Dalat was originally slated to be the seat of French colonial power in Indochina. Known as “Le Petit Paris”, there’s even a mini Eiffel Tower erected by a homesick Frenchman in the 1940s.
Set in an untamed garden, the 17 French colonial villas of Ana Mandara Dalat resort that make up Ana Mandara were originally developed in the 1930s as “Bellevue Quarter”, a summer estate for well-heeled Vietnamese and French colonialists. Painstakingly restored by the Six Senses group to give the patina of faded opulence, they ooze a forgotten sense of style that’s the antithesis of today’s minimalist decor adopted by up-scale resorts.
“It’s taken four years to complete and to ensure authenticity everything has been restored rather than replaced where possible,” says Craig Douglas, Ana Mandara Villas’ general manager. The result is an impressive testament to the 1930s and an obsessive eye for detail.
The original unbuffed parquetry flooring and pine ceiling gives our room a comforting air and the simply framed canopy bed is draped with white netting. French doors with original brass fastenings open on to a small terrace and a dish of autumnal fruits creates a still life masterpiece on a side table.
I poach in an original claw-foot bath rather than take a quick shower, then curl up in a wraparound bay window with a book, a cup of local Dalat coffee percolating companionably. Dalat’s pine forests resemble a classic French Alpine scene and until 1928, they were hunted for wild boar and tigers. Gazing out of the window, one sees the fusion of cultures as a Vietnamese rickshaw lies artfully abandoned in untended grass near our French provincial villa.
Six Senses may consider itself to be rustic in sensibilities but it’s extraordinarily sophisticated when it comes to service. Smilingly attentive young women are clad in ochre fitted traditional jackets fastened over flowing ao dais, while discreet butlers materialise instantly at the press of a button. The 17 villas offer a range of accommodation from a five-bedroom family villa to an attic studio hideaway. There’s also a restaurant, secluded pool terrace and the Six Senses Spa.
Three rooms in villa 12 juxtapose the latest high-tech exercise equipment with inspiring glimpses of the 17-hectare pine forest estate. We take cocktails perched on tan leather club chairs grouped conversationally in front of a log fire in the French-style bar before deciding on whether to dine on the private veranda or in the romantic wine cellar.
If leaving the luxurious confines of your villa is too much effort, then executive chef Sanjeeva Ranasinghe and his staff will bring it to you.
Dalat is Vietnam’s agriculture heartland and the central market overflows with sumptuous fruit and vegetables. Using local herbs, organic vegetables and dairy products purchased daily at the local markets, Ana Mandara’s cuisine focuses on Dalat’s Vietnamese/French origins.
Vietnamese hot pots, rustic fare with classic burgers and baguettes, international favourites using local fish, pastas, organic pumpkin soup and classic tamarind pineapple soup are menu staples.
If you yearn to revisit the glamour days of the 1930s, the kitchen will fill a picnic basket and you can whirl off in a 1935 white Citroen convertible to find a secluded picnic spot with romantic lake and pine forest views.
TRIP NOTES
* Getting There: Jetstar operates three flights a week from Sydney and Melbourne to Ho Chi Minh City with connections linking other Australian capitals. For bookings phone 131 538 or see http://www.jetstar.com.
Vietnam Airlines has daily non-stop flights from Sydney and Melbourne to Ho Chi Minh City and internal flights to Dalat. See travel agents to book. Ana Mandara Villas Dalat will arrange airport transfer for the 40-minute drive to the resort.
* Staying There: Ana Mandara Villas Dalat & Six Senses Spa, Le Lai Street, Dalat is a member of World Resorts of Distinction. For reservations phone +84 43 633 9577 or see http://www.holidayindochina.com. For general tourism information go to http://www.sixsenses.com/evason-dalat.
Holiday Indochina.
Hotline: 0084-902 24 3637.
Email: sales@holidayindochina.com
Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/hotels-articles/ana-mandara-dalat-resort-vietnam-an-amazing-experience-1779237.html
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