When one talks about Vietnam’s
tourist attractions, it is deficient if we do not mention Mui Ne as one of the
most beautiful beach destinations of Vietnam. Like Vung Tau, Mui Ne is also
considered a coastal resort town in Phan Thiet – the capital of Binh Thuan
province, about 4 hours by bus from Ho Chi Minh City.
The name “Mui Ne” interestingly
has many origins. The first meaning comes from the fishermen in the past. In
their life, they usually faced sea storms, so they used to hide in a cape,
which was called “Mui” in Vietnamese, and “hide” meant “Ne”. The second one
originated as the name of the youngest daughter of Cham King – who was known as
the owner of this land. Her alias was Ne, therefore, the cape where her temple
was built was called “Mui Ne”.
Mui Ne is a tropical beach with
wonderfully warm weather, which is ideal for swimming. However, since the area
from the central stretch to the northern end is dominated by fishing industry,
the southern part is more suitable for swimming.
With strong see breezes, Mui Ne
is most famous for kite and wind surfing. Days from November to March have
clear skies with perfectly strong winds from 11am until late evening. The
rock-free water makes it relatively safe for kite surfers. There are also some
Kite Surfing Schools, in which kite surfing starters are helped to launch the
kite by beach boys.
Obviously, lots of beautiful
spots in Mui Ne attract domestic as well as international tourists. The first
one to mention is Ca Na Beach, which take a 2-hour drive from Mui Ne and
provides probably the best coral reefs and diving opportunity in Vietnam. Next
is Fairy STream (Suoi Tien) – a stream where people can sightsee the local
wildlife (birds, crabs, fish, frogs, many exotic flowers, etc.), Fish Sauce Plant,
where famous Phan Thiet fish sauce (nuoc mam) is produced and sold all over
Vietnam, Phan Thiet Water Tower, designed by Prince Suphanouvong of Laos – also
the symbol of Binh Thuan province, Takou Mountain – 1-hour drive from Mui Ne
Beach, which has not only beautiful tropical rain forest, but also an old
pagoda on top of the mountain, Po Shu Cham Tower – a relic of Cham Culture
built in the 8th century, which should not be missed, etc. The most must-see
one is the Sand Dunes (Doi Cat), where the dunes turn from white to gold (red
dunes can be found further south in Mui Ne Village).
Tourists arriving in Mui Ne can
also enjoy the atmosphere in Mui Ne Village Market, which sells lots of fresh
fruits and inexpensive cloting. Best time to visit is early in the morning.
