VILLA 15: A PIECE OF HISTORY THROUGH THE MEMORIES OF ITS FORMER CHILD OWNER
Villa No. 15, also known as the Farmer’s Villa at Ana Mandara Villas Dalat, recently welcomed some truly special guests—its former child owners, returning after many years to revisit the cherished memories of their childhood.
Stepping through the familiar doorway once again, they found every corner and every window still quietly waiting, just as they remembered. Long-forgotten moments came vividly back to life, reflected in their smiles, their eyes, and the silent pauses filled with emotion.
Time may have passed, but the feelings remain unchanged. It was a journey home—not only to rediscover a beloved place, but also to reconnect with the younger selves they once were.
A Promise, a Journey, and the Hand of Fate
In 2024, Mr. Grégory began planning a long-awaited journey for his three-generation family to Vietnam. More than just a family holiday, the trip carried a promise he had made many years earlier: to help his mother find her old house in Dalat where she was born.
Guided by reviews on travel platforms, he chose Ana Mandara Villas Dalat Resort & Spa as their destination. He was looking for a place where the entire family could truly relax, yet what drew him in was far more than comfort. The French colonial architecture, the surrounding pine forests, and the resort’s nearly century-old history and cultural heritage made Ana Mandara feel like the perfect place for their journey home.
In January 2025, Mr. Grégory and his family arrived at Ana Mandara Villas Dalat, and his choice proved to be the right one. Everything about the resort exceeded their expectations. Among the many places they had travelled together, this was the one that made them feel most at ease—as if they had somehow found their way home.
The following day, his whole family joined a guided tour of Dalat. Their journey took them through local farms, artisan workshops, and landmarks that reflect the city’s distinctive architecture and cultural heritage.
Along the way, Mr. Grégory showed the guide an old photograph that his mother had carefully preserved for decades. He asked if the guide happened to know where the villa in the photograph was located.
The Vietnamese guide immediately reached out to several colleagues for help. Before long, one of them replied with confidence: “98% certain this is Villa No. 15 at Ana Mandara Villas Dalat.”
As soon as they returned to the resort, Mr. Grégory contacted the Front Office team and was escorted to Villa No. 15.
It was, without a doubt, his grandfather’s former home.
When Memories Remain Vivid After Nearly Eight Decades
Mr. Grégory’s mother, an 83-year-old French lady with elegant silver hair, remains remarkably healthy, sharp-minded, and full of a delightful sense of humor. Although she does not speak English fluently, she warmly shared her memories using a blend of English and French. With Mr. Grégory translating by her side, we were privileged to hear the remarkable story that has remained vividly etched in the heart and mind of this extraordinary woman for nearly eight decades.
According to Mr. Grégory, his grandfather was a French civil servant who worked in Vietnam from 1919 to 1950. He served as Michelin’s Technical Director and also owned a rubber plantation in Saigon.
As Saigon’s tropical climate was often hot and humid, while France was far from reach, he spent much of his time in Dalat—a mountain retreat developed as a summer escape for French civil servants and military officials during the colonial era.
As fate would have it, he met Mr. Grégory’s grandmother, Mrs. Nguyen Thi Thuan, in Saigon. Their daughter—Mr. Grégory’s mother—was born in Dalat on 16 May 1942.
In 1947, when Mr. Grégory’s mother was five years old, she and her mother left for France so that she could begin her education, while her father remained in Dalat to continue his work.
In 1963, she had planned to return to Vietnam during a holiday to revisit her childhood home. However, as the country was in the midst of war, travel restrictions prevented her from making the journey.
It was not until 2008 that she was finally able to return to Dalat. By then, the city had changed dramatically, and despite her efforts, she was unable to find the villa where she had spent her early childhood.
For many years afterward, she often shared with Mr. Grégory how deeply she missed the home that had shaped her earliest memories. Listening to those stories, he made her a heartfelt promise: one day, he would help her find it again.
Past and Present – A Heritage Carefully Preserved
Mr. Grégory’s mother had treasured a photograph of the villa for decades. When he compared it with Villa No. 15 as it stands today, the resemblance was remarkable. Built between 1938 and 1939, the villa has retained almost all of its original architectural character, standing as a testament to the careful preservation of its heritage through the years.
The villa was originally known as Villa Chautal, a faithful replica of Mr. Grégory’s great-grandfather’s home in Hendaye, the French Basque Country, overlooking the Lingoudy Bay, “Chauta Baita”.
Today, the villa has been thoughtfully restored and is known as Villa No. 15, or the Farmer’s Villa—a name inspired by the profession of its first owner. The villa features six bedrooms and a spacious living room, preserving the spirit of its original architecture while embracing the timeless elegance of classic French interiors.
Mr. Grégory’s mother—the little girl who once called this villa home—left a heartfelt letter for the team at Ana Mandara Villas Dalat:
What makes Ana Mandara Villas Dalat truly special is not only its collection of French colonial villas, carefully preserved for nearly a century, but also the stories that continue to unfold within them. Some guests come here to enjoy a peaceful retreat. Others arrive to discover Dalat’s rich history. And then there are those, like Mr. Grégory and his family, who return in search of something far more personal—a treasured piece of their own past. At Ana Mandara Villas Dalat, heritage is more than architecture, it lives on through the memories, emotions, and homecomings that continue to breathe new life into these timeless villas.