Dalat Mountain is adrenaline and adventure places

Though when written in local tongue, the name 'Da Lat' may seem uncompromisingly Vietnamese, the name actually derives from the Latin phrase 'Dat Aliis Laetitiam Aliis Temperiem', which means 'giving pleasure to some, and freshness to others'. This picturesque, high altitude town couldn't be endowed with a more appropriate name. Its temperate weather makes it seem like spring all year 'round, and its nearby cliffs, lakes, and waterfalls make for adventurous fun for the adrenaline-fueled visitor.

After the warm coastal beaches, Dalat offers something different. Many are shocked to be able to see their own breath at night, and jackets are a must in the evening, making it a refreshing retreat for those looking to escape Vietnam's at times searing heat.

The city offers many charming tourist sights, including the man-made Xuan Huang Lake, which makes for a lovely walk. The beautiful Tuyen Lam Lake features a scenic tram ride that whisks you over top of its sparkling green waters. It's worth taking a trip over to the Crazy House, which is a bizarre but fun attraction designed by the daughter of Ho Chi Minh's third successor to the presidency. It's an Alice In Wonderland-type structure that visitors can actually stay in (though the constant stream of visitors that trek through the abode daily may get tiresome after a while).

If you like Crazy House, but have a hankering for some coffee, you’re in luck: 100 Roofs is a funky, jungle-like, multi-leveled café, where the service is excellent, and the coffee unbeatable.

But save your energy for Dalat's real treasure: the topography on the outskirts of the city. As you walk around the town, you’ll see endless ads for 'Adventure tours'. Don't ignore them. YouthAction provides an excellent canyoning tour that many tourists claim to be the best thing they did on their entire trip. Their enthusiasm is well earned. The tour begins with a self-controlled rollercoaster ride down a mountain. You control the breaks, and can go as fast or as slow as you like. It's much more exciting than climbing down the mountain to the walking path. After a bit of a hike, you'll find yourself hopping down cliffs (after a thorough canyoning training session), balancing carefully on a log over top of a river, using a waterfall as a waterslide, and free-jumping off a six-meter cliff. The big event is canyoning down a 30-meter waterfall, which may seem daunting, but is totally doable. Adrenaline will fuel your body with more than enough energy to hike back to the top of the mountain at the end of the day. You should have a few scrapes and nicks to show off at the bar that evening.

Many tourists also opt to try out the local Easy Riders to see the peaks and valleys of the Central Highlands. This is a great option for those who don't feel comfortable riding their own motorbikes. That said, even if you do ride a motorbike perfectly well, Easy Riders usually speak excellent English, and being themselves from the local villages, often know an exceeding amount of information about the sights you'll be seeing. Make sure to see their comment book, usually full of praise from tourists who have done their tour.

After a few days (or maybe a week) in Dalat, you'll find yourself cooled down and possibly physically exhausted from all the adventures you’ve been having. Best to head back to the beach – Nha Trang or Mui Ne – for some R & R.

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Jack Huff's Motor Lodge are Clean Room, Comfortable Bed, a Ton of Space, and Friendly Staff

A quick one night stay before heading to a cabin rental. Room was a double Queen on the third floor in the newer part of the building. Able to park close to the room. (Didn't realize til the next morning that there is an elevator in the center of the building)...however, it was such a short distance to the stairwell from where we parked that we probably would not have used elevator. Room was spotless. Handy to have both frig and microwave. Recliner/armchair was so comfortable...wish more hotels would have this. We missed having a desk to set our computer on, but the small round table sufficed. Bed was very comfortable. Did not notice noise from the street. Balcony shared with the next room overlooks parking lot/street. 

Walking distance to the Village and through the Village to the parkway. Slipped over to Donut Friar for a special treat early in the morning. At the hotel coffee is available in the morning in an alcove under the stairs near the elevator. Staff in the office is so friendly. We were able to leave our car in their lot after we checked out to stroll the parkway for a couple of hours. Even grounds staff are friendly and upon our departure gave us hints to get to our cabin and avoid the traffic generated by the Rod Run in Pigeon Forge.

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Top 5 Things to do in New York

If any city deserves to be viewed as the world's capital, it must be New York. Even more of a heavyweight than London, New York is a mammoth financial and cultural hub, plus it's physically huge.

New York consists of five boroughs (Bronx, Queens, Brooklyn, Manhattan and Staten Island). Each is the equivalent of a city in its own right and may be split into districts.

The giant mosaic owes its existence to the Dutch, who founded New York as Nieuw Amsterdam at the dawn of the 17th century. That slab of Dutch land so destined to change hands and grow explosively once stood on the site of modern Manhattan.

Find out the top five places to see across New York's five boroughs. If most have one thing in common, it is size. Most are huge. New York just does not do modesty.

1. Coney Island 

Coney Island is just a husk of what it was in its early 20th-century heyday. But the husk still has atmosphere. Eerie attractions with names that convey some of the old magic include Dreamland Roller Rink, the Cyclone rollercoaster, Luna Park and the Wonder Wheel, along with a dubious exhibit called Shoot the Freak. Sideshows by the Seashore is billed as the last place in the USA where you can experience the thrill of a traditional 10-in-one circus sideshow.
www.coneyisland.com

2. Times Square
Like Coney Island, Times Square may be past its best. The New York Times, after which the Square was named, has moved on. Remaining attractions such as Madame Tussaud's wax museum and Ripley's Believe it or Not could be more classy. Even so, Times Square has been called "New York's laboratory for unprecedented urban revitalization". Like neon London rival Piccadilly Square, Times Square is iconic. You just must get a blast of its webcam-heavy theater-land intensity.

3. American Museum of Natural History
One of the world's greatest science museums, the American Museum of Natural History is a giant complex crammed with fossils, gems and organic natural specimens. The culture vulture magnet takes up four blocks and hosts no less than 32 million items: greater than the population of Australia. Amid the immensity, you can learn about everything from spider silk to the Hubble telescope. Another draw is the "night at the museum" sleepovers.
www.amnh.org

4. Staten Island
Roughly triangular, Staten Island is twice the size of Manhattan but essentially a slab of suburbia. Why go there? For the views it affords of Manhattan and the Statue of Liberty. Then you can jump on the next boat back to the Big Apple.
www.statenislandusa.com

5. Bronx Zoo
A jungle within an urban jungle, Bronx Zoo sprawls over 265 acres. The vast expanse hosts over 40 species including marmosets, mandrills and Chinese alligators. The size of the zoo means that creatures too big to shoehorn into New York’s other zoos are present in force. Watch out for bison, bears, buffalo, elephants and rhinoceroses among other monsters.
www.bronxzoo.com

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