Stopped for a couple of days in Dalat, a small town in the Central Highlands. It was a refreshing change from Ho Chi Min City, not just in terms of size but also climate (cooler and less humid but still lovely and warm) and topography (set in a mountain landscape, it reminded us a lot of the Italian lakes).  It's very famous in Vietnam for its strawberries and strawberry jam.  It's also known for it's wine.  We sampled all three and can comfirm they are terrific. 

The last 'emperor' of Vietnam, Bao Dai, had his summer palace here, which he used until he abdicated in 1945.  It's a nice walk up to where it's set in large grounds in a grove of pine trees.  Surprisingly, it's not at all like a royal palace - built in 1930's Art Deco style and the furniture and furnishings are quite simple.  But you can imagine how pleasant it must have been to relax there in summer away from the steamy heat of Saigon.

A pleaseant ride on a new cable car takes you to a wonderful new temple Lam Dong (we think), all glittering with gold leaf, on the outskirts of the town, set in the hills and overlooking a lake. The best fun, however, was a visit to a very pretty waterfall courtesy of a ride on a brand new, hi-tech rollercoaster type thing where you each 'drove' your own individual cart which swooped you down the mountainside.  Clearly this area is going to become more popular with the tourists.