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TRAVEL
where visitors can see rare blue orchids
and flowers from around the world.
The town’s central market, overflowing
with fresh-cut flowers and an incredible
variety of fruits and vegetables has also
kept its charm.
When I arrive at my resort, Ana
Mandara Villas Dalat, I am happy to find
the ambiance of old Dalat here too. Its
French-style villas are set among the
trees and flowers of my memories. Each
of the restored colonial villas was origi-
nally constructed between the 1920s
and 30s by the French settlers of the
time. They retain the unique personal-
ity of their original owners and have
been lovingly restored to their former
glory – albeit with a touch of added
luxury - with all care taken to preserve
their original design and charm. My
villa, like all the others, is surrounded
by landscaped gardens and expansive
views the countryside.
For a spot of romance, I head to
the appropriately named Valley of Love.
This scenic, forested place got its name
after flooding from a local dam created
the picturesque Da Thien Lake. Couples
arrive here by the busload to find pri-
vacy among the forested slopes around
the shore.
Tuyen Lam Lake and Thien Vien
Truc Lam Monastery are my next stops.
The monastery is a delightfully peaceful
place of worship within walled gardens
by the cool lake. On the first and 15th
days of every lunar month a feast is
held, but this time my timing isn’t right.
Seeking adventure, I climb Langbi-
ang peak. Along the route, horses graze
among the trees. Once at the summit, I
look out at the vast panorama; the town
is shrouded in mist and I feel I am on the
roof of Dalat. The air is fresh, filled with
the sweet smells of wild flora. The city
looks like a water-colour painting, set
between forest and mountain. At the
foot of the hill, the Dankia River mean-
ders smooth as a silk ribbon, while on
the horizon, the sea comes in to view.
Later, I make my way back to my
restored French villa at Ana Mandara
to sink once again into my honeymoon
memories of what is still, to me, the
most romantic of Vietnamese towns.
Getting there
Lien Khuong, Dalat’s domestic air-
port terminal, is approximately 30 min-
utes drive from the city centre.
From Ho Chi Minh City, there are
three daily flights with Vietnam Air-
lines. Daily bus transfers with Phuong
Trang Travel or Mai Linh Express take
around 7 hours. The new road from
Nha Trang has cut the travel time
to 3-4 hours, including a 30-minute
breakfast/WC stop about one hour out
of Nha Trang. Book with Phuong Trang
or Mai Linh Express.
From Danang, 5 flights per week are
offered by Vietnam Airlines (80 min-
utes). There are also three bus services
daily (13 hours)
From Hanoi, there are 2 daily flights
with Vietnam Airlines and one with
VietJetAir. Daily buses are operated by
Sinh Café Open Tour (24 hours)
Where to stay
There are various accommodation
categories suitable for all budgets in
Dalat. There are many guesthouses,
mini hotels, and 1-3 star hotels priced
from VND250,000 – 500,000 per room
per night in the city center with city
views. Most luxury hotels and resorts
are located in more open spaces with
more romantic surroundings. Recom-
mended five star resorts include Ana
Mandara Villas Dalat resort and Spa
(70 luxurious villa rooms; restaurants;
and La Cochinchine Spa set in the ru-
ral highlands of Dalat); Dalat Edensee
Lake Resort & Spa (120 rooms with free
Wi-Fi and a private hot tub, golf simula-
tors, a cinema and cigar lounge); and
Dalat Cadasa Resort (54 room with free
Wi-Fi, located near old train station).
For more hotel recommendations, see
the listing pages.
A wedding on the inaugural VietJetAir flight from Hanoi to Dalat
A horse cart riding around Xuan
Huong lake