Mui Ne Travel Guide

Name: Mui Ne
Population: 25,000
Language: Vietnamese
Province: Binh Thuan of Vietnam
Currency: Vietnamese Dong (VND)
Time Zone: Indochina Time (GMT+7)
Religions and Beliefs: Buddhism, Hinduism, Confucianism

Mui Ne is a small fishing town located in Binh Thuan Province, about 215 km (133.6 mi) northeast to Ho Chi Minh City and 22 km (13.7 mi) away from Phan Thiet City. As a land of idyllic beauty, Mui Ne is scattered with quiet fishing villages, azure sea waters and soft sandy beaches. One of the biggest highlights of Mui Ne travel is its gorgeous white and red dunes where tourists can enjoy quad biking, sandboarding and stunning sunset. Mui Ne town is also well-known for some exciting adventure sports, among which the kite surfing is the most popular one. Mui Ne Beach and Mui Ne Harbor are the top two spots for best kitesurfing experience. In addition, what you cannot miss in Mui Ne are the market in fishing village and the Fairy Stream in the shades of coconut palms and lush greenery.
 1. White Sand Dunes
2. Red Sand Dunes
3. Mui Ne Beach
4. Fairy Stream
5. Mui Ne Harbor
6. Mui Ne Handicraft Market
7. Po Shanu Cham Towers
8. Fishing Village
9. Takou Mountain
10. RD Wine Castle

Generally speaking, a Mui Ne travel trip can be completed within 1-2 days. White Sand Dunes, aka White Lake by locals, is a large group of dunes in Vietnam where tourists can not only enjoy spectacular views of expansive white sands and the nearby water-body, but also experience thrilling quad biking. The Red Dunes features reddish-brown sand, making it a popular destination for sunset photography. Smaller than White Dunes, it is dotted with freshwater lakes and tropical forest vegetation. Mui Ne Beach is the perfect place to relax, which is the best place to try kite surfing. Fishing Village is also a must-see attraction where travelers can explore local culture and sample the fresh seafood.
 Falling in the zone of the Binh Thuan Desert, Mui Ne weather is generally sunny and dry. The best time to enjoy Mui Ne travel is from November to March when it is in dry season. The temperature ranges from 22 - 27°C (71.6-80.6 ℉), which is favorable for outdoor activities and water sports, such as surfing and kayaking. If you’re interested in kitesurfing, May and October are the best time. The rainy season in Mui Ne, especially from July to September should be avoided due to high humidity and long-hour rainfall. Traveling in dry period, you should prepare long sleeve shirts, light dresses, shorts, sunglasses, bathing suits and sunscreen lotion.
 1. Ca Loc Chien Xu Cuon Banh Trang - Deep-fried Snakehead Fish
2. Lau Tha - Tha Hotpot
3. Banh Quai Vac - Vietnamese Pork & Shrimp Dumpling

The most attractive specialty that tourists should not miss during Mui Ne travel is Ca Loc Chien Xu Cuon Banh Trang, which is a representative of Mui Ne seafood. It comprises of deep fried snakehead fish, served with rolled rice paper, raw vegetables and sauce made from green tamarind sauce, fish sauce, sugar, pepper and garlic. Lau Tha is an indigenous Mui Ne hotpot, with boiled pork slide, bacon, scrambled eggs, vermicelli, rice cake and lettuce. All the ingredients are served on red banana leafs. Banh Quai Vac is a kind of dumpling with the filling made of pork and shrimp, topped with sprinkled onions or fried pork fat, and eaten with sweet and sour sauce.
 Located close to the sea, the restaurant serves European and Asian delights that are vegetarian-friendly. It is famous for various sea food platters and pasta.
 It’s a popular Italian restaurant, being open for lunch and dinner only. Don't be misled by its name. Some specialties recommended here are spaghetti with seafood, mixed grill and pizza.
 Overlooking the sea, the bar specializes in French, Swiss, Asian and Vietnamese menus at an average price of 280,000 VND (12 USD) / person. Swiss cheese fondue and steak are the most popular dishes.
 1. Mui Ne Beach: 49%
2. Phan Thiet City Center: 35%
3. Ham Tien: 12%

Mui Ne Beach, the most popular place to stay during Mui Ne travel, stretches 15-km-long where travelers can enjoy varieties of water sports and adventurous game projects like kitesurfing. On the south part of Mui Ne Beach stands a lot of perfect beach resorts that are equipped with convenient facilities. While the northern hosts a quaint fishing village where you can taste various fresh seafood. Only 5 km (3.1 mi) from Mui Ne, Phan Thiet City Center provides a wide range of hotels and restaurants from budget to high-end. And also tourists can go shopping in central market, or enjoy nightlife. Ham Tien, located to the west of Mei Ne, is filled with beach hotels and spa resorts. Some recommended are Lotus Village Resort, Catsen Bungalows & Rooms and Canary Beach Resort.
 There is no airport in Mui Ne town and Ho Chi Minh City Airport (HCMC) is the closest international airport to Mui Ne, about 215 km (133 miles) away. Tourists can fly to Ho Chi Minh City Airport, then hire a private car or take a taxi from the airport to Mui Ne. It takes about 3.5 hours and costs about 70-100 USD, which include the fees for the toll taxes on the road. If you want to reach Mui Ne by train or by bus, you need to get to Phan Thiet first. There is no train station in Mui Ne, and the closest one is situated at the northwest corner of the Phan Thiet City. Regular trains run between HCMC and Phan Thiet, leaving HCMC  at around 6:50 am and reaching Phan Thiet at about 10:30 am. In general, the air-conditioned train ticket costs USD 8 per person. Phan Thiet is well serviced by open-tour buses, most of which depart at around 7:30 and 9:00 am from HCMC. It takes about 4 hr. 40 min to Phan Thiet.

Xe Om or motorbike taxi is the most common way of transport for inner Mui Ne travel trip. A short distance ride usually costs 10,000 to 15,000 VND (0.43-0.65 USD). Tourists can also rent the motorbikes if you’re looking to have complete independent trip. They costs about 60,000 to 150,000 VND (USD 2.6-6.5) for per day rental. But you’re required to have the driving license, otherwise you might be fined by the local police.
 This is the largest market of its kind in Mui Ne, hosting hundreds of stalls selling daily items, such as household supplies, fruits, dried meat, fresh seafood and creative handicrafts.
 Busiest between 06:00 and 09:00, the market offers a wide range of fresh farm products and household items - meat, fruits, seafood, vegetables, condiments, dried foodstuffs, as well as cheap clothes and accessories.
 You can find a variety of beautiful handcrafted objects like sand paintings and hand embroideries.