Da Lat is the official capital of the Lam Dong Province in Vietnam. As one of the relatively quiet and not so populated cities in Vietnam, the city has a noble population of just 400,000 residents as of 2015, making it a sophisticated cosmopolitan city with people from different cultural backgrounds.
Geographically, Da Lat is located on the Langbian Plateau in the central highlands and lies approximately 5000ft above sea level.
While the city may not be the most popular in Vietnam or boast of having over a million residents like other Vietnamese cities, Da Lat is well known for its fantastic scenery, great tourism sector and hospitable people.
Da Lat has for decades, dating back to the French colonial era been described as the getaway city in Vietnam where tourists and Vietnamese can relax and take time off the everyday stress of the real world.
The city’s tourism is further boosted by its amazing weather and green vegetation, which in itself offers tourists a great sightseeing experience. Surrounding the city are small evergreen forests, villages and sanctuaries and farms owned by inhabitants of the city.
Aside tourism Da Lat is also a major agriculture hub in Vietnam and supplies the rest of the province and country with some of the most popular vegetables used in Vietnam. Notable among these productions include the cabbage, coffee and grapes for wine production.
Popular attractions in Dalat
Linh Phuoc Pagoda
The Phuoc Pagoda known popularly as the Dragon Temple is perhaps Da Lat’s most popular attraction to the outside world. The dragon-themed temple was specially made with bottles numbering about 12,000 in number. Construction began in 1949 and was officially completed in 1952. The unique mosaic and architectural ingenuity of the temple attracts thousands of visitors from both within Vietnam and outside the shores of the country each year making it one of the most important monument and attraction in La Dat.
Datanla Falls
Datanla Falls is arguably the most beautiful and most developed waterfalls in Da Lat, located some 6km from the central Da Lat city. The waterfall is usually very busy at daytime and quite overcrowded with tourists and visitors from other parts of Vietnam. The waterfall is also very safe as there are quite a number of staff and tour guides close to the waterfall in case of any accidents or unfortunate incidents. Datanla Falls is an excellent place for tourists to meet and interact among themselves.
Bao Dai Summer Palace
Bao Dai Summer Palace is the most famous and historic palace in La Dat built in the mid-1960s to serve as the official residence of the King of the area. The palace boasts of some 25 rooms with exquisite interior designs fit for a king’s home. Today, the palace is a reserved state property regarded as a tourist attraction and receives thousands of tourists each year. Visitors to the palace are taken on a tour of the palace to see some of the historical artefacts used by the residential king and royal household. The incredible part of the tour, however, is the garden tour of the palace. The palace has a beautiful garden filled with over 300 different species of flowers, some of which are very. The beauty and presence of so many flowers around the palace does not come as a surprise; however, as the city is generally famous for its beautiful vegetation and gardens.
Lake of Sighs
The Lake of sigh was originally a natural lake but was expanded to become a dam by the French colonial administration in the 1950s. The dam now serves as a major tourist destination where visiting tourists can take rides on the dam in boats. Besides the taking of a safari ride on the dam, tourists can also go on a romantic expedition in the forests surrounding the lake, and comb through the beautiful green pine trees, given tourists an unforgettable experience.
Influence of the French on the City
As a former colony of the French, the impact of the French is felt on the city in all aspect ranging from architecture to the lifestyle of the inhabitants. Most of the buildings in the city are modelled on the 20th-century French building architecture while the inhabitants also have similar taste to the French in terms of luxury.
The city of La Dat is an excellent destination for those with a moderate budget but looking for a beautiful destination to spend a few days, and most importantly it is the prime destination for tourists looking for a place filled with natural endowment and great weather rather than human-created attractions. The beautiful green gardens that engulfs the city is something you would want to see.
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