Dalat - Nha Trang

Following eight days in the sizzling surroundings of Saigon, it was time for us to depart for the heady heights of Da Lat.We took an overnight hard-sleeper bus and having endured a pretty torrid night's 'sleep' on rather thin beds, we arrived early morning at the main tourist stop of the Central Highlands.

Da Lat was originally crafted by the French at the start of the 19th century, who discovered the cooler climates and opportunity for rural growth.They constructed 3000 villas and the major road network, before being ousted in 1955 by the Vietnamese.It is for this reason it carries the moniker 'Le Petit Paris', and the European aura still remains today.Driving in to the town centre, you would be forgiven for believing you had crossed continents.The broad roads are littered with traditional red and white striped barriers, ala Monaco-style.Swiss chalets sit perched high on the neatly kept gardens, and there is a coolness and crispness in the air found only high up in the mountains.Even the mental Vietnamese traffic seemed relatively calm and sparse.

We spent the day meandering around town, dropping in for a cherry tea with the ex-mayor of Da Lat, and long term poet and inspiration Duy Viet. A tranquil haven, hidden away down a back alley, his home is awash with poetic scrolls and workings from a lifetime of thought.He took Chloe under his wing, peppering her with flowers and serving home-made cakes for all. Later that afternoon, we wandered the lake and even went for a little paddle on a pedallo before sundown.All very romantic, and a way in which most would be hard-pressed to avoid here.

We also decided to book one of the famous 'Easy Rider' tours that people seem to go so mental about.As a company, Easy Rider has grown in leaps and bounds since its appearance in the wake of the Vietnam War.Once borders were re-opened in the 80s, a group of locals established work by ferrying tourists and locals from the bus station to the city centre on the back of their motorbikes. Nowadays, travellers have an abundance of tailor-made tours at their disposal, across the entire of Vietnam.Unfortunately, due to their popularity and relative ease to replicate, there are many copy-cats offering the 'Easy Rider Experience' throughout the streets of Da Lat.We went through the Lonely Planet recommendation to ensure we got the right guys, who were found chillaxin' at the Peace Café.

For $22 each, we were whisked away for the day on the back of Rocky and Thung(?!)'s motorbikes around the beautiful countryside of the Lam DongProvince.We were taken from pagodas to silk farms, flower gardens to coffee plantations - each taking it in turns to fascinate us with their wealth of knowledge about the area and its true meaning to the locals.The highlight however was Elephant Falls.Following the heart-breaking damming of the majestic Pongour Falls, this waterfall is the largest and most impressive in the region.After a short snack on cow stomach (yep, you read that right!) we made our way down the tight, barely-allowed-to-be-acknowledged-as-steps to the bottom.After a wrong turn which led us to a provocative Gaysian photo shoot (yep, you read that right too!) we found ourselves at the foot of the falls.We crept through a narrow tunnel and were able to slowly, slowly work our way across the slippery rocks and behind the torrent of water belting down from above.We were instantly drenched by the spray blowing in to us, but the view and the feeling was more than compensation. Absolutely incredible.Neither of us had ever had the chance to stand so close to a waterfall like this before, and the sheer power was breathtaking.The fun wasn't to stop there though, as I was overly-ecstatic to find a game of football taking place back at the summit between another tour and the local children!Seeking no permission whatsoever, I bound on to the pitch and attempted to show the world my tekkers.. much harder when wearing huge moon boots and having little kids nibbling at your ankles constantly!It was so, so, so good though to see the joy and happiness in the kiddie's faces that the beautiful game brought them and an escape from the toil of daily life in the mountainous regions of rural Vietnam.

We finalised the tour with a quick scoot around Crazy House, a Gaudi-inspired, twisted fantasy house which blends Walt Disney with Salvador Dali.The whole place is a concoction of madness.It even acts as a hotel, with guests paying $100 to sleep in an Alice in Wonderland-esque bedroom chamber.It is still unfinished but rather bizarrely, you are still free to roam the half that is half-built, unpainted, unfurnished, and against all safety regulations.

Having had a taste of the open road, we decided it was our turn.Without much thought in to how it may all unfold, we booked a tour headed from Da Lat to Nha Trang - by bicycle.There are many things to do in Da Lat, such as canyoning and trekking, but we felt this would really be something different to the norm of extreme activities.It would be 68km from A to B, with the richest of rewards following the initial 33km up & down rollercoaster ride.From here, it would be an exhilarating 25km downhill descent, weaving and winding our way from the peaks of the Central Highlands down to the hot, humid climate of the Eastern coastline.

We set off bright and early, and were delighted to discover no-one else had booked so it was just us two and our own personal guide!We were driven a few kilometres outside of Da Lat to escape the traffic, and establish ourselves on the bikes.Fully kitted out, we set off - with absolutely no idea what was in store ahead!Now whilst we're not the unhealthiest of people, we're certainly not the most active and neither of us had ever even considered something like this, let alone done it!The furthest I'd been on a bike before was one summer's day back in MK when Gibbs, Rob, Singles and I cycled along the canal to the Quarries!

The setting was stunning, with lush, green vegetation cascading down deep in to the wilderness below us.It was startlingly hot but we breezed through the first few kilometres, being waved on by every single passing motor vehicle on the road!We had become accustomed to the friendliness of the Vietnamese nature, but something was different this time around.There was a sense of hilarity in their voices, broader smiles than normal - clearly what we were doing, by the locals' accord, was insane.We loved it.

It wasn't long however before we reached our first real ascent.This was to be hard work! We chucked the gears down a couple of notches and paced ourselves up and round the meandering roads.Every corner was met with a mild groan, as another punishing climb appeared before our eyes.We stuck through it though, and naturally what goes up must come down!Wow.More fun than the fair! With my long, luscious locks flowing wildly from the side of my helmet, I hurtled down at break-neck speed, leaving the much more sensible Chloe way behind to take it all in.

Drinks break came and went, and after some emergency first-aid to Chloe's leg following an attack by some rather vicious grass, it was back in to the ups and downs of the Highlands.It was roasting hot by now, sweat was dripping, and we were only 15km or so in! We wound our way through some beautifully traditional minority villages and along streams and waterfalls and as the land balanced itself out for a while, we were able to sit back, relax, and comprehend just what we were doing.

Before we reached the summit however, we were to be pushed to our boundaries one last time.This time it really was all hands to the pump, as the road seemingly went up, and up, and up forever.Poor little Chloe by this time was cramping up and finding aches and pains popping up all over her body, but as the trooper that she is, pushed on until she could give absolutely nothing else.As the tour guide took care of her, I was told to push on to the top and catch a breather.

Following a brief photo session with a group of Asian tourists, who found it fascinating that someone was on a bike, the fun was to really start.25km continuous descent, through some of the most breath-taking scenery Vietnam had to offer.We began way up high, the hilltops basked in cloud, and cruised down past dozens of waterfalls, rock falls, sheer jagged drops, and a panoramic view for miles and miles.As we looked down, we could see the fun that lay ahead - as the road clung tightly to mountain edge, winding down and down.

For what felt like an eternity, the pedals remained untouched, with just the occasional squeeze of the brake pads to keep us from bounding over the fringe.As the altitude dropped, the temperature rose.The camera was brought out for a few souvenirs but I am certain that no photo will do the ride, and the scenery, any justice.Eventually we reached the bottom, and were greeted by a huge feast of fresh sandwiches and fruit.We John Wayne'd our way over to the river front and smashed an unbelievable amount of food in an incredibly short amount of time.My stomach had been like the furnace of a steam train firing off one lump of coal.I could literally feel it grabbing the food from my mouth, desperately eager to replenish the barren shelves within.

A short car-ride to the city in the back-up vehicle, and the adventure was over. We were dropped off at our hotel by our fantastic tour guide and it was time to say goodbye and thank you for what had been one hell of an adventure and something that we will never forget.We were pushed hard and tested to our (albeit rather lacklustre) limits but were rewarded with a sense of achievement and memories that will live long on.Now it's time to take our foot off the gas for a few days and enjoy the sun and sand of Vietnam's most famous beach destination, Nha Trang.