Da Lat

Da Lat, or Dalat, (pop. 120,000 as of 1999, spelled Đà Lạt in Vietnamese) is the capital of Lâm Đồng Province in Vietnam. The town is located 1500 m (4,920 ft) above sea level on the Langbiang Plateau in the southern parts of the Central Highlands (in Vietnamese - Tây Nguyên). According to a myth from the French colonial era, the name derives from the acronym of the Latin phrase 'Dat Aliis Laetitiam Aliis Temperiem' ("Giving Pleasure to Some, Freshness to Others"), which the French colonial government used in their official emblem of Đà Lạt. In reality, the name derives from the language of the local ethnic group Lạt and its original meaning is "Stream of the Lạt," and the acronym above is in fact a backcronym. In Vietnam, Đà Lạt is a popular tourist destination - highly appreciated for its temperate climate, beautiful sights such as waterfalls and lakes and its abundance of flowers and vegetables. It is the location of the Novotel Dalat (formerly Dalat Hotel) and Sofitel Dalat Palace (formerly Dalat Palace built in 1922).

Da Lat's specific sights are pine wood (forming the name: "City of thousands of pine tree") with roads twists and turns and tree marigold (Vietnamese: dã quỳ) blossom in the winter. This city has a unique temperate weather in such a tropical country like Vietnam. Mist cover valleys almost the year leads to its name "City of eternal spring". Under trees, near lakes and on valleys, many faithful romantic loves have been started and these loves resulted in some place names such as "Valley of Love" or "Pair of Tomb pine hill". That is why Da Lat is regarded as "City of love" where many Vietnamese couples choose it for their honeymoons.