Dalat 12th - 14th Nov

How cool is Dalat!!! - very cool indeed for many reasons, including the array of activities there are to do from trekking, abseiling down waterfalls or meandering through the pine forests and visiting the many flower farms and coffee plantations. It is also cool because it is in the highlands of Vietnam so the temperature is very mild compared to coastal Vietnam. Another cool reason why Dalat is cool, is because it is a neat little city, built up with an obvious French influence and it has managed to say unique and desirable. I would have stayed in Dalat for at least a week longer if I had the time and money.

View from the roof of Hotel Phuong Hanh

Around Dalat there are many villages and communities - all growing and producing the flowers and fruits and veggies Dalat is famous for. On one of our days in Dalat we went and visited a flower farm where they were growing Gerbera and Roses. We also stopped by at a local coffee producer and sampled the Weasel Coffee and Rice Wine, then we headed to Linh An Tu Pagoda and the Elephant Falls. After a great Vietnamese lunch we went to a silk factory and watched the process from the silk worm to the garment.

Dalat Gerberas 

Coffee

Coffee bean - before roasting

the guy who eats the coffee bean and poops it out so we can drink it!

Weasel Poo - before cleaning off the poo from coffee

The Coffee - processed by the Weasel

Drying Weasel poo

Elephant falls -

Elephant Falls - Dalat - Vietnam

Vietnamese lunch - with all the trimmings

Silk Worms

Silk worms made into food

Spinning Silk

Dying Silk

Hang Nga, CRaZy HoUSe - DalaT - 

Built by a Vietnamese women who studied Architecture in Russia - she was the daughter of Ho Chi Minh's successor - Truong Chinh.  Mrs Dang Viet Nga has been a working on this Alice in Wonderland like house project since early 1990. We think we saw her the day we had a look around - she was pointing out some directions to the builders who were busy creating an amazing looking pagoda- like structure. Wandering through the surreal building is a great experience and trip into the imagination of Mrs Dang - she has named  and themed rooms and guests can stay there for a nice little sum per night.

Lake in Dalat

Eiffel Tower in Dalat