Charming, passionate, romantic, and poetic – many people use those words when they talk about France. Those who haven’t had a chance to set foot in France yet, or who want to recall some memory of this European country, may want to visit the French village within the Ba Na Hills Resort in Da Nang.
From the Da Nang International Airport, a 45-minute car ride will take you to the place where you get on a cable car to go up to Ba Na. On the way up to the height of more than 1,400m above the sea, it is a treat to watch the green carpet of the woods below, and breath the air that got fresher the higher you go. The breathtaking views, gushing waterfalls and verdant mountain slopes explains why Ba Na cable line has been praised by The Telegraph and CNN as one of the top 10 most impressive cable car lines in the world.
The resort was established in 1919 by the French colonialists and once held more than 200 villas, but only a few ruins remained until a few years ago before real estate developer Sun Group took it over a few years ago and transformed the place. The complex consists of the cable line - the world’s longest at 5,772m; the French village; a mid-scale hotel designed in European 19th century style, which looks like a castle; and a Buddhist pagoda compound.
The beautiful realistic miniature French village is charming, romantic, and poetic. The village consists of a square with a fountain, a Gothic-style church, shops, restaurants, coffee shops and several other buidlings. The architecture was inspired by old European buildings. The cool mountain air added to the sense of a European getaway. Everything in this village, from stone statues, wooden-framed windows, bronze water fountains, conical grey roofs, was a re-enactment of France. The mist and cloud that occasionally envelope the village add to the perfection.
Visitors can also stop by one of the four restaurants in the village, including La Lavande, Brasserie, Le Jardind, and La Crique&Café Postal to complete their ‘journey’ to France with a meal featuring French dishes.
And don’t forget to pass by the Debay Ancient Wine Cellar – a unique ‘hidden’ place, which was dug deep in the Ba Na Mountain in 1923. The cellar is 100 metres long and always kept at an ideal temperature, from 16 to 20 degree Celsius. Here, visitors can have distinctive experiences in a wine space redolent with French aromas.
The area also features a large flower garden – Le Jardin D’Amour, consisting of nine enclosures, each in a different style. These colorful and well-arranged spaces are an ideal place for some photo shoots and benches provide a shady respite from the climbing.
The nearby Buddhist pagoda is also worth a climb, and from which visitors can enjoy a magnificent view of the whole village, which was covered by a sea of clouds.