Amy didn't fancy another train journey or a very long bus ride so we decided to break up our journey to Ho Chi Minh City and head inland to the mountain resort of Dalat. The journey was spectacular through the mountains and 7 hours later we were pleased to arrive at an attractive modern hotel which was also decorated with Christmas decorations. The resort was a little strange and it was a bit like being in the French alps but with lots of neon lights everywhere! The weather was much cooler (about 18 degrees in the evening) so in the evening we dressed in warmer clothing and headed out for dinner. The following day we arranged a very cheap bus tour of the sights which included the royal holiday home built in art deco style; I dressed up in traditional costume and sat on the throne which Amy found amusing. Dalat is a popular destination for Vietnamese honeymooners and we visited a park which had lots of cheesy romantic monuments including a giant love heart, there were pony rides and also swan necked pedalo's on the lake!
Although the town of Dalat wasn't that great the beautiful mountaneous scenery and a break from the hot weather made it a worthwhile stopover.