Dalat & Ho Chi Minh City

I had a terrific time in Japan but before i start to blog about it, let me share with you on my recent trip to Vietnam over the Labour Day holiday (1 May).

Vietnam .... somehow, all my friends around me always had the impression that i have been there before. Unfortunatedly not. It's Bangkok which i have been there many times. Vietnam has always been a place which i would love to visit due to its nostalgic charms and rich culture.

The trip over the recent public holiday was to Ho Chi Minh & Dalat. Was glad to have some friends who were working there and could bring us around. Since it happens to be their long holiday too, we went to this place called Dalat. It was a 7 hours ride away from HCM. I remembered how tired most of us were due to lack of sleep. For me, i only had an hour sleep the day before and somehow, miraculoursly, managed to survive through the bus journey.

Dalat is one of Vietnam's most well-known vacation destination. Located on the Langbian highlands, the city is 1500m above sea level and 300 over kilometres away from HCM. It is a popular tourist destination - highly appreciated for its temperate climate and beautiful sights. It is also called the "Paris of Vietnam"" because of its beauty.

At that point, i realised how different each country were. I have always been used to the fact that there were expressways when we travel long distance, be it in Malaysia or Australia. But well, not so for the trip to Dalat which explains why it took so long to reach the destination.

The first thing that struck me about Dalat was the beauty of the place. Dalat is a city on a mountain and to reach the place, we drove past many mountains and planations. The view was really beautiful. I love the cool weather too and was glad that i wasn't in HCM where the weather was scorching hot @ 38 degrees. Dalat is beautiful because of its maze of cobbled streets, picturesque churches, its local vegetable and flower gardens that supply exotic flowers to the rest of the South and it's waterfalls. Somehow, the sky was extra blue, clear & beautiful.



It is interesting to note that some of its architecture and buildings are actually quite European looking. Dalat has many homes built of wood much like the Swiss chalets found in the Alps. It also has many grand villas built by French officials during the early part of the century. Many more villas were built by the South Vietnamese officials in the 60s and 70s, And yeap, there was even an Eiffle Tower look-alike near the central market.

Tower @ Day




Tower @ Nite




From where we were staying, it was about 20 - 30 minutes walk to the city centre/ market area. We walked to the central market on the first evening. It was a nice walk as the weather was cool and of course, i had great company too. I also love the mountainous view, a great escapade from the usual city life.






For Dalat's tourism, i was surprised that it has so much to offer.

We visited:

The Dalat Flower Park




TS, TB & Dave having fun @ the park.







The Valley of Love

It is a park that is approximately 5km from the center of town. It features a nice landscapped forest and at the floor of the valley is the Da Thien lake.







Church (Can't remember the name)






The LangBiang Mountain

Which we all had a good and challenging time climbing the mountain. It was tough for me considering the fact that i just hurt my knees two weeks prior to the trip and have never climbed any mountains before. No preparation or training for it. But of course, it was a good work-out and satisfaction when we reached the summit.




We emerged from this path which we climbed to reach the summit.





It was worth the climb and not be lazy to take the jeep up the mountain. The view was magnificent.








Lisan and me busy taking pictures while the rest were resting.




Cara & me




Waterfall

Dalat is famous for its waterfalls and i had the chance to visit one on the last day, on the way back to HCM. Can't remember when was the last time i actually visited one. Perhaps in Australia.










Central Market

This is our favouriet hangout as we are here everyday, be it for breakfast or dinner. On any given day, from early morning to late at night, Dalat's central market is bustling with activities.

View from Cafe Tin Tin, where we had breakfast on the last day in Dalat.










Some of the local food was quite good and interesting too.

There's Ban Xeo




The popular Avocado Ice-Cream which is really yummy




Lau Bo




Beef Stew




Pho




Vietnam will bring back many fond memories. I made many new friends and also, stayed at a guest house (instead of the usual hotel) for the first time. To my surprise, the place was really clean and had both air-con and fan.




For this trip, i didn't spend much time in HCM. It's less than a day and so, didn't go to all the tourist attractions. The closest is possibly the Benn Than Market which i went late at nite (the main market area was closed at nite. only the stalls at next to it was open). And the other was the market @ Chinatown area.

I enjoyed my trip to Dalat. Before i went, Dave told me that we were going somewhere where the weather is cool, just like Genting. So, i was expecting Dalat to be somewhat as such. Yes, both has cool weather but there was one thing which i didn't quite expect and that was the traffic. Like what J said, people just like us come to Dalat to escape the city. And it just look like we have brought the whole city here with us as it is terribly crowded.

One thing which i have also never quite experienced is that the traffic is indescribable. First of all, i have never seen so many motor bikes on the streets before. And well, there were cars, buses, bikes, bicycles and pedestrains all merging at each intersection and somehow, all reemerging on the other side like some complicated marching and routine. It all works out because everyone somehow observes the unwritten rules and acts with a patient understanding of others.

And i guess one thing which Dave, TB & Lisan must have enjoyed most must be the famous Vietnamese coffee. Since i am not a coffee drinker, i guess my favourite then must be the avocado ice-cream. Simply the best which i have ever tasted.

And yes, i am looking forward to my next trip to Vietnam already. Most possibly, to Hanoi & Halong Bay in August.