Da Lat

Dalat was an entirely French creation, a small colonial-era town complete with its own railway station, cathedral, lycée, shops, cafes, and villas—all plunked down in a remote valley in the Vietnamese highlands. With its pine forests, rolling hills, and tranquil lakes, the area could have passed for anyplace in France and provided a pleasant escape for homesick French administrators from the high summer heat of Saigon. Unfortunately, Dalat is now a resort town, a favorite with honeymooners and droves of Vietnamese tourists tramping through the former French villas. The Vietnamese wax poetic about Dalat and rave on in awestruck detail about every waterfall and valley, but in fact the scenery is nothing special. and deforestation has done serious damage.