Dalat

With its cooler climate, laidback atmosphere and fading French Imperial grandeur, you’ll find this charming city to be uniquely different from the rest of Vietnam.

Known as ‘the city of eternal spring’, Dalat boasts a temperate climate and its surrounding green countryside is blessed with lakes, waterfalls, evergreen forests, flower and vegetable gardens. The city is Vietnam’s most popular honeymoon location and although some have claimed the city has a kitsch feel, most are utterly charmed by its Francophone features such as the radio mast shaped like the Eiffel Tower and the local penchant for wearing berets. The French designed the town with boulevards and country style villas, many of which remain today. It’s small, charming and centred around Xuan Huong Lake. There’s an attractive collection of French colonial architecture, restored colonial-era hotels, a cathedral and a well-maintained Art Deco railway station. But there’s plenty of authentic Vietnamese culture to experience too. Traditional dress can still be spotted in the marketplaces and a visit to the nearby hilltribe villages will prove to be a colourful and fascinating experience. We cannot imagine a better or more idyllic way to unwind and indulge in Dalat than to do this with a glass of vino at one of the local wineries. A belly full of wine and a mind full of wonderful memories of Dalat. La Vie est vraiment belle!