Dalat

High up in the Central Highlands of Vietnam, sitting pretty like a town somewhere in the Alps, is the popular Vietnamese holiday and honeymoon destination of Dalat. We spent a bit of time in town but with such beautiful surroundings nearby we hired a bike and went exploring. After negotiating the chaotic and absurdly hazardous roads around town we made our way out to the Lang Bien Mountains. We parked near a zebra painted horse and walked 3km up a tarred road to a sign pointing to a narrow track that angled up towards the highest peak. The path continued through some jungle, up a muddy slope and then out onto a summit that gave us a great view.

By now we had really started getting into the Vietnamese cuisine and a restaurant in Dalat confirmed our love for the stuff. One of the most popular dishes was a shrimp paste wrapped around a stick of sugarcane, grilled and served in rice paper with fresh herbs, cucumber and noodles, accompanied with chili and fish sauce. Dalat is definitely worth the detour, with a great setting and without doubt the friendliest people in the country (which is not saying much). If you ever find yourself there stay at Thien Anh Hotel and eat at Thuong Dong.