ĐÀ LẠT. DAY TOUR PART 1

17th Dec 2022

Roboman at 'Combiland' or 'Cactus City'. 

I joined a 'day' tour, on spec, to see what they had to offer. I was picked up at my hotel at 8.00am (very efficient) by a minibus with the other 'customers' already on board. They were all Vietnamese families, mainly mothers with children, and there were 14 of us. I had little idea of what we were going to visit. I was told that a couple of the usual stops had been changed...but don't know why.

The first stop was about 5 miles south-east of town. It was a restaurant perched on a hill with a viewing platform overlooking the scenic countryside to the west. Very nice, if not spectacular. I soon gathered that the Vietnamese families, rather like Japanese tourist groups, all had to take group photos with each person taking a photo of the others. It took a long time! Fortunately our guide, a chap called 'Richard' helped out to speed things up. He was, as it turned out, a very decent, helpful, knowledgeable and well-educated guy (Da Nang University) who spoke good English (for my benefit). Right: Richard insisted on taking this photo.

Left: An example of one of many rather smart looking villas in the hills, with magnificent panoramic views. I'm not sure if these are ex-French colonial, or more recent. It looks as if they have been converted into apartments.

Next on to 'Combi Land', or 'Cactus City' (not sure which) somewhere down the hill to the south. I couldn't really get my head around this. 'Roboman' (at the top) was standing at the entrance. It was a smallish area which contained many different types of cactus amongst which were positioned old and derelict American vehicles. Like this dilapidated double-decker bus (right).

Left: There was a pond in the middle with the ubiquitous Festive Christmas decorations, and a coffee shop to one side.

Right: It was all about cacti, and derelict vehicles. I gather it was trying to simulate a Mexican desert scenario. Can't think why.

Left: Another derelict in amongst the cacti. No, me neither! It all seemed rather incongruous. 

Right: There was a large covered area near the entrance with potted Christmas trees! They are much in demand.

Left: Next on to 'Snow Village Bali; Greenland 2'. This was near the entrance to the Robin Hill cable car terminus. Why Bali? Why Greenland? It was very popular. Artificial snow was occasionally showered over us. 

Our tour families loved it. Photos galore. The 'snow' on the ground and trees was made up of some fluffy synthetic stuff. The temperature was +23º here. The children threw 'snowballs' at each other. I suspect they would not be so enthusiastic, it would probably come as a shock, if they encountered the real thing! Right: I succumbed to Richard's insistence to have my photo taken.

I then retreated to a café downstairs. The others stayed for over an hour. They seem obsessed by our idyllic 'Winter Wonderlands'. Tell that to the frozen of UK! Plus Christmas, Rudolph, elves, reindeer, Santa, baubles  etc.

Left: ......and they like to dress their children up in OTT Christmas outfits.

Right: Just to add a further touch of unreality, overlooking this was a lady plonking away on a grand piano!

Left: An old telephone booth near the café where I was waiting. Another 'photo op' for some.

It was then on to lunch at a very decent Vietnamese restaurant in town.

I will leave that for now. Part 2 of this tour to follow. I bet you can't wait!