It is referred to as “Le Petit Paris” although we thought it looked much more like Switzerland. Regardless, Dalat is a little slice of Vietnamese Nirvana at 4,425 feet above sea level in the Central Highlands region of the country. It is refreshingly cool and dry, with average summer temperatures hovering around 70-80 degrees Fahrenheit. When we arrived in Dalat, we had an overwhelming sense of relief to be out of the oppressive heat and humidity of the lowlands. We were dumbstruck to see the locals in winter hats, gloves, and parkas at night when the temperature dropped to a chilly 65 degrees F!!! Dalat’s charm is not just in its cool temperatures. As the official “honeymoon capital” of Vietnam, the city is literally brimming with the most spectacular, brilliantly colored flowers we have ever seen. ... read more

During our stay in Ho Chi Minh City, Joe and I visited the Cao Dai (pronounced “cow dye”) Great Temple in the city of Tay Ninh, located about 2 hours northwest of HCMC on the Cambodian border. The temple was an extraordinary experience of architecture, sculpture, color, sound, and spirit. Our small tour bus arrived at the Cao Dai Holy See (the complex which houses the temple, administrative offices, residences, and a well known hospital of traditional Vietnamese herbal medicine) around 11:30 a.m., just in time for us to observe the noon prayer session - one of 4 daily ceremonies that all devotees attend (the others are at 6am, 6pm and midnight). Cao Daism is a fusion of Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, native Vietnamese spirituality, Christianity, Islam, and “a dash of secular enlightenment.” The term “Cao Dai” ... read more

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