News Nation, an Indian newspaper, has just named Vietnam the number one destination among the top cheapest countries you can visit without having to empty you bank account.

Tran Quoc Pagoda, Thanh Nien road, Tay Ho district, Hanoi. (Source: meogiaphoto)

“One among the cheapest countries to visit for people wanting to explore the rustic side,” the newspapers wrote.

News Nation has some words of advice for travelers that the mountain resort of Da Lat in the central highlands is the perfect feast. Vietnam is a super cheap travel destination, as well as a beautiful country of lush mountain scapes and sweeping white sands.

Other places to visit while in this beautiful country can be included Hanoi. The place also retains some of the French food culture where you will find some great patisseries producing croissants. Have a pint of Vietnam’s most popular brew, Bia Hoi and stop over in one of the eccentric fairytale rooms of the Crazy House in Da Lat city.

On the list, Vietnam is followed by Bolivia, Greece, Ireland, Cambodia.

Da Lat is home to a cherry-like apricot – Mai Anh Dao – known as the city’s floral emblem.

"Little Paris" of Vietnam

Da Lat always presents in Vietnam tourism map as one of the “must-come” names. Located at an altitude of more than 1.400 metres above sea level and having temperate weather (around 18 – 20 degree celsius), the city is considered as “little Paris” of Vietnam, with Xuan Huong lake, Cu hill, Tinh Yeu valley, Cam Ly waterfall, etc and fine forests and vibrant colours from thousands of kinds of flowers.

In 1893, scientist Alexandre Émile Jean Yersin discovered Da Lat and the French people embarked on building the place in a resort city over the next years. An agricultural station was formed in 1898 to research and experiment with plant species, including many varieties of flowers. After the research work, it was found that flowers from France and temperate zones were suitable to be grown on Lang Biang mountain.

Farmers from the north made great contributions to turning the plateau city into a ‘land of flowers’. In 1938, under the Nguyen Dynasty, 33 farmers from flower villages in Ha Dong province (now Hanoi), including Nghi Tam, Quang Ba, Van Phuc and Tay Tu, were invited by Emperor Bao Dai to use their plantation for flowers. After that, people from Ha Tinh, Nghe An, Quang Ngai and Thua Thien – Hue moved to Da Lat and became familiar with flower cultivation. As a result, the long-history of the flower villages, such as Ha Dong, Nghe Tinh, Thai Phien and Da Thanh hamlets, were formed.

Visiting Da Lat, visitors were very impressed by the thousands of kinds of flowers there. In addition to the flowers planted by people in parks, offices and gardens, the city has become famous for numerous beautiful wild flowers. They grew on the sides of the streets and in jungles, as well as clinging to the cliffs on the hillsides or the walls, creating a green beauty in the ‘flower city’. Flowers, nature and the misty atmosphere were the invisible strings making people from different regions become attached to this peaceful land.

Interestingly, local people here are fond of growing flowers by themselves in order to make their living spaces more beautiful. Over the past 100 years, many people throughout the generations have been industrious and ingenious in caring for the flower gardens in Hanoi, contributing to providing beautiful moments to flower lovers from all regions around the country. Currently, Da Lat leads the country on the area, quality and persification of the varieties of flowers.

Over the years, flower plantations have changed throughout the country’s history. In the past, Da Lat people grew flowers to make their houses and streets more beautiful or to serve restaurants and hotels. However, nowadays, flowers are the main products for them to earn living. The city became a huge flower garden. Da Lat’s flowers are now available in most of localities in the country, as well as in other countries around the world.

Lonely Planet’s secret marvels of the world

Lonely Planet has a released a book of its 360 amazing places 'Secret Marvels of the World' and Hang Nga Guesthouse in Da Lat is one of them.

Dalat has the power to not only romanticize but also inspire people to go beyond their limits. Hang Nga guesthouse, also known as the “Crazy House,” is a piece of artwork that really surpasses the limit of people’s imagination.

Designed by Vietnamese architect and impressionist Dang Viet Nga, this extraordinary building of non-rectilinear shapes has appeared in many international architectural journals and finally made its way to the list of the world’s ten most creative buildings, according to the Chinese People’s Daily.

The beds, says Secret Marvels, ‘are cradled in cauldronlike chambers’, while ‘latticed windows look like spiders' webs’.

Crazy House or Hang Nga Guesthouse in Da Lat city. (Photo: lily_barrett)

As the intention of the architect is to make a fairy tale house, the “crazy house” resembles a tree with uneven windows, tunnel-shaped stairways, etc. Both the exterior and the interior of the guesthouse are created and decorated with twisting organic forms and very few right angles. The hollow “tree” extends in many directions, rising above to reach to the sky of the amazing Da Lat.

Walking along the cave-shape hallways inside the house is not simply a visit but an exhilarating experience, a departure from the norm; wild mushrooms and spider webs popping up on your way is not unusual.

Besides, the guesthouse is really a spectacular construction with ten themed guest rooms such as the tiger room, the eagle room, the ant room and the kangaroo room…, with decorations and handcrafted furniture matching the theme.

According to Viet Nga, each room has its own meaning: the tiger room refers to the Chinese; the eagle room describes the American; and the ant room represents the Vietnamese, etc./.

VNF