Rough Guide to Vietnam - Jan Dodd [136]
Thien Vuong and Linh Phong Pagodas
From Tran Hung Dao two roads wiggle south, offering pleasant detours out into the countryside. Khe Sanh branches south off Tran Hung Dao, opposite Pham Hong Thai, and further south leads back to Highway 20. The focus of this detour is Thien Vuong Pagoda, remarkable for its trio of four-metre-tall, sandalwood statues (Sakyamuni, in the centre, rubs shoulders with the Goddess of Mercy and the God of Power), imported from Hong Kong in 1958, and for the huge statue of Buddha seated on a lotus, 100m up the hill above the pagoda. Stalls in front of Thien Vuong hawk the usual candied strawberries, artichoke tea and cu ly to the Vietnamese tourists who flock here, many of whom are young girls who come from all over Vietnam to pray for good fortune and a successful marriage.
Further east, Hoang Hoa Tham leads to colourful Linh Phong Pagoda, which is fronted by a gateway bearing a fierce, panting dragon face with protruding eyes. Behind its gaudy yellow doors, the pagoda exudes a peaceful aura. Its resident nuns are very friendly, and the remote location affords peerless views of the cultivated and wooded valley below.
The central highlands | Into the highlands | Da Lat and around |
Eating, drinking and nightlife
Da Lat has a broad range of restaurants serving Vietnamese, Chinese and international cuisines, as well as abundant food stalls. Head to the central market for pho, com and the like, as well as one or two vegetarian stalls, signed as com chay. It’s also the place to make up a picnic of bread, cheese and cake, complemented by fresh local berries.
For most locals, nightlife means a cup of coffee in one of the city’s atmospheric cafés. For visitors, there’s not much more unless you fancy a game of pool or a dance at one of the hotel discos. All the places listed below are marked on the Central Da Lat map "Central Da Lat", unless otherwise stated.
The central highlands | Into the highlands | Da Lat and around | Eating, drinking and nightlife |
Restaurants
Art Café 70 Truong Cong Dinh. Located in the heart of the budget hotel district, this place has stylish, bamboo-themed decor, and appealing dishes, such as capsicum stuffed with pork and minced beef wrapped in a herbal leaf, for around 50,000đ each. Spaghetti and vegetarian dishes are served too, plus cheap cocktails. 10am–9.30pm.
Da Quy 49 Truong Cong Dinh. Serves up very acceptable Western and Vietnamese fare in smart surroundings at competitive prices. 6.30am–11pm.
Hinh Nhu La (HNL) 94 Phan Dinh Phung. Convenient for the budget hotels, this place is smartly furnished and offers pizzas as well as a good range of Vietnamese dishes. 11.30am–11pm.
Le Rabelais 12 Tran Phu. Da Lat’s premier French restaurant enjoys a superb location on the ground floor of the Sofitel Dalat Palace, and offers delectable dishes like lobster with vanilla perfume and turnip cooked in soya ($39) 6am–10pm
Long Hoa 3 Thang 2. With a French-café ambience and attentive staff, Long Hoa serves tasty and filling Vietnamese dishes – kick off with a strawberry wine aperitif, while for dessert, the homemade yoghurt takes some beating. Two can dine for 150,000–200,000đ. 11am–9pm.
Moulin Rouge 83, 3 Thang 2. See map "Da Lat & Around". On a chilly day in Da Lat, the ideal meal is a hotpot, which is the speciality at this place with smart furnishings and well-dressed staff. For 220,000đ you get a host of ingredients to cook at your table to your taste – enough food for four. 6am–10pm.
Nhat Ly 88 Phan Dinh Phung. A hugely popular place with Vietnamese and foreigners alike for its wide menu of dishes at very reasonable prices. There’s a back room, if it’s full in front. 9am–9pm.
Ngoc Hai 6 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai. Tasty Vietnamese dishes, such as fried deer with curry, in a convenient location between the market and the lake. 9am–10pm.
Pho Ngoc Hiep 58 Tang Bat Ho. The speciality here is steamy bowls of tasty pho that fill a gap. 7am–10pm.
Thuy Ta 1 Yersin. See map "Da Lat & Around". Set