Day 1
We had breakfast in the grand dining room and the girls took to silver service very well.
After breakfast we walked to the Crazy House which truly is crazy! With not one regular shaped door, window or wall it is very much a Gaudi mixed with Dr Seuss type of house. The girls loved exploring the house even though they were a little afraid of parts of the steps that did not seem to much in terms of a barrier.
After the Crazy House we caught a taxi to Dalat Market which was a truly local type of market. The girls though were not keen on the smells and sights.
The best way to enjoy the markets though was without the kids and going out first thing in the morning for a run allows you to see Dalat through the eyes of a local.
Next stop was the historic Art Deco train station. We could actually catch the train to and back to Lin Phuoc pagoda. However as it started to bucket down we decided against it and instead we went back to the hotel for a rest. We were still adjusting to the time so we had an early dinner at Da Quy restaurant.
Day 2
A day of sightseeing today. But first up we (but not Brett) were a little adventurous with our food ... Breakfast was Bun Bo Hue noodles at a vey local shop. The girls gobbled it up without any side effects but Brett refused to do so.
Our next adventure was a cable car ride to the Truc Lam monastery. The monastery was not that exciting but the cable car ride above the Pune forest was quite spectacular.
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Next stop was Datanla falls and the best part was catching the roller coaster down to the falls. Apparently this was the highlight for the girls.
Then it was back to town for lunch at Chocolate - a restaurant geared towards tourists which Brett felt more comfortable with. Then like clockwork it bucketed drown after lunch so we spent he afternoon back at our amazing hotel before heading out to dinner at Truong Dong.
Day 3
Today is Independence Day or the Fall of Saigon Day and is a publics holiday in Vietnam. There were Vietnamese tourists everywhere! We caught the train from the grand old Art Deco train station to a little town that was home to the amazing pagoda that is covered in mosaics. The place was teeming with local tourists.
Walking to the Pagoda from the train station the kids were mobbed by the residents of the town who were very fascinated with kids appearance and who
were all eager to offer their opinion and which parent the girls looked like. throughout Vietnam (and Thailand) the consensus is that Abbey is more Brett and Eloise is more Jess.
Then it was back into town and the lake in front of our hotel for a bit of boating on a very kitch looking swan paddle boat. The ticket was for an hour but we had pretty much had enough after 15 minutes.
Surprisingly there was no rain at 2pm so we took the opportunity to visit the Flower Garden. Aragon there were a lot of local tourists and the park itself ( and pretty much all of Dalat was geared towards the locals. The rains did come just as we were wanting to leave.
Lunch was at a cafe near the market and it was great spot to people watch over the market. The girls had a pizza for lunch which they devoured!
Dinner that night was at a vegetarian restaurant called Hoa Sen which was simply delicious. We knew we had chosen the right place as it was filled with foreign tourists and locals.
Day 4
Our last day in Dalat. Our flight to Danang (for Hoi An) was not not scheduled until 2pm. So we went to Bai Doa's summer palace. It looked very sixties but might in fact be styled in Art Deco style.
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| Bao Dai's Summer Palace |
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Due to the kids adverse reaction to visiting the markets, the best way to see Dalat market was to visit as part of a 7am run. At this time in the morning, one really got to see it through the eyes of a local beholder.
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| Dalat market in the morning |
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| Dalat market in the morning |
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Next stop .... Hoi An
