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Vietnam Travel Guide
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Those who seek a little freshness through their trip to Vietnam can head in the direction of Dalat, a beautiful high area, which also offers its superb colonial heritage to visitors.
Like other travellers who come on a trip to Vietnam, you are likely to want to escape from the stifling heat of regions such as the Mekong Delta, to find somewhere a little cooler. To do this, the ideal in the Central Highlands region is to come to the very beautiful city of Dalat.
From the coast, it's necessary to take a steep and winding route in order to arrive here at an altitude of 1500 metres. On the way, Dalat is linked to a number of other villages. From the town of Nha Trang it will take you between 3 and 4 hours to do the 150 kilometres drive. If you come to the town of Hội An, you'll need a lot more time. There isn't a direct bus line between the two, you should therefore definitely go through Nha Trang. It's exactly the same thing and even the same change if you come from Ho Chi Minh or from Mũi Né. You will make a change at Quảng Ngãi coming from Da Nang or from Huế.
If you don't have a lot of time available or if you just want to avoid long bus journeys, you have to the possibility of flying. There is a connection from Dalat airport to the town of Hanoi once a day in just a little over one and a half hours and to Ho Chi Minh three times a day in just under an hour.
Things to see in Dalat
It became famous at the end of the 19th century thanks to Doctor Yersin. Dalat is a climatic area which, as its motto promises, it's a town " which gives some joy, and others freshness". It's true that in addition to its refreshing climate, the town is very enjoyable and very interesting to visit.
You can take long breaks to breathe in the fresh air around the artificial lake, play some golf or discover local products in the market. Linh Son Pagoda, the Dominion of Mary convent, the Embroidery Historic Centre, the Flower Garden, the Lam Dong Museum, the cathedral and the palaces are many of the places to visit during your stay.
But the real treasure of Dalat, is its colonial heritage . When walking at random around the roads, you will discover facades of beautiful villas, the general governor's residence, the old Yersin College, the Pasteur Institute, the old Bird Convent but above all, the splendid railway station. It is absolutely stunning and in itself makes it worth a visit to Dalat. Also no train arrives to or leaves from here and the clocks that indicate the time do so through people who seem frozen in a far-away time. They don't serve as anything more than decoration unfortunately, the train timetable is nothing more than a distant memory.
