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. |
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. |
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. |
The furniture adds to the illusion. |
Looks like you can easily feel the French spirit on a trip to Da Lat. |
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.
Lying between pine trees, these villas give you a panoramic view of the valley below. Photo by Thu Ky |