Amidst the immense mountains and forests of Lam Dong province, Dalat, a beautiful town, captivates all those who have been there once. I am one of those.
Dalat is often called the City of Eternal Spring. Flowers of all colors, with many species, the most numerous of which are orchids. More than anywhere else in Vietnam, Dalat sees flowers vie with one another in blossoming in spring. I used to get up early in the morning on fine days to welcome dawn on the highlands. Opening the windows, I had a breath-taking view of nature, and enjoyed the fragrance of wild flowers carried by the clouds, I felt relieved in my heart.
In the late afternoons, I often reserved for visits to the Valley of Love and Sigh Lake covered with quiet pine forests. Twilight on Dalat also brought many pictures and sensations. As a certain poet said, “Dalat is the city of honeymoon, the city of love”.
After two week is rest in Dalat, my health improved a lot. I think in the very near future Dalat will be Switzerland in the South-East Asia. The wind rustling through the pine forests, the roar of waterfalls, the chirping of birds and the clatter of horse ‘s hooves…all of these unforgettable memories always remain with me.
Last traditional Lunar New Year, my family organized a trip to Cambodia, and it was an exciting trip. We did not go by airway; instead we chose to go by long-distance bus. After about 10 hours of sitting in the bus, we finally came to Xa Xia border which was located right next to Ha Tien. It was my first time out of the Vietnamese territory, and the religious atmosphere at Cambodia made me feel very impressed. After crossing the border, we spent about 3 more hours on the bus before reaching a small coastal province called Sihanouk. My parents were tired after a long trip, so they decided to have a rest at the hotel. However, my sister and I spent the entire afternoon wandering in the local markets. We bought a lot of interesting things, and what I like most was the delicious durian. The atmosphere there was hotter than Vietnam, so we could only comfortably go sightseeing when the sun completely disappeared. Right in the center of the town is a giant golden lion statue - Sihanouk's symbol, and I noticed that almost every major building here has a casino. Early in the next morning we boarded the ship to move to Korong Salem Island, and this was one of the most famous islands in Cambodia. After about 45 minutes on the boat, Korong Island appeared as a paradise beach with white sand and green coconut palms. The water there was crystal clear and as calm as a swimming pool. We spent a whole day swimming and playing along the beach, and we only had lunch when the sun began to shine brightly. The next day we visited some famous pagodas, and the trip ended late at night. Although I had to travel for a long way, but I feel this trip was worth it. Experiencing a new culture in Cambodia is a really exciting thing, and I hope I have opportunity to visit more countries.
Last summer, my classmates and I had a trip to Vung Tau, and it was a fun trip for us. Vung Tau is about 3 hours by motorbike from Ho Chi Minh City, so we gathered at 5 am in front of the school gate in order to arrive at the destination early. The road to Vung Tau has a lot of beautiful scenery, and we stopped at some places like forests and grasslands to take some pictures. We arrived there at about 9 o'clock. After checking in at the hotel, our headed to the famous lighthouse in Vung Tau to enjoy the beautiful the sight, then we ate some typical dishes of Vung Tau like yogurt and boiled eggs. At noon, we returned to our hotel rooms before heading out to the beach in the afternoon. The beach in Vung Tau was cleaner and less crowded than in previous years, so we had a relaxing time by the sea. The boys hosted a swimming competition, while the girls spent most of their time photographing and strolling along the beach. We divided the group into two teams to play volleyball, and the losing team had to pay for dinner. My team won, so I'm very excited to have a free seafood party. We ate at a market, and all of the seafood there was very fresh and tasty. I ate a lot of different dishes such as shrimp, crabs, fish, squid, etc., and the happiest thing was I do not have to pay for them. After eating, we rode our motorbikes around Vung Tau to watch the night life and enjoy the fresh air of the sea. The next morning we had breakfast with Banh Khot - a famous dish of Vung Tau. At 12 o’clock, we checked out at the hotel and went to some other beautiful places to take pictures before heading back to Saigon. I was a bit tired of traveling for a long way, but having a fun trip with my friends made me feel really happy.
