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Dalat, some 300 kilometres northeast of Ho Chi Minh City, is one of the most un-Vietnamese towns of Vietnam. It is located some 1,500 metres above sea level in the southern reaches of the Annamese Mountain Range. It was not built by Vietnamese or Cham kings, but by the French colonial masters, who preferred to retreat to Dalat from former Saigon during the hot season.

The town, which today counts 130,000 inhabitants, was founded only in 1897. The French colonial administration and French traders built large European-style villas to create an atmosphere reminding of France. In the middle of the town, a small lake (Xuan Huong), and to the North of it a golf course, were laid out. Many of the villas have survived the Vietnam war undamaged and give the town a unique appearance. In the area around the town are several beautiful waterfalls.

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Photo, extract 1:200, 400 caps @ 600 mg.

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http://www.asiatour.com/vietnam/e-07dala/ev-dal10.htm
Jan Garanoz
Juhu Tara Road, Juhu,
Mumbai - 400049 India
Last updated: May 07, 2010