Dalat

The only flight from Danang to Dalat leaves at 6am- and there is only one a day! Up at 3.30, taxi from Hoi An to Danang at 4 (what were all those people on the road doing?) to check in by 5. Not a good start for us late-risers...
And we had to walk out to our plane, just like Moorabbin Airport 1960's style!

Dalat has an interesting history, being a French-influenced resort town set up in the early 20th century (after 'relocating' the local hill tribes). The climate is its main attraction- about 10˚ cooler than the coastal strip! It seems that you could grow anything and everything there with a bit of effort. We saw coffee (Vietnam now exports more coffee than Brazil!), flowers, silk, as well as the usual rice, vegetables and so on, mixed in with thousands upon thousands of eucalyptus trees which seem to be taking over the place. We witnessed some serious rainfall, which was a bonus for the Elephant Falls.

If you look carefully above you'll spot a few avocados on this fine specimen- it was about 15 - 20 metres tall!
We took a couple of tours here- highlights included a roller coaster ride, feeding an elephant, a 'love' theme park, a very rude Buddha and a hillside village where we were serenaded by an old man and shown weaving by a young girl.

And then a quick visit to the crazy house and we were done with Dalat!

Tomorrow, Saigon (or should that be Ho Chi Minh City?)