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The atmospheric former French hill station of
Tam Dao nestles amongst forested hillsides
rising up from the rice fields of the Red River
Delta just 90km from Hanoi. Tam Dao, meaning
three islands, describes the three magnificent
limestone peaks that appear whenever the clouds
clear.The European-managed Mela Hotel has 20
comfortable guestrooms with balconies offering
panoramic views of the mountains and forests.
Some of the rooms have their own fireplaces
while others are equipped with radiators for
cool winter evenings. Not only does the Mela
provide the best accommodation in Tam Dao but it
also has the best eating-place in town, the
Bamboo Restaurant. As its name implies the
Bamboo Restaurant is furnished with bamboo as
well as local handicrafts. The amazing thing
about the Bamboo Restaurant however is its
incredibly extensive menu offering everything
from a bowl of Vietnamese noodle soup to French
cuisine, pasta dishes, couscous and even an
excellent fish and chips! There is also a
well-stocked bar and a terrace for al fresco
dining on summer evenings.All that remains of
the former holiday homes of colonial days are
some ruined buildings and crumbling walls
amongst the tangled vegetation and advancing
forest. However the attractions of Tam Dao are
natural not man made. Because of its isolation
from other mountain ranges the dense primary
rainforest of Tam Dao has a unique flora and
fauna and scientists from around the world are
only now busily cataloguing it. Tam Dao’s
forests are of particular interest to bird and
butterfly lovers who come in search of some of
the rare and localized species. Tam Dao Mountain
itself, 1,593 metres above sea level, is a
four-hour trek from the town. Along the way it
is possible to encounter some of the 30 plus
species of reptiles and amphibians that were
unknown to the outside world just 15 years ago
as well as some spectacular scenery and
cascading waterfalls.
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