Dalat

Dalat is an alternative Vietnam: the weather is spring-like instead of tropical hot, the town is dotted with French-colonial villas rather than socialist architecture, and the surrounding farms cultivate strawberries, coffee and flowers instead of rice.

The French were the first here, fleeing the heat of Saigon for average daily temperatures that hover between 15°C and 24°C. They left behind their holiday homes, which the Vietnamese have added to with their own unique, sometimes kitsch touches. Whether it’s the Eiffel Tower–shaped radio tower, the horse-drawn carriages or the colorful heart-shaped cut-outs at the Valley of Love, this is a town that takes romance seriously. Dalat is Vietnam's honeymoon capital and extremely popular with domestic tourists.

For foreign visitors, the moderate climate has made Dalat the adventure-sports capital of southern Vietnam, with canyoning, mountain biking, white-water rafting and treks into the surrounding hills all available.