Travel of Dalat, Vietnam

The name ''Đà Lạt'' combines ''Đak'' which originates from ''Đak'' and means ''water'' or ''lake'' in the local dialect, and ''Lát'' the name of the local ethnic-minority group, a subsection of the Co Ho group. The name ''Da Lat'' thus refers to the water of the Lát (Lách) people. Đà Lạt is home to many beautiful lakes, making it a popular spot for travelers in Vietnam. The city has seen an influx of tourists in recent years because of the international popularity of eco-tourism. Now, the city is song the top ten tourist destinations in Viet Nam. Climbing Lang Bian Mountain just north of Đa Lat and the many walking tracks surrounding the city are popular with both residents and tourists.

Good morning Dalat

Doctor and explorer Alexandre Yersin (1863-1943) founded the French resort in Da Lat in 1895 because he thought the Lang Bian Plateau was an ideal place for convalescence. Since that time, the town and the surrounding rugged terrain have attracted a steady stream of domestic and international tourists. Situated at an altitude of 1,500 meters above sea level, Da Lat is 300 kilometers north of Ho Chi Minh City and 110 kilometers inland from the coast.

Da Lat is often referred to as the ''City of Eternal Spring'' because its average daily temperature varies between 15 and 240C and is often sunny. The rainy season falls between April and November, with an average annual rainfall of 1.755 meters, while the dry season is between December and March. This climate allows Da Lat to grow flowers all year round, hence its other name, ''City of Flowers''. A light mist often covers the mountains and fertile valley fields surrounding Da Lat. Farmers ship fruits and vegetables throughout Vietnam; in fact, the road linking Da Lat with Ho Chi Minh City is known as the ''Road of Fruits and Vegetables''.

 
Da Lat has a mixture of ethnic minorities as well as ethnic Kinh (Vietnamese), who have moved there. Here is one of the few places in Viet Nam where local residents wrap up in warm clothes year round. The young girls of the region are renowned for their pink cheeks. Da Lat's city center boasts an array of attractions for tourists, who can visit its French-style university grounds church, and train station. The General Museum displays a good range of indigenous artifacts and various objects of local historical significance.

 
Visitors to Da Lat can also see palaces erected by French governors and Vietnamese kings, including one built by Bao Dai, Vietnam's last monarch. Da Lat is also home to at least ten ancient pagodas, the most popular ones being Linh Son, Linh Phong, Linh Quang, Thien Vuong Co Sat and Thien Vien Truc Lam. Da Lat boasts one of the oldest and most established golf courses in Vietnam. Located in hilly terrain near Xuan Huong Lake, the golf course has been upgraded to international standards for eighteen holes.

 

A sunflowers farm in Dalat

On your Da Lat trip, you will see a wide variety of flowers - many of them rare - along the city's streets, in its markets, and in the city's parks and nurseries. Da Lat's horticulture industry is thriving; its flowers are in demand throughout the country and are particularly popular in Ho Chi Minh City Da Lat's oldest flower garden can be found near Da Lat University and Xuan huong Lake at number 2 Phu Dong Thien Vuong Street. Established in 1966 and opened to the public in 1985, this garden displays a large collection of over 300 species and includes local varieties as well as flowers from throughout the world. The garden with its roses, chrysanthemums, gladioli, orchids, and mimosa has flowers in bloom year round.

 

Da Lat boasts the highest concentration of flower species in Vietnam, with a concentration on oriental flowers such as purple peach blossoms, violet Japanese daisies, yellow chrysanthemums, red Chinese hibiscus, jasmine, night orchids, and white lilies. Growers have imported various rose species, such as Rosa Lutea (which grows from the Middle East to China) and the Rosa Indicafragans (which comes from Europe). Several newer rose species are named for celebrities, such as the Brigitte for Bridgitte Bardot, the john F. Kennedy, and Cracede Monaco, in addition to established species. One unique flower to be found in Đà Lạt is the Salem. In 1960, a Vietnamese resident of Belgium introduced the flower, which resembles bells with white, pink, and violet petals. Rose lovers throughout the country prize this species, which travels well.

 
About twenty species o chrysanthemums and daisies bloom year round. One of the most popular species is Sans-souci (Worry-free), in addition to Pensee, Violet, Cosmos, Immortal. Many species that originated in North America, Mexico, Latin America, Africa, and Europe now have Vietnamese names, such as Hoang Anh (Verge d’or), Thuoc duoc (Dahlia), Thu hai duong (Begonia Rex), Da hop (Magnolia), Mom soi (Guleule-de-Loup) Long den (Fuchsta), Phong lu (Ceranium), Xac phao (Sauge Eclatante), Sen da (Joubarbe Des Toits), Sen can (Capucine').

 
A variety of cherry blossoms (Prunus Cerasoides) that is unique to Da Lat blooms at Lunar New Years. This deciduous cherry tree, which grows well in Da Lat's temperate citmate, sbeds its leaves in autumn and remains leafless throughout the winter. First Introduced to the region in the early twentieth century, this variety differs from the japanese cherry blossom, which cannot grow in Da Lat's climate.

 
Da Lat has over 200 species of orchids, with five indigenous species recently discovered. These five feature ''Da Lat” or ''Lang Bian'' in their names: Dendrobium dalatense, Oberonic dalatensi, Eria dalatensis, Dendrobium langbianense, and Oberonia langbianesis. These indigenous species are in as much demand as the favorite locally grown imported species: Balkis, Sayonara, Chateau, and Oriental Legend. Growers sell their orchids both within Viet Nam and overseas. Da Lat's orchids grow naturally in fields in contrast to European orchids, which must be grown in greenhouses that have special heat, ventilation, and lighting systems.

 
Lam Vien Plateau and Langbiang Mountain: This area twelve kilometers north of Đà Lạt includes Langbiang Mountain, which has the area's highest altitude at 2,162 meters. It is popular with both local residents and tourists interested in adventure sports and in studying rare flora and fauna. Residents be long to the Lạt, Chil, and Mạ ethnic minority groups.

 

A view from Langbiang mountain

The Valley of Love: This area five kilometers north of Dalat consists of hills, lakes, pine forests, and fragrant wild flowers and was known as the ''Valley of Peace'' during the reign of Emperor Bảo Đại. In 1972, engineers built a dam and created Đa Thien Lake. The valley continues to attract people, both young and old. The Forest of Elysium: This forest is thirty-eight kilometers south of Đa Lạt and is close to Highway 20. It includes the Gougah Waterfall and is noted for its raw, natural setting.

 

As a highland town, Dalat has many beautiful lakes and waterfalls. Travel to Dalat, visitor can enjoy the beauty of about twenty such these lakes of Dalat and waterfalls of Dalat.

 

Flights to Da Lat operate from Ho Chi Minh City (thirty-five minutes), and Ha Noi (one hour and forty minutes). Motorists can take two routes from Ho Chi Minh City. Highway 20 is a trip of three hundred kilometers passing through Lam Dong Province's lush Bao Loc District. Or they can take Highway 1 to Phan Rang and then continue inland on Highway 27 through an area with historic towers erected by the Cham ethnic minority, past the Đa Nhim hydro power Plant, and across the stunning Ngoan Muc Pass with its spectacular view of Dalat and the surrounding pine forests.