Thursday, 29 November 2018

The way Da Lat makes you love at first sight

The way Da Lat makes you love at first sight
There are many names that the Vietnamese people use to refer to Da Lat such as The City of a Thousand Flowers, Dreamy City, Sad City, The Land of Love, The Land of Cherry Blossoms, Little Paris etc. Da Lat has always been depicted in literature, paintings and pictures, wandering about in contemporary arts and travelers’ hearts. It is hard to describe Da Lat because words do not do justice to the feeling you get when there, talking to the locals, feeling the cool breeze, watching flowers bloom, and enjoying authentic coffee.

Flowers, everywhere

The way Da Lat makes you love at first sight
In Da Lat, it is flower season all the time. They bloom in profusion in small alleys and gardens and parks, as also vast fields that seem to stretch into the horizon. Da Lat is a heaven filled with thousands of species of flowers. From the unofficial symbol of Da Lat – the Mexican Sunflower, to the Mimosa Flower (Silver Wattle), and the Cherry Blossom, these colorful beauties grow everywhere–from the sidewalks to the serpentine tracks around the mountains.

Unique homestays

The way Da Lat makes you love at first sight
Da Lat is a paradise for beautiful homestays at very affordable prices, starting from VND100,000 ($4.30) per night. Each homestay has its own style and characters. Some houses are built in the middle of the forest, or besides a big flower garden, or hidden away in a small, quiet alley, while some even have bars with live music or a café. The options are almost handless, and you will feel like trying many of them.

Weather

The way Da Lat makes you love at first sight 
The cool climate also makes it the perfect place to rest, relax, and be lazy all day. It will even be an excellent experience if you decide to book your accommodation at a more personal homestay or BnB instead of an upscale hotel.

Cloud hunting at dawn

The way Da Lat makes you love at first sight
Da Lat, the foggy town in Vietnam’s Central Highlands, has many names after its natural beauty such as the city of love, the city of flowers, or, thanks to its colonial heritage, Vietnam’s Little Paris. When you are in Da Lat, it would be huge miss not to wake up early and take in the beautiful, mystical sight of clouds and fogs lingering over the mountain tops. The vast sea of clouds and the tranquil atmosphere in Da Lat at Xuan Huong Lake, Cau Dat Tea Plantation, Pinhatt’s Summit and Hon Bo Hill make cloud hunting the best way to start a day. These are dream destinations for photography enthusiasts.

People

The way Da Lat makes you love at first sight
Southerners in Vietnam have a reputation for being hospitable and warm and Da Lat is no exception. But it is not just the locals that make Da Lat so pleasant, domestic travel agents also target the city for honeymooners which gives it a youthful and romantic feel not found anywhere else in the country.

Read more: Chill out in the newest spots in Dalat

Source Internet


Take a look at Vietnam's traditional festivals

Take a look at Vietnam's traditional festivals
Festivals in Vietnam offer visitors the best opportunity for getting up close and personal with the myths, customs and fun-loving spirit of this proud nation.

1. Tet Nguyen Dan (January/ February)

Tet Nguyen Dan (January/ February)
Tet Nguyen Dan marks the beginning of the Lunar New Year in the Vietnamese calendar and is certainly one of the most revered festivals in the country. This holiday is an occasion for the entire family to get together and indulge in rituals such as lighting fireworks, visiting temples, giving out flowers. 


2. Lim Festival (Mid February)

Lim Festival (Mid February)
Take a dip into the folk culture of Vietnam during the Lim festival, which is another prominent festival celebrated at the beginning of the year. Quan Ho, which is a UNESCO recognised tribe, perform their exquisite dances and a number of games are played in celebration of this festival. Traditional costumes and dragon boats are a common sight. Danh du (bamboo swings), tug-of-war, wrestling, cockfighting, human chess, and blind man's bluff are some of the games that are played during this time and is an interesting way to interact with the locals. 

3. Perfume Festival

Perfume Pagoda in Hanoi is the centre of the Vietnamese Perfume Festival which is celebrated the from the 6th day of the 1st lunar month until the end of the 3rd lunar month. Pilgrims from all over the country visit this shrine, and the pilgrimage begins with a dragon dance at Den Trinh Pagoda. The pilgrims then continue the journey on a boat along the Yen River up to the base of the Huong Mountain. 


4. Hung King Temple Festival (Early April)

Hung King Temple Festival (Early April)


Hung King Temple Festival is celebrated in the honour of Kinh Duong Vuong, who was the first king of Vietnam in 2879BC. A hundred lanterns adorn the night sky as a commemoration of this mighty king's contribution, while elaborate worship rituals are held in the Hung Temple. 


5. Hue Festival (April/May/June, every two years)

Hue Festival (April/May/June, every two years)
As a dedication to the colourful and illustrious legacy of the Nguyen Dynasty, Hue Festival is celebrated in the UNESCO-listed Hue City. This celebration is a unique display of numerous games, performances and cultural renditions and is a magnificent sight to behold. The formal celebration of this festival began in the year 2000 as a part of preserving the traditions and customs indigenous to Vietnam. 


6. Mid-Autumn Festival (Mid September)

Mid-Autumn Festival (Mid September)
This day is celebrated on the 14th and 15th day of the lunar month, and all age group celebrate it uniquely. Children carry paper lanterns across the town; colourful lion dances embellish the streets and food booths selling sticky rice, mooncakes, fruits, and various sweets adorn the sideways. Altars are set up in each household during the night, and various offerings are made to the full moon.


7. Hoi An Lantern Festival (14th day of every month)

Hoi An Lantern Festival (14th day of every month)
Celebrated on the 14th day of each lunar month, every outlet, house and businesses in the Ancient Town switch off its electrical lighting equipment and lights away a dim candle settled snugly in an ornate lantern. The entire city is lit up with thousands of these paper lights. The soft amber hue of the flame within shines against the Kohl of the night and turns this town into a magical place. 

Source: holidify

Discover the best dishes in Asian countries

Known as "the quintessence of a country", the cuisine is one of the main reasons why people love traveling to Asia. These signature dishes are not only tasty but also reflect the distinctive marks and special meanings of Asian countries.

Discover the best dishes in Asian countries


Pho (Vietnam)

Discover the best dishes in Asian countries
If you have a chance to travel to Vietnam, don't forget to try a bowl of pho. Pho is a noodle soup that is classically made from rice noodles, fresh herbs, vegetables (cilantro, lime, bean sprouts and chilies) and raw beef that cooks itself in a steaming bone broth.

Peking Duck (China)

Discover the best dishes in Asian countries
Peking duck is one of the most significant Beijing dishes. The duck meat is characterized by its thin, crisp skin, with authentic versions of the dish serving mostly the skin and little meat, sliced in front of the diners by the cook.

Pad Thai (Thailand)

Discover the best dishes in Asian countries
A dish of stir-fried rice noodles is thought by some to have been introduced to Ayutthaya during the time of the Ayutthaya Kingdom by Chinese traders and subsequently altered to reflect Thai flavor profiles. Pad thai is made with soaked dried rice noodles, which are stir-fried with eggs and chopped firm tofu, and is flavored with tamarind pulp, fish sauce, dried shrimp, garlic or shallots, red chili pepper, and palm sugar and served with lime wedges and often chopped roasted peanuts.

Bibimbap (South Korea)

Discover the best dishes in Asian countries
Probably the best-known Korean dish, Bibimbap is a must-try dish when traveling to South Korea. A hot stone bowl is filled with cooked rice and topped with vegetables, pickled Chinese radish, carrot, and mushrooms. Great care is taken to make the dish look attractive. Egg yolk and raw beef are also popular additions when stirred through they cook against the hot stone.

See more: Discover a taste of South Korea

Sushi (Japan)

Discover the best dishes in Asian countries
For the unfamiliar, sushi refers to the Japanese preparation of vinegared rice served with a variety of ingredients, mostly fish and other types of seafood. It’s commonly eaten with pickled ginger and dipped in soy sauce mixed with wasabi. Unlike sushi which may contain cooked or prepared ingredients, sashimi is always served raw and without rice.

Banh Mi (Vietnam)

Discover the best dishes in Asian countries
If you’re planning on traveling to Vietnam, the one sandwich you will hear about and will not want to miss is the Bánh Mì sandwich. This famous Vietnamese sandwich has been consistently ranked as one of the world’s best sandwich. A typical Vietnamese sandwich is a fusion of meats and vegetables from native Vietnamese cuisine such as chả lụa (pork sausage), coriander leaf, cucumber, and pickled carrots and daikon combined with condiments from French cuisine such as pâté, along with mayonnaise.

Dim Sum (Hong Kong)

Discover the best dishes in Asian countries
If there’s one type of cuisine in Hong Kong that you’ll likely want to eat, again and again, it’s dim sum. Usually served for breakfast or lunch, the difficult part is choosing where to go amid the dizzying number of options. Hong Kong dim sum sessions were about tea appreciation - that's why dim sum meals are commonly known in Cantonese as yum cha.

Beef Noodle (Taiwan)

Discover the best dishes in Asian countries
Beef noodle soup often referred to as beef noodles, is a Chinese and Taiwanese noodle soup made of stewed or red braised beef, beef broth, vegetables, and Chinese noodles. It exists in various forms throughout East Asia and Southeast Asia. The beef noodle soup was first created by the Hui people during the Tang Dynasty.

Chicken Rice (Singapore)

Discover the best dishes in Asian countries
You can say chicken rice is a comfort food among many Singaporeans. Not only is this a cheap dish, but it is highly fragrant, filling and nutritious. The rice itself is made via a complicated process of balancing the right amounts of garlic, ginger and chicken broth to achieve a fragrant rice. The chicken too undergoes a complex process of steeping at sub-boiling temperatures to create a stock and reusing the broth over and over again.

See more: Enjoy the best traditional Indian dishes

Source Internet