Find that 'je ne sais quoi' in Vietnam’s city of love

By Phong Vinh   October 5, 2017 | 10:07 pm PT
The former colonial resort town of Da Lat in the Central Highlands is one of the few places in Vietnam where you can still find a true French touch.
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Da Lat was the apple of the eye of the French during colonial times in Vietnam (1884-1945). They spent time and effort transfoming the hill town into their "Little Paris", explaining why Da Lat is full of French-era buildings - more than 1,300 of them to be exact. After more than a century, many of them have been preserved as an historical reminder, like these villas on Le Lai Street.

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Built in 1920s and 1930s, these 17 villas sit side by side on a hill in Da Lat. They were called Cité Bellevue back in the old days, but now they are part of the Ana Mandara Villas Dalat Resort & Spa.

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Their new Vietnamese owner has restored them without changing the status quo and opened their doors to tourists who prefer old-style villas rather than modern hotels.

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The furniture adds to the illusion.

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Looks like you can easily feel the French spirit on a trip to Da Lat.

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This villa attracts the most intention just for this word that was carved by its French owner, a cheesemaker. In Latin, “pax” means peaceful.

The "peaceful house" is one of the few houses in the village that needs no restoration work.

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Lying between pine trees, these villas give you a panoramic view of the valley below. Photo by Thu Ky

 
 
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