We Liked Dalat a Lot

Now that Ian and I have reached the end of our six weeks in Vietnam we are thinking back to where we wish we had spent more time. One of those places is Dalat, a smallish town located in the central highlands. Dalat's cooler climate, kitschy attractions, and proximity to the country's primary produce and wine-producing region makes it a prime location for honeymooning Vietnamese. It definitely holds a special charm - sort of like a European mountain town with charming architecture, cobblestone streets, sidewalk cafes, and open-air markets selling really weird Southeast Asian ingredients.

Anyone care for a chicken head?

Two things made our stay in Dalat special:

1) We stayed at the best hotel we've been to on this whole Southeast Asia trip: Dreams Hotel. Our room at Dreams had hardwood floors, a super comfy bed, fresh flowers, no moldy smell, and a shower with eight different nozzles. Additionally, there was a jacuzzi and a sauna on the top floor free for our use. The room included breakfast, which consisted of a huge spread of fruit (I love mangos!), baguettes, meats, yogurt, eggs, passionfruit juice, tea, and all sorts of condiments. One morning some Australians showed us the correct way to use Vegemite so it doesn't taste so terrible (the secret: use very litttle!). We loved our breakfast, our room, and the lovely family who ran the hotel. This was by far the best value hotel we've seen for $20.

2) Produce. Dalat is known for having good produce generally, but is especially recognized for its wine and strawberries. Now, strawberries and I have a special history, and like a moth to a flame, I beelined to the first strawberry stand I saw and purchased a half kilo. Sadly, I had only washed and eaten a handful of them before experiencing the ill effects of consuming fresh Vietnamese produce, but I definitely don't regret eating the few that I had. I miss clean, organic California fruit....

Dalat's central market.

Dalat is also where we spent Valentines Day and where Ian found out he was accepted to Berkeley for grad school. All in all, it's a pretty great place!

Some photos from our day swanboating on the lake with Richard and Debbie:

So peaceful compared to Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi.

Richard strangling his swan. Not sure what it did to piss him off.

With swan boats, nice trees, and horse-drawn carriages, Dalat is all set up for honeymooners.