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The 'Little Paris' of Vietnam

The 'Little Paris' of Vietnam

Up in the Southern Central Highlands, you’ll find a surprisingly different side of Vietnam. In fact, it might feel like you’re in a different country. I’m talking about Da Lat or Dalat City, the capital of Lam Dong Province in Vietnam, belongs to Lang Biang highland Dalat City is known as Honeymoon Capital, The City of Eternal Spring, or City in the Fog. Locals also call it “Little Paris.”

Dalat | Wavejourney.com
Dalat | Wavejourney.com

 

The temperate side of Vietnam

Vietnam is mostly a tropical country, but Dalat City and other parts of the Lang Biang Highlands have more of a temperate climate. I think that’s probably why it’s a big attraction for domestic travelers.

Dalat | dalatopentours.com
Dalat | dalatopentours.com

It has a temperate climate all-year-round with temperatures between 15 to 24 degrees Celsius. The climate allows for pine trees to thrive, as well as strawberries, and many varieties of flowers. It’s a change of scenery from the rest of Vietnam.

A little history

The French settled in Dalat City long before that’s what it was called. That is why a lot of the architecture in the city has a European feel to it, and that’s also what attracts a lot of tourists. The Vietnamese also couldn’t help but add their touch to the remaining city.

dalat | travelsense.asia
dalat | travelsense.asia

 

They took what’s left and turned it into a romantic town, which is why it’s called Honeymoon city. They have a radio tower that has the shape of the Eiffel Tower – they offer horse-drawn carriages and their very own Valley of Love.

What to do in Dalat?

For the nature lovers Dalat is a perfect place to visit. The mild temperatures make it an ideal place for a variety of plants to thrive. Thus it’s full of natural beauty. That in itself gives you a lot to see already. You can find beautiful species of orchids, roses, and other flowering plants. The land also produces a variety of fruits and vegetables. Dalat is called Vietnam’s “vegetable garden” too.

Dalat | vietnamnet.vn
Dalat | vietnamnet.vn

 

It’s not called “Honeymoon City” for nothing! Visitors, especially domestic travelers, love it for the Parisian vibe it gives. You will also love the flower gardens that can brighten up any picture. They’re perfect for long romantic walks.

image by Dalatfoodtours.com
image by Dalatfoodtours.com

 

Aside from nature basking in the natural beauty of Dalat, there are also lots of activities fit for adrenaline junkies. It’s so close to Lang Biang Mountain, which offers activities like mountain climbing, camping, paragliding, and more. You can also chase some waterfalls. Dalat has a bunch of them, and you can even go canyoneering and rappelling in some of them. If you’re up for it, tour the city and nearby attractions on a motorbike!

Art and architecture enthusiasts will surely enjoy this city. The old French buildings together with a touch of Vietnamese art, make it such a picturesque place.

Dalat City Thien Vien Truc Lam Pagoda | Wavejourney.com
Dalat City Thien Vien Truc Lam Pagoda | Wavejourney.com

 

You should also see Thien Vien Truc Lam Pagoda and Cremaillere Railway Station. At the railway station, you can even ride one of the five trains that go to Trai Mat.

Dalat City Railway Station to Trai Mat
Dalat City Railway Station to Trai Mat

 

The Hang Nga Crazy House is also another thing on the top of your architecture/art list. It’s a building that looks like it came out of Alice in Wonderland.

Food trippers

The food scene in Dalat offers a wide variety of local and international cuisine, and most restaurants offer beautiful scenery. Coffee in Dalat is also amazing! However, I just want to point out the local food that you shouldn’t miss. There’s a lot more than this, but these are the ones that are most unique to Dalat.

Dalat City Vietnamese Pizza
Dalat City Vietnamese Pizza

 

Vietnamese Pizza
Nope, it’s not exactly pizza, but it has the shape of one. This is grilled rice paper with egg, some green onion and tiny dried shrimp. You can easily find this at the Dalat night market.

Dalat City Rice Pancake
Dalat City Rice Pancake

 

Rice Pancake
Rice Pancake may not be an original of Dalat, but it’s very popular among the locals. It’s made of rice with some spring onion filling, and they’re cooked in earthen pots. People usually pair this dish with meatballs and fish sauce.

Dalat City Thick Noodle Soup
Dalat City Thick Noodle Soup

 

Thick Noodle Soup
This dish is popular in most of Vietnam, but the climate in Dalat makes it so much better. A cold day and a nice warm soup? Yes, please! Locally, the dish is called Banh Canh and has ingredients like rice vermicelli, pork based broth, quail egg, some pork and green onion. The flavors are just so rich! Like I said, Dalat has a lot more food to offer, but I will leave the rest of the exploring to you.

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source : WaveJourney.com

Written by Katherine Tuggle , the blogger behind Minimalistmeal.com. She is curious, passionate, and a little dippy perfectionist (these are some adjectives that she personally uses to define her passion). Katherine decided to get into a culinary blog to meet others, share ideas and plans for making food and traveling. All of her dishes are cooked with 100% passion and love for food. She not only cooks famous recipes, but also creates her own.

 

Akhyari Hananto

I began my career in the banking industry in 1997, and stayed approx 6 years in it. This industry boost his knowledge about the economic condition in Indonesia, both macro and micro, and how to More understand it. My banking career continued in Yogyakarta when I joined in a program funded by the Asian Development Bank (ADB),as the coordinator for a program aimed to help improve the quality of learning and teaching process in private universities in Yogyakarta. When the earthquake stroke Yogyakarta, I chose to join an international NGO working in the area of ?disaster response and management, which allows me to help rebuild the city, as well as other disaster-stricken area in Indonesia. I went on to become the coordinator for emergency response in the Asia Pacific region. Then I was assigned for 1 year in Cambodia, as a country coordinator mostly to deliver developmental programs (water and sanitation, education, livelihood). In 2009, he continued his career as a protocol and HR officer at the U.S. Consulate General in Surabaya, and two years later I joined the Political and Economic Section until now, where i have to deal with extensive range of people and government officials, as well as private and government institution troughout eastern Indonesia. I am the founder and Editor-in-Chief in Good News From Indonesia (GNFI), a growing and influential social media movement, and was selected as one of The Most Influential Netizen 2011 by The Marketeers magazine. I also wrote a book on "Fundamentals of Disaster Management in 2007"?, "Good News From Indonesia : Beragam Prestasi Anak Bangsa di dunia"? which was luanched in August 2013, and "Indonesia Bersyukur"? which is launched in Sept 2013. In 2014, 3 books were released in which i was one of the writer; "Indonesia Pelangi Dunia"?, "Indonesia The Untold Stories"? and "Growing! Meretas Jalan Kejayaan" I give lectures to students in lectures nationwide, sharing on full range of issues, from economy, to diplomacy Less
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