Dalat is this tiny pretty hilly town in South Vietnam, and reminds me a little of Panchgani. We were there for the Flower Festival in January, but managed to catch quite a few sights besides the flower show.

A guided tour on bike proved to be a hilarious ride: 3 of us (Anshu, Souvik & I) on 3 bikes with guides who decided to give us middle-aged folks a nice shaking up!

The Biker Gang

Dalat is well-known for its flowers – sold all over the country. So we did visit a Gerbera farm, followed by a silk farm, and then a cricket farm (too much for my vege sensibilities!)

Gerbera Farm

Silk Farm

Cricket & Silkworm Pakodas

We also managed to catch a waterfall; the guide was amused, watching us scramble up and down the boulders and me almost taking off with the current.

Our last stop on this wild ride was the ‘Old Railway Station’, which is actually the current functioning railway station that multi-tasks as a photo-op.

Couldn't resist the "Dilwale Dulhaniya . . ." pose

Shooting on the tracks

With all the excitement on the backseat of a bike, we almost ditched the Flower Show. Good sense prevailed, however, and the exhibition did not disappoint. Here are my favourite shots:

Both Anshu & I being vegetarian, we had quite a challenge with meals. One look at the hot-pot, and we lost our appetites! (It’s just a lot of boiling water in a pot on the dinner table; various creatures and some greens just get thrown into the pot to be consumed after a few minutes – no salt, no spices) We did look up our trusty Lonely Planet guide, and ended up at the Art Cafe for a hearty dinner.

I would love to head back there for a weekend, to enjoy the hills and the flowers, minus the crowds . . . just waiting for a good excuse.