MINOR IRRITATIONS // WANDERING THE DREAMY STREETS OF DA LAT, LIKE A LATE EVENING CLOUD RUN AGROUND
It is easy to get annoyed travelling in Vietnam. (Note to future self: try hard not to be annoyed on future trips to Vietnam.) Let's consider that first morning in Da Lat with Nga, actually it was more like early afternoon, April 2008. I had no reason in the world to feel irritated, but irritated I was. We had been up at the crack of dawn, me worried if we were going to make the bus, which was due to leave Ho Chi Minh City (near Sinh Cafe) at some ridiculous time (7am, 8am, 9am, something like that.) Or perhaps Nga was the first to get up, I can't quite remember. I had probably had a shocking night trying to sleep which is always the case when I am sleeping with Nga. And not for the obviously carnal reasons! Maybe it is a Vietnamese thing to go to bed with the television on... maybe they think it scares away ghosts. In my technopad in Tokyo I also have the TV on all night while I sleep, but with the volume turned down. Nga prefers her's on full bolt, rocking all through the night. And ambient TV in Viet Nam is not the smooth experience it is in Japan. Even in expensive hotels there are sudden outbursts of static, poor reception, noisy chop suey kung fu dramas breaking out at 3 o'clock in the morning. I am not the first to have said it: Vietnam is a noisy nation! When I went to bed there had been something gentler on, a folk music program crooning songs about Sai Gon, and gentle rain drumming against the Win Dow. Pleasant enough, and I might have dozed off for a few tranquil hours (note to reader: I had slept only a couple of hours the previous night in Singapore, and had been up before sunrise, to board my flight to Vietnam at Changi. And it wasn't much of a sleep because my Japanese cellphone had seemingly died during an episode of The Soprano's, and I was relying on my cellphone to be my alarm clock too and to wake me up at 4am or whatever time I needed to be up, to get a taxi to the airport. I was also relying on that phone to be my camera for the Obsessive Love trip.)
As I blogged early on Tuesday, the morning of my first full day in Da Lat, in a somewhat lamentful mood: "It is a pity indeed I don't have a camera to do this place justice. But then again, more than half the beauty of the world comes not in the visual or sensory perception of the world, but in the IMAGINARY or SENSUAL perception of the world. Not long after the motorbike had raced me at breakneck speed up the winding street to my hotel (TRAM HUONG BEAUTY AND SPA), me drenched and holding on to a bag of strange fruits, I knew I had been to this place before. In a dream, a strange dream I had in Tokyo about 6 months ago. When I had awoken from that dream way back then I knew I had been somewhere special, a special place in my imagination. It turns out the imagination and reality indeed intersects in spacetime, and the place was Dalat, and the time was late April 2008. No photo can capture the dream world and do it justice, for the dream world is multidimensional. All we can do is take slices, like the photo of a dream place visited which I took on the grey plains of Saitama in late 2003. Later in the evening, after the rain had cleared, Nga and I took a stroll downtown, and I again found myself again wishing I had a camera. But who needs a camera to live your visuals when you have a brain, and an imagination, already designed for that very purpose? The streets were thronged with Vietnamese (and at least one Japanese couple) wearing colorful sweaters and jackets and various kinds of colorful knitted headgear. At length, the fog dropped down. I had my first truly authentic Vietnamese pigout -- banh khot wrapped in lettuce leaves at a little restaurant on the other side of the black river bank. Also served was a sour soup filled with noodles and vegetables and logs -- they looked like logs but it turned out they were actually lumps of fish bone, all grizzly and covered with sweet river skins..."
Of course this photo of banh khot being cooked is not my own, for I had no functioning camera at the time. I had only my memory and imagination to pull me through. ."
Situated right in the heart of DaLat City, Vietsovpetro hotel is one of the beautiful and luxurious hotel of the city. The 4 storey hotel has 10 fully furnished, harmoniously decorated international rooms, which create a wonderful and relaxing environment. Each room has international direct dial telephone facilities, satellite TV, air-conditioning, mini-bar and private bathroom. The dining room and bar of Phuc Loi hotel are both charming and intimate. You will be served from 6 am to 12 pm by a group of experienced chefs with European - Asian cuisine. Vietsovpetro with its central location, clean and fresh environment, modern facilities and experienced staff, will guarantee that you will have satisfying and memorable visit to Hanoi.
Dalat is hilly and its sights are spread out, so renting a motorbike or arranging a taxi for a half day or full day is a smart way to see outlying areas. If you select accommodations near Lake Xuan Huong, many sights in town are within walking distance. For outlying areas, Dalat has a unique crew of motorbike guides called Easy Riders. They are all locals, speak fluent English or French, and for $8 per day will guide you around town and the area.
Evason Ana Mandara Villas & Six Senses Spa Đà Lạt:
Bắt đầu hoạt động vào cuối năm 2006, khu nghỉ dưỡng bao gồm những tòa villa mang phong cách kiến trúc Pháp thời thuộc địa với 57 phòng, nhà hàng và spa. Những tòa villa mặc dù được sửa sang và nâng cấp lại nhưng vẫn còn giữ được nguyên vẹn cấu trúc, cách trang trí và nét quyến rũ, mời gọi.
Evason Đà Lạt ngự trên một khuôn viên 14 ha trên khu cao nguyên Đà Lạt. Từ khu nghỉ bạn có thể mặc sức phóng tầm mắt ngắm toàn cảnh xung quanh, ngắm những miền quê, hay những cánh đồng rau trù phú, xanh mướt bất tận.
Trong số 17 vila ở khu nghỉ, 14 vila đã được chuyển sang làm các phòng nghỉ của khách sạn. Còn 2 villa còn lại chuyển sang làm Nhà hàng và Spa sáu giác quan (Six senses Spa).
Lyla Restaurant, 18 Tang Bat Ho. Vietnamese food in huge portions, entrees from $2.50.
V Cafe, 1 Bui Thi Xuang St., across the road from the Trung Can Hotel. Entrees from $2. Vietnamese and Western food.
Stop and Go Cafe, A visit to Dalat would not be complete without having a coffee at the garden villa of the Stop and Go Cafe—a hangout for local and expatriate artists and writers. Contact: 2 Ly Tu Trong, near the Trung Can Hotel and V Cafe.
Cafe de la Poste, across the street from the main post office near the Sofitel Dalat Palace; French food at reasonable prices, especially the lunch set menu for $6. Contact: 12 Tran Phu St., Dalat.
- The Hotel Sofitel Dalat Palace offers individualized service in the finest tradition of Vietnamese hospitality.
- The gourmet restaurant, Le Rabelais, specializing in French cuisine, is the perfect venue to savour delectable dishes prepared by the Master Chefs of the Hotel. There is a wide selection of French wine to accompany your meal.
- Larry's Bar offers a casual and fun place to relax in the evening while the intimate Le Rabelais Bar provides a more restful ambiance.
- The Cafe de la Poste is an informal French brasserie serving Western and Asian dishes for lunch and dinner.
Thanh Thanh Restaurant, 4 Tang Bat Ho Street, tel: 821 836. Probably the best restaurant in Dalat. Excellent Vietnamese salads and other traditional dishes.
One blogger in love with Vietnam seemingly as much as myself, Oliver Meeker, wrote of his visit to Dalat: "After an enormous lunch we headed back to town to see the university. Upon arriving we were greeted by a bunch of really energetic college students from all over, some of the girls that I met were from Nha Trang, and others were from Hanoi. We all gathered around and played some games, which was pretty interesting, quite humorous and embarrassing all at the same time. Then Di-Di (our group leader from Saigon, who has been with us the entire trip and has been an enormous help) led all the American students in hokey-pokey, a game which none of us could have probably done all that well, but she did it perfectly—it was pretty great. We ended up meeting some very nice girls, who we made plans to later meet up with and go out for coffee. We all said our goodbyes and exchanged numbers and we were on our way to relax for the evening and meet up for a big olf group dinner..."
The University of Dalat is at 1 Phu Dong Thien Vuong Street.
More than 13,000 students study here and English is a favored topic.
Ngã Năm Đại Học: University Intersection.
Wrote Duong Lam Anh, a native of Hue: "On the first day of my recent trip to Da Lat, I stayed near what the locals called Ngã năm Đại học (University Intersection.) After a sleepless night, (I can't sleep well at new places), I woke up earlier than usual to the soft and monotonous sounds of the rain. What else should I do these early hours, if not dreaming? I decided to drop by the university for a look, (and to kill time, too.) It was just across the street then. Da Lat in the rain was chilly and dull, but the small street leading to the university was so beautiful. I stopped at the gate and asked the security guard to let me in for some photos. He smiled back in welcome. (I doubt the colleges in Hue will let a tourist in casual clothes and with a camera enter so freely.) Passing through the gate, I entered a vast world of trees and grass. The campus was like a workable museum of Tay Nguyen architecture. I noticed the tiny wooden bridge across a creek, red in color, leading to a building, an office maybe? This structure recalled nhà dài (long house), unique to some ethnic group in highland Vietnam. It seemed that classes were still given during summertime because I saw students heading in through the gate. The drizzle had stopped and the sun appeared. Down there in the distance, the city of Da Lat looked amazing in the early sun. Behind me, I heard somebody breathing hard. I looked back and saw some students hurrying on the steep slopes. They were late for class..."
SELF CATERING IN DALAT (April 29, 2008)
Of course, if restaurants get too much for you or you are trying to save money, you can always make your own meals using produce from Da Lat's central market place. This is indeed what Nga and I did one damp Monday, in the rainy season of 2008. On the way into the markets from the hills in which our hotel is located, we passed huddles of women with black teeth and weathered faces on the ground, surrounded by sacks of charcoal. As LONELY PLANET had alluded, these were the ethnic minorities of Da Lat, the former inhabitants of the Central Highlands who are now reduced to doing the jobs normal Vietnamese deign not to do (such as dealing in cooking charcoal.) Further down the hill, into the markets, and it was just as I remembered from my first trip here with Alison Telfer back in 1997: dirty and desperate. But kind of beautiful in its own way, with its pyramids of multicolored fruit, and other strange produce. As LONELY PLANET had alluded, you can see many temperate varieties of fruit here unavailable in other parts of Viet Nam: for example, strawberries and mulberries. Another specialty of the city is artichoke (called atiso in Vietnamese.) Nga and I ended up blowing 600,000 Dong on local fruit products in one of the covered markets in the center of the city. We bought a whole huge bag of stuff from the Phuong Thanh Stall (Quay 126 Khu A - Cho Da Lat; DT: 063 831677.) The place sells items including Mat Dau, Mut Man, Hong Kho, Khoai Lang Deo, the aforementioned Atiso, Ruou, Tra, Cafe, Phan Hoa, Nhan Goi Ruou and ra Cuoi...)
East Asia Hotel
ĐC: 63-65 Nguyễn Văn Trỗi Address: 63-65 Nguyen Van Troi
ĐT: 063.3822700 Tel: 063.3822700
Khách sạn Bạch Dương Hotel Bach Duong
ĐC: 38/10 Hai Bà Trưng Address: 38/10 Hai Ba Trung
ĐT: 063.3816165 Tel: 063.3816165
Khách sạn Bảo Duy Bao Duy Hotel
ĐC: 33B Hải Thượng Address: 33B Hai Thuong
ĐT: 063.816816 Tel: 063.816816
Khách sạn Bảo Thịnh Bao Thinh Hotel
15 Nam Kỳ Khởi Nghĩa 15 Nam Ky Khoi Nghia
063.3824409 063.3824409
KS Bích Đào KS Bich Dao
08 Triệu Việt Vương 08 Trieu Viet Vuong
063.3822753 063.3822753
KS Bình Nguyên KS Binh Nguyen
60 Nguyễn Chí Thanh 60 Nguyen Chi Thanh
063.3826555 063.3826555
KS Cẩm Đô KS tempted
81 Phan Đình Phùng 81 Phan Dinh Phung
063.3822732 063.3822732
Khách sạn –NH Dinh II Hotel NH Dinh II
12 Trần Hưng Đạo 12 Tran Hung Dao
063.3822092 - 063.3822090 063.3822092 - 063.3822090
Khách sạn –NH Du lịch Công Đoàn Hotel NH-Travel Union
01 Yersin 01 Yersin
063.3822186 063.3822186
Khách sạn Golf I Golf I Hotel
11 Đinh Tiên Hoàng 11 Dinh Tien Hoang
063.3822517 063.3822517
Khách sạn Golf II Hotel Golf II
114 đường 3/2 114 3 / 2
063.3826033 063.3826033
Khách sạn Golf III Golf III Hotel
04 Nguyễn Thị Minh Khai 04 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai
063.3826049 063.3826049
Khách sạn Hàng Không Hotel Airlines
40 Hồ Tùng Mậu 40 Ho Tung Mau
063.3831368 063.3831368
Khách sạn Hải Âu Hai Au Hotel
27 Nguyễn Chí Thanh 27 Nguyen Chi Thanh
063.3822453 063.3822453
Khách sạn Hải Sơn Hai Son Hotel
01 Nguyễn Thị Minh Khai 01 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai
063.3822547 063.3822547
Khách sạn Hoa Tuylipe Hotel Amerika Tuylipe
26 đường 3/2 26 3 / 2
063.3510995 063.3510995
KS Hồng Vân KS Hong Van
45 B Đinh Tiên Hoàng B 45 Dinh Tien Hoang
063.3822717 063.3822717
Khách sạn - NH Hoàng Anh Đà Lạt nói khu nghỉ dưỡng thì đúng hơn Hotel - NH Hoang Anh Dalat say the rest is more correctly nursing
03 Nguyễn Du 03 Nguyen Du
063.3810826 063.3810826
Khách sạn Hoàng Thảo Hotel Hoang Thao
80B Nguyễn Chí Thanh 80B Nguyen Chi Thanh
063.3510131 063.3510131
Khách sạn – NH Hoàng Tử Hotel - NH prince
02 Triệu Việt Vương 02 Trieu Viet Vuong
063.3829926 063.3829926
Khách sạn Hướng Dương Huong Duong Hotel
A6-7 Hải Thương A6-7 Hai Thuong
063.3837555 063.3837555
Khách sạn HP Hotel HP
2B Lê Hồng Phong 2B Le Hong Phong
063.3830137 063.3830137
Khách sạn – NH Thanh Thế Hotel - NH Eucharist
118 Phan Đình Phùng 118 Phan Dinh Phung
063.3811180 063.3811180
Khách sạn Lâm Sơn Hotel Lam Son
05 Hải Thượng 05 Hai Thuong
063.3822362 063.3822362
Khách sạn Liễu ơ! Hotel Lieu box!
10A Khởi Nghĩa Bắc Sơn 10A Khoi Nghia Bac Son
063.3812878 063.3812878
Khách sạn Mái Nhà Xanh Hotel Green roofs
32 Hải Thượng 32 Hai Thuong
063.3816168 063.3816168
Khách sạn- NH Minh Tâm Hotel NH Minh Tam
20 Khe Sanh 20 Khe Sanh
063.3822447 063.3822447
Khách sạn Mỹ Hoa My Hoa Hotel
20 Nam Kỳ Khởi Nghĩa 20 Nam Ky Khoi Nghia
063.3828123 063.3828123
Khách sạn – NH Đại Dương Hotel - NH Đại Dương
130 Phan Đình Phùng 130 Phan Dinh Phung
063.3837794 063.3837794
Khách sạn – NH Đại Lợi Hotel - NH Dai Loi
3A Bùi Thị Xuân 3A Bui Thi Xuan
063.3837333 063.3837333
Khách sạn Nam Quang Quang Nam hotels
14C Hà Huy Tập Ha Huy Tap 14C
063.3823783 063.3823783
Khách sạn Ngọc Hân Hotel Ngoc Han
84-86 đường 3/2 84-86 3 / 2
063.3822863 063.3822863
Khách sạn Ngọc Khánh Ngoc Khanh Hotel
02 Nam Kỳ Khởi Nghĩa 02 Nam Ky Khoi Nghia
063.3826369 063.3826369
Khách sạn Phương Chi Hotel Phuong Chi
12 Nam Kỳ Khởi Nghĩa 12 Nam Ky Khoi Nghia
063.3824317 063.3824317
Khách sạn Phương Hạnh Hotel Phuong Hanh
80-82 đường 3/2 80-82 3 / 2
063.3828213 063.3828213
Khách sạn Phương Khoa The Hotel Department
A8 đường 3/2 A8 3 / 2
063.3510746 063.3510746
Khách sạn Phúc Thịnh Phuc Thinh Hotel
18Q Nam Kỳ Khởi Nghĩa 18Q Nam Ky Khoi Nghia
063.3820306 063.3820306
Khách sạn – NH Redsun Hotel - NH Redsun
14c Hà Huy Tập Ha Huy Tap 14C
063.531576 063.531576
Khách sạn Sala Hotel SALA
04 Hoàng Diệu 04 Hoang Dieu
063.3815747 063.3815747
Khách sạn – NH Sofitel Hotel - Sofitel NH
12 Trần Phú 12 Tran Phu
063.3825444 063.3825444
Khách sạnTấn Lợi Guest sanTan Lợi
15A Quang Trung 15A Quang Trung
063.3811911 063.3811911
Khách sạn Tân Sinh Hương Hotel Tan Sinh Huong
3F Bùi Thị Xuân 3F Bui Thi Xuan
063.3520449 063.3520449
Khách sạn Thắng Lợi Thang Loi Hotel
3C Bùi Thị Xuân 3C Bui Thi Xuan
063.3510670 063.3510670
Khách sạn Thảo My Hotel Thảo My
27B Hai Bà Trưng 27B Hai Ba Trung
063.3817178 063.3817178
Khách sạn Thông Xanh Green Hotel Information
33-35 Nam Kỳ Khởi Nghĩa 33-35 Nam Ky Khoi Nghia
063.3825289 063.3825289
Khách sạn Thuỷ Trân Hotel Thuy Tran
4 Bùi Thị Xuân 4 Bui Thi Xuan
063.3520161 063.3520161
Khách sạn Toàn Phát The whole hotel
9 Nguyễn Siêu 9 Nguyen Sieu
063.571010 063.571010
Khách sạn Trầm Hương Trầm Village Hotel
84 Nguyễn Văn Trỗi 84 Nguyen Van Troi
063.520212 063.520212
Khách sạn Tri Kỷ II Hotel confidant II
1C Hà Huy Tập Ha Huy Tap 1C
063.531238 063.531238
Khách sạn Tri Tân Hotel Tan Tri
A11 Bà Triệu A11 Ba Trieu
063.825258 063.825258
Khách sạn Trương Nguyên Hotel Truong Nguyen
7A Hải Thượng 7A Thuong Hai
063.812772 063.812772
Khách sạn Trung Cang Trung Cang Hotel
4A Bùi Thị Xuân 4A Bui Thi Xuan
063.822663 063.822663
Khách sạn Tuấn Hưng Hotel Tuan Hung
7b đường 3/4 7b 3 / 4
063.531942 063.531942
Khách sạn-NH Vietsopetro Hotel NH Vietsopetro
7 Hùng Vương 7 Hung Vuong
063.833077 063.833077
Khách sạn Vận Ánh Van Anh Hotel
14A Bùi Thị Xuân 14A Bui Thi Xuan
063.836888 063.836888
Khách sạn Vinh Hoa Vinh Hoa Hotel
52-54 Trần Phú 52-54 Tran Phu
063.831606 063.831606
Khách sạn Vy Vy Vy Vy Hotel
04 Nam Kỳ Khởi Nghĩa 04 Nam Ky Khoi Nghia
063.833713 063.833713
Khách sạn Novotel Novotel
07 Trần Phú 07 Tran Phu
063.825777 063.825777
Khách sạn Empress Empress Hotel
05 Nguyễn Thái Học 05 Nguyen Thai Hoc
063.833888 063.833888
