, hauling their equipment to mountaintops before daybreak to get the best shots. The Central Highlands town of Da Lat in Lam Dong Province boasts a year-round cool climate rarely found in a tropical country like Vietnam. It was once a summer hideout for French officials during the colonial time who built villas in the hills to escape the heat and humidity of the lowlands.

Photography enthusiasts get up well before daybreak and make their way up the Du Sinh Hill, around six kilometers from downtown Da Lat.

Tuy Son Hill receives first sun rays. Tuy Son is still a lesser-known tourist destination in Da Lat, gaining word of mouth popularity among photographers in particular.

The French-built College of Pedagogy on Yersin Street in downtown Da Lat. The panoramic view from the fourth floor of the building sweeps across tranquil lakes and green pine forests.

Tran Quang Anh, a Ho Chi Minh City-based professional photographer, said 5.30 a.m. to 6.30 a.m. was the best time to hunt for photos.

All of Da Lat’s nicknames - Little Paris, the city of eternal spring, the city of flowers and the city of love – do not match the beauty of the town smothered in clouds at dawn.

Around 20 kilometers to the southeast of downtown Da Lat, the Cau Dat tea plantation, where the Vietnamese tea industry originated, has become a highly Instagrammable destination.

Dasar Valley, located in the hills on the outskirts of Lac Duong District, 20 kilometers north of Da Lat, is another cloud hunting spot.

The misty enchantment of K’Long K’Lanh Pass, which connects the Central Highlands town with the beach town of Nha Trang in central Vietnam. To catch such scenes, depart from Da Lat at 4:30 a.m.

Around six kilometers to the south of downtown Da Lat, the Tuyen Lam Lake is among the best places to capture stunning misty mornings. Many photos of this landscape have been featured in the U.S.-based Natgeo magazine.