Article and Photos by John Lander
Local woman sells cauliflower in Dalat, Vietnam
Go to visit Dalat Vietnam, Dalat—nicknamed “The City of Love,” “Le Petit
Paris,” and “City of Eternal Spring”—has long been popular with Vietnamese and
expatriate artists and writers who have taken up residence in villas around
town. The area, originally inhabited by the Lat and Ma hill tribes which now
live in nearby Chicken Village and Lat Village, increased in popularity during
the French colonial era. More than 2,000 beautiful French villas dot the area.
The central part of town is clustered on the northwest side
of Xuan Huong Lake where the majority of restaurants, markets, banks, cafes and
budget accommodations are found. Footpaths and roads circle the lake, making
for easy hikes and bike rides. There are three large cafes built on stilts over
the lake. Though better known for their views than food, they do make for
convenient rest stops if you decide to make the 3-kilometer hike around the
lake.
Dalat is hilly and its sights are spread out, so renting a
motorbike or arranging a taxi for a half day or full day is a smart way to see
outlying areas. If you select accommodations near Lake Xuan Huong, many sights
in town are within walking distance. For outlying areas, Dalat has a unique
crew of motorbike guides called Easy Riders. They are all locals, speak fluent
English or French, and for $8 per day will guide you around town and the area.
Bao Dai’s Summer Palaces
Emperor Bao Dai built three large palaces in Dalat. The
most-visited is referred to as Dinh 3, built in 1933 in art deco style and set
in a pine grove near the Pasteur Institute southwest of the lake. Inside are
portraits, busts and sculptures of the deposed imperial family, with the royal
living quarters upstairs. Entrance fee 5000d. Other Bao Dai palaces in Dalat,
called Dinh 1 and Dinh 2, are sporadically open to the public, but frequently
used for government functions. Of the three different palaces, Dinh 1 is the
most picturesque. Check with Easy Rider guides to see if it’s open to the
public at the time of your visit.
Dalat Flower Gardens
Dalat is known all over Vietnam for its flowers. Set next to
Xuan Huong Lake, the Dalat Flower Gardens were established in 1966 by the Vietnamese
government, and are refined continually. Among the tastefully arranged flora
are orchids, hydrangeas, fuchsias, and ferns. Plants and flowers are also for
sale, including special fern fibers used to stop bleeding in traditional
oriental medicine. Across the road from the Flower Gardens are nurseries with
various types of bonsai trees, artfully laid out around the lake.
Visitors to Dalat often hike or bike the many footpaths and
roads circling Xuan Huong Lake.
Pagodas
Lam Ty Ni Pagoda, near Hang Nha House, with its decorative
front gate was constructed as recently as 1961. Its only monk, Mr. Vien Thuc,
speaks English, French and Thai and has arranged flowerbeds, trellis-shaded
pathways, and gardens around the pagoda. The chief attraction here, though, is
Mr. Vien Thuc himself and his collection of art—he has turned out more than
100,000 works of art, including "instant paintings" that he sells. On
the other side of town, Linh Son Pagoda sits on top of the hill overlooking central
Dalat and is well worth a visit, if only to see its giant bell made of bronze
and gold. Behind the pagoda are coffee and tea plants, to which monks and
novices tend. Linh Son Pagoda is not often visited by tourists, but its grounds
serve as a neighborhood park, making it a peaceful retreat.
Linh Son Pagoda, which overlooks central Dalat, is a
peaceful retreat off the tourist path.
More: things to to sa pa vietnam
Hang Nga House and Gallery
Nicknamed “crazy house” by locals, the Hang Nga House is
southwest of Xuan Huong Lake. The owner, Ms. Dang Viet Nga, is an architect and
designed the place with cave sitting rooms, giant spider webs made of wire, a
concrete giraffe tea room, and towering fish heads containing guest rooms
should you decide to stay overnight. Along the helter-skelter hallways and
stairways are various cozy nooks and crannies set up as small sitting rooms
with desks, chairs, and coffee tables. There is a small admission fee of 5000d
after which you can browse around the passageways, guest rooms, or linger in
one of the sitting rooms and take in the atmosphere. Ms. Nga, a well-known
Dalat personage given to incense and hippie clothing, may even be present and
show you the highlights of her unusual buildings and galleries.
Architect Dang Viet Nga designed the Hang Nga House
(referred to as "the Crazy House" by locals), which is open to
visitors for a small admission or to
paying guests overnight.
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