| Dalat (Đà Lạt) | |
 | |
| Information | |
| Country |  Vietnam |
|---|---|
| Region | Central mountains |
| Area | 393,54 km² |
| Population | 188 467 hab. |
| Spindle | UTC 07:00 |
| Location | |
 11 ° 56 ′ 30 ″ N 108 ° 26 ′ 18 ″ E | |
| https://meobalo.com/ Official site | |
Dalat (Đà Lạt) is a city of Vietnam located in the highlands of central Vietnam, capital of Lâm Đồng province.
Understand
Former summer resort of the French of Saigon, it is one of the most pleasant towns in the country, benefiting from a micro-climate (it is 1 500 m altitude) at equal temperatures (large fruit and vegetable production center). The region is also covered with coffee, cocoa and pepper plantations, and vineyards producing good Vang Dalat (red or white), all plantations developed by the French during colonization. The setting of hills covered with pine forests is superb.
To go
- Futa Bus company – It is the main company serving the city. Since Ho Chi Minh City, a bus ticket with reclining seats costs 250 000 VND. The trip lasts approximately 8 h.
- 1 Dalat Bus Station (Bến xe Đà Lạt) – Bus station from where most coaches depart and arrive.
The city also has an airport located in the valley below (35 km), connected to Hanoi and Saigon.
Circulate
Built on hills so it only goes up and down from the large lake that occupies the center of it
To see
Countless places to visit. Note that Dalat is a real open-air museum of Art Deco structures, unique in the world!
- 1 Gondolas – Cable cars to reach Trúc Lâm pagoda located on the shores of Lake Tuyền Lâm.
- 2 Village lát – One of the villages occupied by the Lat ethnic minority, without much interest now that it is surrounded by modern constructions.
- Bao Dai's villa, real Art Deco, without any tinsel for an emperor's "palace";
- The Crazy House, a surreal architectural delirium not so crazy as that; finally an architect who understood that concrete cubes were not the universal panacea in architecture! There are 5 incredible rooms in there, I would have moved there but Ms. Dang Viet Nga was not there (too bad, I'm sure I would have had fascinating conversations with her, especially since her father Truong Chinh was Ho Chi Minh's right-hand man and a former president of Vietnam);
- Linh Phuoc Pagoda, a baroque delirium this time. Be curious and go behind to visit the Cao Dai temple of Da lat, perched on a hill with a beautiful view of the region; it is the largest temple after that of Tay Ninh in the south; interior also kitsch in both;
- The beautiful colonial villas from Tran Hung Dao Street: it seems that the Dalat Casada Resort company turned them into a large hotel, but I did not see any "villa-reception";
- The 5 star Dalat Palace Hotel (ex-Sofitel), which dates from 1932 with its little 4-star brother the Of the park (ex-Novotel) and the very colonial Café de la Poste restaurant (overpriced!), all of this Art Deco too;
- The train station, funny, a copy of the Deauville station.
Then, 2 days by motorbike to see very beautiful places:
- The summit of Mount Lang Biang (2 100 m), from where one has a spectacular view of the whole region, covered as far as the eye can see with greenhouses of flowers and vegetables and the very nice historic XQ village, with its embroidery workshops .;
- Dalanta waterfall, To 5 km on the road to Saigon; beautiful waterfalls after which the torrent rushes into a canyon that you can "fly over" by cable car. For those who don't like walking, the falls can be reached by taking an impressive roller coaster.
- The Prenn waterfall, a Disneyworld delirium to avoid
- The beautiful elephant waterfall –thac voï - To 27 km west of Da Lat (take Hoang Van Thu street, pass the Cam Ly waterfall (zero!) and follow the signs "Ta Nung"; you descend a long pass and arrive in another region of coffee trees at a loss view - on the other hand, big disappointment, it seems that this is where the great vineyards of Dalat are, but I did not find them and, anyway, it seems that we do not visit; that's good the first wine region that I know of where there are no "cellar tours"! Cross Ta Nung and direction Nam Ban; the falls are on the right at the exit of the village; be careful, you can get there by going down a ravine of gigantic basalt rocks, it's a real breakout…, essential walking shoes and you can forget if it rained!)
- Lake Ankrouët, very nice walk from 20 km north on Route 722; pass the dam on the right and continue for about ten km to arrive at a large lake in a very nice setting (in fact, to go from BMT to Da Lat, take this road instead, it is really beautiful; if vs start from BMT, you take the 27 to Krong Nô and turn left on this 722).
Do
Refer to "See"
To buy
Eat
Some good restaurants, in particular I ate aule Nhat Ly (88 Phan Dinh Phung), a real bistro with delicious and very hearty cuisine for minimal prices (arrive after 20 h, very difficult to have a front table) and the Trong Dông (220 Phan Dinh Phung), elegant dining room and truly refined Viet cuisine (try eel dishes, divine!).
Have a drink / Go out
Dalat is not a city of nightlife.
Housing
Many hotels, including the 5-star Dalat Palace Hotel, the 4-star Du Prarc and, less expensive, the excellent Dreams Hotel of the very distinguished French-speaking Mme Dung, often complete, and that of her brother, the Thien An, as well and quieter, the 2 establishments famous for their huge breakfast buffet, a meal all by itself! Free ATVs and motorcycles 4 $ manual, 5 $ Automatique.
To report the owl Mai An guest house from the very French-speaking Mme Nhôn. 6 very quiet rooms in a small building on the side of his house (the little white at the bottom of the photo on the right), and a terrace with a beautiful view of the valley below and the surrounding mountains; it really feels like Provence! 24 $ the bedroom (2 double beds) whether you are alone or 4. Breakfast 1 $50. Motorcycle rental 10 $ per day. Mai An Villa 7 Nghia Bac Son 063 382 1291 (no email).
Backpackers will find their happiness in the 2 Peace Guest House 64 and 67 Truong Cong Dinh (take the 2nd, the 1st being older).
Communicate
Wi Fi and Internet cafes everywhere.
Around
Refer to the end of "See", with the sites visited by motorcycle.
