| |
Anne
Merritt is Canadian and has an English Literature
degree. She has worked as a journalist for a
university newspaper. She is currently living
in Ayutthaya as an ESL teacher and is sharing
her experience of Thailand with KhaoSanRoad.com
Other articles by Anne Merritt:
Other articles by Anne Merritt:
Crocodile
Rockin' in Samut Prakarn - Lopburi
Monkey Festival - Saraburi
Sunflower Fields - Koh
Tao: Island Travel at a Turtle's Pace -
Doi
Suthep: Exploring Chiang Mai's Spiritual Side
- Full
Moon Party - The
Life of Pai – Northern Thailand's Sweetest Find
- Sister's
are Doing it for Themselves - Coming
Together on Koh Samet - So
you want to teach in Thailand? - Halong
Bay: Vietnam's Jewel on the Water - Zen
and the Art of Marketplace Haggling - Laos
Lifts Us Up Where We Belong - Kuala
Lumpur: Off the Backpacker Route and Into the
Big City
- Water
Water Everywhere - the Songkran Festival Explained
-
Da Lat's Easy Riders - Swimming
in Sihanoukville - Thailand
Books for Travellers; a KSR Guide to the Backpackers'
Favourites - Luang
Prabang - Volunteering
with Elephants - Seeing
Kanchanaburi through the Eye of the Tiger
-
Hoi An - Strolling Through Vietnam's Prettiest
Colonial Town - Slowly
down the Mekong - Traveling
as a Couple; Some Tips in Thailand - The
Vegetarian's Guide to Thai Food
|
| |
| For the Vietnamese, Da Lat's cool altitude
makes it an agricultural hotspot, while
the pretty vistas and mountain landscapes
makes it a honeymoon capital as well. The
temperatures, which can dip down to freezing
in the coldest months, has attracted overheated
expats since the French colonial days. This
quirky town boasts layers of personality,
and the best way to see it all is with Vietnam's
quirkiest tour group, the Da Lat Easy Riders.
|
| |
| First of all, let it be known that you
don't need to go to a tourist office to
find the Easy Riders. Odds are excellent
that one of the group's 75 members will
find you, spotting your rucksack a mile
off and wheeling up with directions to hotels,
tips on local food to try, and of course,
promotion of their services. Though their
touting may seem assertive, especially if
you're just stepping off a long bus ride,
these guides are some of the friendliest
people you'll meet in Vietnam. |
| |
| Even tourists who normally drive their
own bikes will benefit from the guides'
witty understanding of the city and its
surroundings. Whether your passion is rural
temples, exotic farms, or waterfalls, the
Easy Riders will tell you the most popular
sights in the area and help you tailor your
itinerary to fit your tastes. Don't shrug
off the odder-sounding sights, like persimmon
storehouses or coffee plantations. The spots
are likely run by friends of your guide,
and they will give you demonstrations and
offerings that no museum could. |
| |
| On the morning of my tour, when the rain
drizzled down on Da Lat, my guide showed
up at the guesthouse with raincoats to spare.
Throughout the day, he answered every question
under the sun, from "who was Le Loi and
why are so many streets named after him?"
to "how do Vietnamese people feel about
tourism?" with an impressive command of
the English language. At the end of the
day, with a head full of facts and a camera
full of photos, I was all too pleased to
sign my guide's comment book, which was
dense with pictures and kind notes of other
customers. |
| |
| The Easy Riders will give you a heap of
options for how to fill your day. Below
are some of Da Lat's most popular destinations: |
| |
Crazy House
The daughter of a Vietnam's second communist
president studied architecture in Russia
before building this elaborate guesthouse,
which looks like the psychedelic set of
a children's show. It's worth exploring
for the Smurf-village-like designs, and
the ensuing discussion of "...but is it
art?" |
| |
Lake of Sorrow
For a dose of local folklore, ask your guide
to share the legend behind this popular
honeymoon spot, where two young lovers met
a Shakespearean fate. |
| |
Prenn Falls
Though waterfall enthusiasts may want to
head further out of town for the bigger
falls, this spot, a scenic 10km-ride out
of town, is surrounded by pretty hiking
paths. |
| |
Silk Worm Breeder
For any traveller who's dropped a few dong
on silk souvenirs, it's interesting to see
the rustic beginnings of this elegant fabric.
Here, you can watch silkworm cocoons being
boiled to unravel the threads, and ask questions
to the patient staff (here, the Easy Riders
will serve as interpreters). |
| |
|
Persimmon/Coffee/Strawberry Farms
Not only are the farmlands beautiful on
the outskirts of Da Lat, it's interesting
to watch the leafy green origins of the
coffee plant, or the persimmon's lyme-curing
process. More interesting is the insight
you'll get into Vietnamese agriculture,
and how its economics changed after the
Soviet Union's collapse.
|
| |
Old Train Station
If Da Lat's faux-Eiffel tower has you contemplating
French colonialism, don't miss this French-built
train station, which looks more suited for
Lyons than Southeast Asia. While the museum-like
station is a bit lacking in displays, the
old-model locomotives and grand architecture
are telling of France's high hopes for Vietnam
as a colony. |
| |
| While Easy Riders tours can
vary in price, depending on whether you
book several days with your driver. The
20$ I paid for a full day (and raincoat)
was well worth it. |
|
