 In
1893, Dr. Alexandre Yersin, a protégé
of Louis Pasteur, decided to leave his ship docked at Nha
Trang to explore the central highlands of Vietnam. What he
found was Dalat. Quickly, he spread word about this evergreen-filled
region dotted with lakes and waterfalls.
By the time the city established itself in
1912, Dalat was already popular with Europeans as a cool retreat
from the sweltering heat of the coastal plains and the Mekong
Delta.
The recreation of these early tourists included
boating, tennis, big-game hunting and, since the 1920’s,
golf. Many of the French colonialists built vacation homes
in Dalat, and these villas remain standing today in all their
architectural splendor. It is these structures that give a
distinct Mediterranean look to the city.
Dalat lies at a lofty elevation of 1,500
meters (a mile high) in Lam Dong Province located in the central
highlands of Vietnam, 290 kilometers northeast of Ho Chi Minh
City.
 Known
for decades as both "Le Petite Paris" and
the "City of Eternal Spring", Dalat is blessed year
round with favorable weather amidst crisp, cool mountain air.
The joy of visiting Dalat begins with the
4 1/2 hour journey by car from Ho Chi Minh City on the Bien
Hoa Highway which winds through rice fields, banana farms
and rubber plantations. Alternatively, there is 50-minute
air service from Ho Chi Minh City in modern 70-seater planes,
with an additional direct service from Singapore anticipated.
 The
Sofitel Dalat Palace provides luxury accommodation
for visiting golfers. Many of the cascading waterfalls for
which the town is famed lie within easy reach of the hotel
and golf course, with the enchanting "Valley of Love"
nestled among tranquil hills a few kilometers away.
Since the opening of Dalat Palace Golf Club
in the 1920’s (originally a 9-hole course), the city
has hosted golfers from around the world, including American
champion Billy Casper.
In early 1994, Dalat emerged once again as
the ideal golf retreat in Southeast Asia with the revival
and expansion of Dalat Palace Golf Club.
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