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 Dalat is located on a verdant plateau containing pine forests and lakes 300 km northeast of Ho Chi Minh City. At 1,500 meters above sea level, Dalat's cool climate provides a pleasant respite from the heat and humidity of the lowlands and it was for this reason that the French developed it in the early 1900's as a summer retreat. Dalat's colonial influences can still be seen in its cathedral and some of the 2,000 villas that dot the town. The town has a relaxed atmosphere and is very popular with Vietnamese holiday makers, primarily honeymooners.
In recent years, enormous amounts of money have been spent to restore the city to its former glory. Lakes have been dredged and cleaned, old buildings have been restored, and new hotels have been built. Foreign investors renovated an old French chateau, renaming it the Sofitel Palace Hotel, now managed by the Accor Group. The hotel's stone walls, wooden floors and fireplaces make it a unique hotel in Southeast Asia and a popular destination for honeymooners.
The Dalat Palace Golf Course, built in the colonial era but recently renovated, is a world-class golf course. Dalat's lakes and temperate climate allowed the course designers to build a challenging course with bent-grass greens and fairways, golf's premier playing surface.
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