Dizzying Highs in Dalat

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the dizzying highs of

dalat WORDS: connla stokes

Find adventure in the electric-green uplands of Vietnam – or drop in to one of four new Asian meccas for thrill-happy travellers

W

hen a man is tired of London, he is tired of life,” declared Samuel Johnson.

But that was 1777 and he’d never been to Vietnam. What would he make of Ho Chi Minh City: the great experiment of Asia; a melting pot of communism and capitalism; a place where every minute on the streets is a riot of chaos, traffic, adrenaline and noise? Vietnam’s biggest metropolis is as unruly as it is intoxicating, and it’s hard not to get the blood flowing in a city where a bottle of beer is less than a buck.

It is possible, however, to become tired of Ho Chi Minh City. Eventually, the city of scooters (millions!) will have you pining for nature. Many visitors make a predictable beeline for the beach – there’s no shortage of golden sands – but for those wanting high-altitude thrills in the great outdoors, there’s another option. Head inland and upland to Dalat, a small, picturesque city among pine-clad mountains, 1,500 metres above sea level and about 300 kilometres from Vietnam’s commercial hub.

DALAT, vietnam

WORDS: Connla Stokes

NICKNAME City of Eternal Spring CLIMATE Average daily temps 15–24°C TIME TO GO All year (dry season is Dec–Mar) BEST FOR Canyoning, jungle trekking, biking PACK Warm clothing for cool mountain nights

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dalat’s eyemeltingly verdant hills

“the city of scooters will have you pining for nature.”

The temperate climate, evergreen surroundings and knock-your-socksoff scenery have long lured visitors to Dalat’s slopes. The city was colonised by the French 100 years ago as a retreat for weary émigrés looking to escape the soupy heat of Ho Chi Minh City (then Saigon).

Back then, adventure tourism possibly involved a spot of tiger hunting.

Nowadays, outdoor pursuits are thankfully a little more sustainable.

Thrillseekers can be found rappelling through waterfalls, biking or trekking along jungle trails, whitewater rafting or ziplining through the treetops. The tigers, unfortunately, are almost extinct – but at least you needn’t worry about losing your limbs to a 150-kilo kitten.

Dalat is known as the ‘Honeymoon Capital’ of Vietnam (newlyweds flock here to the Valley of Love) but in recent years it has also evolved into something of a mecca for outdoor pursuits.

Englishman (and non-rapper) Chris Brown, a property consultant in Ho Chi Minh City, came here for the weekend even though the word ‘canyoning’ meant nothing to him. “I had zero experience and suddenly I’m abseiling through a massive waterfall!” he beams.

After passing his first significant test, Chris is led towards the section disconcertingly dubbed ‘the Washing Machine’ by the guides. He gingerly makes his way through a tight crevice with a

The watchtower, koh tao

1. Let the Good Times Roll in thailand Adventure island: Koh Tao, Gulf of Thailand Koh Tao is a well-established diving site but nature also blessed this craggy little island with thick jungle, huge granite boulders and panoramic hilltop views. That inspired Goodtime Adventures to offer a much wider range of ‘out there’ activities than the norm. The company has established numerous rock climbing routes and has found spots for cliff jumping and abseiling, too.

Water-based activities include scuba diving from a fibreglass boat, snorkelling, wakeboarding and speedboat handling courses. Goodtime Adventures offers customised tours, so you can call the shots as the day progresses. And to cap it all off, they also know the best spots for a great night out! gtadventures.com

mountain biking past still water… …or bouncing through the rough stuff

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2. Jungle holiday in cambodia The back of beyond on the Mekong Explore the backwaters of this still-remote South-East Asian country with AdventureCambodia. Follow the Mekong River from the Laos border to Phnom Penh, kayaking through flooded forests (where you’ll encounter freshwater dolphins) before boarding a two-deck cruiser bound for Cambodia’s capital. If you prefer two wheels and muddy tracks, sign up for a cross-country dirt bike tour departing Siem Reap (near the awe-inspiring Angkor Wat temple complex) and ending in the coastal party town of Sihanoukville, discovering some of the country’s most amazing ‘lost cities’ and jungle temples along the way. Cambodia is a land of plenty for adventure seekers. adventure-cambodia.com camping in cambodia

“The beauty of Dalat is you can do most activities 365 days a year.” torrent of water pummelling down on his head and shoulders. “I’m thinking this isn’t so bad,” Chris recalls, “until a voice says, ‘Let go!’ ” “Come again?” Chris calls out.

The voice commands him again: “Just let go!”

And so he does. “The flow of the water sweeps you through to the other side and dumps you deep down into the mouth of the river,” Chris explains. “Pretty hairy, but thrilling too!”

The pioneer of adventure tourism in Dalat is Brian Vierra, founder and general manager of Phat Tire Ventures.

A passionate adventurer with a vague business plan, Vierra left behind his life on the east coast of the US to move to Dalat a dozen years ago. “I knew about the microclimate, which was obviously pretty appealing, but this really started out as a hobby for me,” he says.

The beauty of Dalat, Vierra says, is you can do most activities here 365 days a year. “That rarely happens anywhere in

the world,” he notes. The only exception is whitewater rafting, which is scuppered by the dry season.

Besides the buzz-inducing canyoning options, Vierra advises fit thrillseekers to tackle Dalat’s mountain bike trails.

“We have world-class routes and there are hundreds of kilometres of them, which means we can come up with new routes every year,” he says.

After a day of negotiating waterfalls, Chris jumps on a bike to do 70 kilometres of a mountain bike trail. “The first 30 kilometres involves a lot of uphill riding, which is challenging, especially if you’re stupid enough to wear flip-flops, like my mate!” he says.

But Chris’ persistence is rewarded: “After you reach a plateau you hit a 30-kilometre descent that winds through a national park. The views are stunning even when you’re bombing down the hill at a frightening pace.”

Trekking might seem like the least dramatic option on paper, but Cathy, May/June 2013

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phattireventures.com

Get There

By road Mai Linh Express and Phuong Trang run daily bus services to Dalat from Nha Trang and Ho Chi Minh City. From Nha Trang the ride is about four hours; from Ho Chi Minh City it takes six to seven hours. If you’re travelling in a small group (and you’re worried about long legs in cramped seating), consider hiring a car or mini-van.

By air Vietnam Airlines (vietnamairlines.com) flies daily to Dalat from Ho Chi Minh City and Danang, and four times a week from Hanoi.

Budget airline Vietjet Air (vietjetair.com) flies daily from Hanoi. Dalat’s Lien Khuong Airport is 30 kilometres south of the city. Make sure you ask your hotel to arrange an airport transfer, or find out the flat fee for taking a cab before you get in (if you’re charged by the meter you’ll pay way too much).

para in jayan raya

3. Fly indonesian skies A bird’s-eye view of Bali Bali is no secret, but you can rise far above the madding crowd by paragliding or even paramotoring. The main flight zone and training centre for Bali Paragliders Club is located at Timbis near Bali Cliff Resort. Glide over rugged cliffs, pristine beaches, blue seas, temples and over-ambitious surfers riding waves on stunningly jagged coral reefs. “Essential items” – described as cold drinks and, er, cigarettes – are available at take-off, and the club’s website notes “there is always a friendly Balinese to pack your canopy away, just the way you like it, after an afternoon of flying.” Another flight zone enables you to circumnavigate smouldering Mount Batur, an active volcano with four craters. It last erupted in 1994, so it probably won’t erupt on you or your chute. But if it does, just imagine the view! baliparagliders.com

it’s not all wet: rock climbing, dalat

“TREKKING might seem like the least dramatic option on paper, but it’s really intense!”

4. walk the line in laos Ziplining in Dong Hua Sao National Park

not pictured: fear, quiet sobbing

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Deep in the Lao countryside, Jungle Hotel Paksong comprises six tree houses (with ensuite bedrooms) 20 metres above ground, like an Ewok village. This is HQ when you sign up for the Tree Top Explorer experience, which includes ziplining, trekking and rock climbing. This ‘jungle gym’ is accessible only by foot through coffee plantations and lush forest, so you won’t have much company, just the odd curious yellow-cheeked gibbon. The system of ziplines traverses steep gorges within touching distance of Kamet Waterfall, which plunges 120 metres into the river basin. treetoplaos.com

an American teacher, insists, “It’s more than just a trip through the jungle – it’s really intense!”

She recalls her excursion with Phat Tire Ventures as “the most exciting, adrenalinefilled experience of a lifetime. It was months ago, but I can’t stop talking about it.”

Prior to her trek, Cathy (like Chris) had gone canyoning down a number of smaller cliffs before coming to an “unbelievably high and powerful waterfall”.

“At first it felt like an invigorating leg massage, but the water started to pound harder and harder as I went down, then the rope ended about 10 feet above the water.”

What did she do? “Well,” she says, “then I heard this voice say, ‘Let go!’ ” You don’t need to stay in a fancy beachside resort to get the plunge pool treatment in Vietnam. In the thick of the jungle it’s on the house.