This report flows from my "HO CHI MIN (Saigon) & DA LAT" on the 'VN Trip & Road Report' section of this site. A change in circumstances resulting from a fall gave us a unique insight into, indeed first-hand experience with hospitalisation in VN, one's treatment & care, pharmaceuticals & so on. With our usual adventure touring put on hold, I decided to write this somewhat clinical report to cover such circumstances & also to better review Da Lat itself - its restaurants, cafes & bars, accommodation options & tourist spots; mundane information but I trust of use to others travelling.
HOSPITALS & PHARMACIES
The accident occured in a township along R27 some 80kms north of Da Lat. We were taken to the local hospital staffed by a doctor & a couple of nurses but functioning more like a school infirmary. Language was a problem:
After an initial medical overview & the cleaning & bandaging of cuts & grazes it was arranged for an ambulance to take us to Da Lat Hospital where the ambulance charge promptly jumped from $50 to $75 - still incredible for an 80km journey - but no receipt would be provided. Welcome to VN!
Da Lat Hospital is a substantial, practical building, very clean, well maintained, fully equiped & well staffed. Casualty was professional & one of the doctors spoke english. CT scans ($40) & X-rays ($10) were taken. Given a head injury was involved the hospital wished to keep the patient under observation, so as foreigners we were taken to intensive care for maximum attention where a team of some 10 doctors & around 25 nurses attended to your medical needs. Medication (paid separately) - antibiotics, tetanus, anti-coagulant, anti-inflamatory - was all of French origin. My wife ultimately spent a comfortable 3 nights/4 days there in such surroundings & the total bill came to just over $59!
The 'stay' would give us a wonderful insight into both the hospital system & the local people. When you are hospitalised in VN, the hospital & staff attend uniquely to your medical needs. Family & friends camp in the corridors outside & during regular visiting hours provide all the rest - food & drink, body massages, a wash as required........ A foreigner could easily misinterpret the 'system'. It takes time to learn as only 1 of the 10 doctors on-hand spoke good english, none of the nurses. Well stocked pharmacies by the way are common throughout Da Lat.
The locals quickly see you as one of them; they try instantly to comfort you through taking you by the shoulder, through a pat on the back; language finally is no barrier to human kindness. Everyone quickly picks up on your mannerisms & before long all & sundry are offering you a smiling "g'day" whilst teaching you the VN equivalents.
Hopefully the above information will assist any others facing a similar misfortune.
INCIDENTAL INFORMATION
A couple of other points flowing from the trip up to hospitalisation:
- Local agent - my research showed & it proved to be the case, that using a local agent in VN to carry out your every affair is both wise & very cost effective. I found that they were able to secure hotel rooms at prices almost half of the best price I was quoted or could find on internet; they secure well maintained rental bikes, they are in contact throughout your journey to ensure all goes well & ready to assist if needed....... My agent is Falmingo Travel with offices in Hanoi & HCMC, well known to GTR.
- Bikes - 110 Honda Waves (there's not much choice in VN) at $3.50/day. Tel Anh on 0937389238 though its easier to go through Flamingo.
- Maps - there's simply nothing of quality or more than little use. Its difficult to find exits, there's little signage, its not easy to differentiate major roads from any others..... Strongly suggest you bring/use GPS.
- Gear - only 'upside-down plate' helmets are available in VN; motor-bike gear shops are hard to find. Bring your gear including helmets.
- Phuong Trang - operates buses across VN. HCMC-Da Lat in a modern 96 seater air-conditioned coach was $9/person one way with a company car picking you up at your HCMC hotel & dropping you at you hotel in Da Lat. Its a 6hr minimum trip.
RESTAURANTS
I'll summarise the various restaurants we experienced below but suffice to say that given the incredible fresh produce market Da Lat possesses, its restaurant scene is very much in its infant stage. The simpler things are very well done & of excellent quality, but more complex, more sophisticated dishes are surprisingly not yet available (other than at Da Lat Palace's Le Rabelais restaurant). I will not mention price as eating in VN is VERY reasonable, certainly cheaper, by as much as 50%, than in Chiang Mai.
Lien Hoa - in 3 Tang 2 (street) just off Hoa Binh Square. Massive array of French patissierie for breakfast (sure, its not France), good take-away sandwiches, incredible line-up of cakes. Very popular. It also has a shop of sorts selling various european-type products - dairy products, confectionary, wine at good prices, etc.
The place in the bottom left of the photo is a 'no names' noodle shop which absolutely hammers!
Long Hoa - also in 3 Tang 2 opposite Lien Hao & closer to Hoa Binh Square. Proving just how good Vietnamese food can be when made from the freshest ingredients. Very popular:
V Cafe - Bui Thi Xuan (street). Great spot with a certain ambience & charm. Very tasty entrees, suitable mains. Excellent service & a great (not loud) live music scene.
Da Quy - Truong Cong Dinh (street). Rated by many as Da Lat's best, does a great house speciality in the "sugar-cane encrusted with minced prawn, grilled, wrapped in green salad & then rice paper". Good tasting mains, great service.
Tu Anh's - Truong Cong Dinh (street) - this street actually has a good restaurant scene going with several options. Run by proprietor Anh - photographed standing in front of the restaurant - who is totally 'out there', a wonderfully colourful, amusingly loud character. Easy going spot with amongst other things good pizzas & great 'entertainment'!
The last comment on her menu below says something:
Ho Dan Thang (you'll know it by the big '24H' sign) - Hai Thuong (street) - out near the hospital/recommended to us by the doctors. Good tasty food with a difference, the chef willing to experiment. The kitchen staff are working full-bore in an open kitchen at ground level - great sight/ambience - you eat up above. Has a coffee spot adjoining, situated below Karioke for after dinner.
Le Rabelais - as one would expect at Da Lat Palace with a French chef installed; it is priced accordingly:
Blue Waters Restaurant - you just cant beat the brilliant position from which to suck down a 'few cold ones'!
The market place - as I've said, is fantastic with good cheap eateries all around.
COFFEE SHOPS
There's a mass of them along Le Dai Hanh overlooking the market-place & lake whilst offering an aray of drinks & food options:
Another good spot for coffee offering great photo opportunities is atop the Ngoc Lan Hotel/23rd Floor, in the centre of town:
BARS
A relatively calm scene but not difficult to find where the action is - the coffe shop strip above essentially doubles up as the bar strip.
An interesting aside - I asked Anh (bike hire) to have a drink with us which she constantly declined until our last day. I would learn that she is a senior secondary school teacher with a 4 year uni degree earning $120/month. She expects to pay her own way & being invited to join someone for a drink in an establishment perceived to be relatively expensive can be seen to be outside the budget. You need be very clear in VN & leave nothing to innuendo; something we found often during our stay.
(TO BE CONTINUED...............................)
HOSPITALS & PHARMACIES
The accident occured in a township along R27 some 80kms north of Da Lat. We were taken to the local hospital staffed by a doctor & a couple of nurses but functioning more like a school infirmary. Language was a problem:
After an initial medical overview & the cleaning & bandaging of cuts & grazes it was arranged for an ambulance to take us to Da Lat Hospital where the ambulance charge promptly jumped from $50 to $75 - still incredible for an 80km journey - but no receipt would be provided. Welcome to VN!
Da Lat Hospital is a substantial, practical building, very clean, well maintained, fully equiped & well staffed. Casualty was professional & one of the doctors spoke english. CT scans ($40) & X-rays ($10) were taken. Given a head injury was involved the hospital wished to keep the patient under observation, so as foreigners we were taken to intensive care for maximum attention where a team of some 10 doctors & around 25 nurses attended to your medical needs. Medication (paid separately) - antibiotics, tetanus, anti-coagulant, anti-inflamatory - was all of French origin. My wife ultimately spent a comfortable 3 nights/4 days there in such surroundings & the total bill came to just over $59!
The 'stay' would give us a wonderful insight into both the hospital system & the local people. When you are hospitalised in VN, the hospital & staff attend uniquely to your medical needs. Family & friends camp in the corridors outside & during regular visiting hours provide all the rest - food & drink, body massages, a wash as required........ A foreigner could easily misinterpret the 'system'. It takes time to learn as only 1 of the 10 doctors on-hand spoke good english, none of the nurses. Well stocked pharmacies by the way are common throughout Da Lat.
The locals quickly see you as one of them; they try instantly to comfort you through taking you by the shoulder, through a pat on the back; language finally is no barrier to human kindness. Everyone quickly picks up on your mannerisms & before long all & sundry are offering you a smiling "g'day" whilst teaching you the VN equivalents.
Hopefully the above information will assist any others facing a similar misfortune.
INCIDENTAL INFORMATION
A couple of other points flowing from the trip up to hospitalisation:
- Local agent - my research showed & it proved to be the case, that using a local agent in VN to carry out your every affair is both wise & very cost effective. I found that they were able to secure hotel rooms at prices almost half of the best price I was quoted or could find on internet; they secure well maintained rental bikes, they are in contact throughout your journey to ensure all goes well & ready to assist if needed....... My agent is Falmingo Travel with offices in Hanoi & HCMC, well known to GTR.
- Bikes - 110 Honda Waves (there's not much choice in VN) at $3.50/day. Tel Anh on 0937389238 though its easier to go through Flamingo.
- Maps - there's simply nothing of quality or more than little use. Its difficult to find exits, there's little signage, its not easy to differentiate major roads from any others..... Strongly suggest you bring/use GPS.
- Gear - only 'upside-down plate' helmets are available in VN; motor-bike gear shops are hard to find. Bring your gear including helmets.
- Phuong Trang - operates buses across VN. HCMC-Da Lat in a modern 96 seater air-conditioned coach was $9/person one way with a company car picking you up at your HCMC hotel & dropping you at you hotel in Da Lat. Its a 6hr minimum trip.
RESTAURANTS
I'll summarise the various restaurants we experienced below but suffice to say that given the incredible fresh produce market Da Lat possesses, its restaurant scene is very much in its infant stage. The simpler things are very well done & of excellent quality, but more complex, more sophisticated dishes are surprisingly not yet available (other than at Da Lat Palace's Le Rabelais restaurant). I will not mention price as eating in VN is VERY reasonable, certainly cheaper, by as much as 50%, than in Chiang Mai.
Lien Hoa - in 3 Tang 2 (street) just off Hoa Binh Square. Massive array of French patissierie for breakfast (sure, its not France), good take-away sandwiches, incredible line-up of cakes. Very popular. It also has a shop of sorts selling various european-type products - dairy products, confectionary, wine at good prices, etc.
The place in the bottom left of the photo is a 'no names' noodle shop which absolutely hammers!
Long Hoa - also in 3 Tang 2 opposite Lien Hao & closer to Hoa Binh Square. Proving just how good Vietnamese food can be when made from the freshest ingredients. Very popular:
V Cafe - Bui Thi Xuan (street). Great spot with a certain ambience & charm. Very tasty entrees, suitable mains. Excellent service & a great (not loud) live music scene.
Da Quy - Truong Cong Dinh (street). Rated by many as Da Lat's best, does a great house speciality in the "sugar-cane encrusted with minced prawn, grilled, wrapped in green salad & then rice paper". Good tasting mains, great service.
Tu Anh's - Truong Cong Dinh (street) - this street actually has a good restaurant scene going with several options. Run by proprietor Anh - photographed standing in front of the restaurant - who is totally 'out there', a wonderfully colourful, amusingly loud character. Easy going spot with amongst other things good pizzas & great 'entertainment'!
The last comment on her menu below says something:
Ho Dan Thang (you'll know it by the big '24H' sign) - Hai Thuong (street) - out near the hospital/recommended to us by the doctors. Good tasty food with a difference, the chef willing to experiment. The kitchen staff are working full-bore in an open kitchen at ground level - great sight/ambience - you eat up above. Has a coffee spot adjoining, situated below Karioke for after dinner.
Le Rabelais - as one would expect at Da Lat Palace with a French chef installed; it is priced accordingly:
Blue Waters Restaurant - you just cant beat the brilliant position from which to suck down a 'few cold ones'!
The market place - as I've said, is fantastic with good cheap eateries all around.
COFFEE SHOPS
There's a mass of them along Le Dai Hanh overlooking the market-place & lake whilst offering an aray of drinks & food options:
Another good spot for coffee offering great photo opportunities is atop the Ngoc Lan Hotel/23rd Floor, in the centre of town:
BARS
A relatively calm scene but not difficult to find where the action is - the coffe shop strip above essentially doubles up as the bar strip.
An interesting aside - I asked Anh (bike hire) to have a drink with us which she constantly declined until our last day. I would learn that she is a senior secondary school teacher with a 4 year uni degree earning $120/month. She expects to pay her own way & being invited to join someone for a drink in an establishment perceived to be relatively expensive can be seen to be outside the budget. You need be very clear in VN & leave nothing to innuendo; something we found often during our stay.
(TO BE CONTINUED...............................)
