Living the high life

MENTION Vietnam and the likes of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City come to mind. But Dalat? The town located 300km north-east of Ho Chi Minh City sits 1,500m above sea level and is surrounded by pine forests.

Its temperate climate attracts those who are looking for a respite from the tropical heat and humidity of lower lying areas.

It is no wonder that Dalat native Le Ngoc Khanh Tam and her American lawyer husband, Barry Israel, have decided to make the highland town their home. The couple are also the developers of La Vallee de Dalat, a collection of seven luxurious single-family homes on a slope that overlooks miles of still-bucolic terrain and harks back to the glory days of Gallic design for inspiration.