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

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

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

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