Mui Ne

Mui Ne is a traditional fishing town with approximately 25,000 residents in Bình Thuận Province in Southern Vietnam that became a ward of the City of Phan Thiết in 1999. The name Mui Ne is often erroneously used as the general name for the main resort area in Phan Thiet along Mui Ne Bay, 220 km northeast of Ho Chi Minh City. The wards along the coast have been transformed into a resort destination since the mid 1990s, when many discovered the area during the solar eclipse of October 24, 1995. Most notably, tourism has developed in the area from the city center of Phan Thiet to Mui Ne, including Phu Hai and Ham Tien wards along Phan Thiet Bay (also covered in this article). The dense resort area along Phan Thiet Bay and beyond now boasts over two hundred beach resorts and hotels, as well as guest houses, backpacker hostels, restaurants, bars, shops and cafes.

Understand


Northeast of Phan Thiet the coastal road climbs over the slope of a Cham tower-topped hill and descends into the long, sandy crescent of Mui Ne Bay. The formerly little-inhabited beach southwest of the historic fishing village of Mui Ne proper has seen some serious development in the last few decades. Now it is a 15 km long strip of resorts that line up like pearls on Nguyen Dinh Chieu Street, shaded by coconut palms. The main resort strip lies between the addresses of 2 and 98 Nguyen Dinh Chieu and is called Ham Tien. Like Mui Ne it is now a ward of the city of Phan Thiet which stretches over 50 km of coastline to the south and to the west of the original city center of Phan Thiet.

At the shoreline, nature moves the sand around, much to the dismay of some developers. Beach sand tends to migrate up and down the coast seasonally, leaving some spots with just a concrete breakwater rather than sandy beach. There is always a good sandy beach somewhere along this 15 km beach. Accommodations at higher addresses tend to be smaller and less expensive, somewhat removed from the main tourist section and more mixed in with local life. If a sandy beach is important to you, some research is called for before booking in the area, especially after the tropical storm season. This research is important as without the beach there is little for non-kite-surfers to do in Mui Ne.

Quite a few bargain and "backpacker" hotels have popped up on the inland side of the road, across from the shoreline resorts. If you stay on the inland side, you will need to pass though one of the resorts to reach the beach, which might or might not result in some hassle from the guards. The resorts jealously guard their lounge chairs and palapas, though the beach itself is open to everyone.

Mui Ne Bay has become very popular with Russian tourists. Major Russian tour operators who bring busloads of tourists to Ham Tien and Mui Ne from the airports in Cam Ranh and Ho Chi Minh City have bought up several hotels along the main road and fill them year-round with Russian charter tour groups. English and Russian menus are common in most restaurants, and many stores and hotels are advertising and catering specifically to the Russian-speaking tourists, especially along the lowered numbered area of the strip on Nguyen Dinh Chieu Street which some guidebooks have rebaptised "Little Moscow."

In 2018 the Prime Minister approved the master plan to develop Mui Ne (Binh Thuan) as a National Tourist Site with a size of around 14,760 ha by 2025, with an orientation towards 2030. An area of 1,000 ha has been defined as a core area for the establishment and development of functional areas for the tourism sector. Mui Ne National Tourism Site will be developed in an environmentally responsible way with a focus on protecting existing natural resources and environments, landscapes, and in particular the ecosystem in the Bau Trang tourist area (White Sand Dunes) as well as the sand dunes along the sea shore.

Get in
Unless you arrive directly by tourist or open tour bus, Phan Thiet to the west is the main transport hub for this region and Mui Ne.

By bus
Most foreigners will reach Ham Tien and Mui Ne via "open tour" buses that run from Ho Chi Minh City, Da Lat, and Nha Trang.

Most buses depart from Ho Chi Minh City between 07:30 and 09:00 and arrive at Ham Tien and Mui Ne at about 13:00. In the opposite direction, buses typically depart from Mui Ne and Ham Tien around either 14:00 or 02:00 and arrive in Ho Chi Minh City 5 hr later.

Alternatively, you can travel through the next larger city, Phan Thiet, which is just 10-20 km west of Mui Ne and has connections into all directions and also covers smaller towns and cities that are not offered by the usual tourist buses. Local buses connect Phan Thiet and Mui Ne for 8-11,000 dong — see below.

By train
A train runs daily from Ho Chi Minh City to Phan Thiet, departing around 06:30 and arriving 5 hr later. The return trip leaves Phan Thiet around 13:30.

The railway station (for HCMC) in Phan Thiet is about 2½ km from the center or where you can catch the bus to Mui Ne and Ham Tien resort strip. But also taxis are abundant to take you to the latter.

Northern destinations are only served by Bình Thuận station, which is about 12 km from Phan Thiet center — see all the information at Phan Thiet.

Get around
You can't get lost in Mui Ne and Ham Tien, since the whole place consists of one long strip along a main street, Nguyen Dinh Chieu. Even-numbered addresses are on the sea side of the street, and odd numbers on the inland side. Even and odd addresses are not aligned, thus 39 on the odd side can be several hundred metres from 40 on the even side.

By bus
There are regular public buses (Bus No. 1 and 9) running 06:00–19:00 every 20-30 min between Phan Thiet and Mui Ne, probably even further. They might actually run until 21:00 — best inquire with your accommodation.

The prices as of Dec 2023 can be seen in the picture here. Most trips inside the main strip should cost 8,000 dong, since the strip is about 10 km long — unless you go from Sea Links to Mui Ne village, which is about exactly 10 km.

The trip between Phan Thiet center and most places along the strip is 11,000 dong – Phan Thiet center to Fairy Stream is 18 km.

Note that most buses have this price list written to their outside, which you can refer to. Some buses don't and they will be most likely the ones trying to overcharge you. It is best to show any conductor trying to overcharge you the price list picture and potentially the distance Google Maps states for your trip. Stand you ground and just remain seated, these bus conductors are bound by law to give you the proper price.

By taxi
Motorbike taxis (xe om) and regular taxis are present everywhere and their drivers will bug you each time you leave the hotel or walk along the road.

Along the tourist strip it is much cheaper to stop one as long as you know how to bargain. It can be hard for Western tourists to get appropriate prices.

10,000-15,000 dong for a motorbike taxi is more than enough to pay for a ride from one place to another along the main strip. Taxis are slightly higher than Ho Chi Minh City, but still reasonable, starting at around 20,000 dong.

Or just use Grab, also see Vietnam.

By motorbike


You can rent motorbikes at many resorts, ho(s)tels and tour agencies. Since traffic is light, motorbikes are a pleasant way to explore the region. Motorbikes cost anywhere from 120,000 dong per 24 hr (automatics can cost 230,000 dong).

By bicycle
You can rent bicycles at many resorts, ho(s)tels and tour agencies.

Be careful when riding a bike in Ham Tien and Mui Ne, especially during the summer months, since nobody pays any attention to traffic rules. Also, as a bicycle ride it is harder for you to get noticed since you don't have a horn to honk.

The increase in big coaches shuttling Russain tourists in and out of Ham Tien and the uncontrolled jeeps used to bring hundreds of tourists to the White Sand Dunes every day contribute to increased risks for motorbikes, cyclists and pedestrians along Nguyen Dinh Chieu Street in particular. Traffic fatalities are not uncommon. Rumors are that up to 30 people die every month in accidents.

See




Do

 * All-terrain vehicle – You can ride one on the white sand dunes.
 * Day tours – Travel agents and restaurants abound with day tour offerings for US$7–13. The standard half day tour takes you to the fishing village, fairy stream, and the red and while sand dunes. Tours normally start later, so you can watch the sunrise/sunset over the sand dunes.
 * Hot air ballooning — This used to be a thing in the past and Mui Ne is the only place in Vietnam where you could fly hot air balloons, but it is unclear whether trips are still done after COVID — best to inquire with your accommodation. Most flights take place over the white sand dunes. When the winds in dunes are too strong, flights take place from Phan Thiet city centre. Expect to pay at least US$150.
 * Surfing – Sometimes you get good waves in mornings of windy season. Lessons, day trips and rentals are available, don't hesitate to ask around. While Mui Ne is not the best destination for surfing, it can be good place to give it a try. It seems beginners go for the break near Sea Links.
 * Swimming – The sea is wonderfully warm, but it can be quite rough, with large waves and a strong rip tide. When the tide is in, there is not much of a beach to speak of. When wind is blowing it can be quite chilly to even think of swimming. The area between kilometre markers 11 and 13 has the largest stretch of enduring sandy beach. Since large waves normally emerge after 11:00, you might prefer to swim in the early morning hours, when the water is flat and free of Kitesurfers. Most mid-range and top-end resorts have swimming pools for their guests. Some are open for day users starting at 80,000 dong per day. But you can always behave as guest from this hotel and buy a few drinks for these 80,000 dong.
 * Water sports – Most outfitters offer a host of water sports including kayaking, paddle surfing, and jet ski rental.

Kitesurfing and windsurfing
Kitesurfing is offered by many outfitters and hotels. Kite surfing instruction is available, starting at US$60/hour, beginners package of 7 lessons start at US$350. From November till March you generally will have strong winds every day. The Winds in Mui Ne emerge by thermal movements, after the shores got warmed by the sun. You will have perfect wind everyday from 11:00 until the late evening. Gusty winds are seldom. With strong winds, the sometimes choppy waves can be as high as 4 m and more. The water is free of rocks, which makes it relatively safe to kite. However in the peak season there up to 300 kiters in the water at the same time. Beginners and Students, who mainly practice close to the beach front makes things a bit more dangerous. So watch out for other kitersurfers and swimmers and control the speed, in particularly because swimmers are difficult to see when waves are high. Accidents between kitesurfers or between kitesurfers and Swimmers happen from time to time and medical facilities are limited in terms of their equipment and abilities.

There are several kitesurfing schools along the beach, which all employ beach boys who will help you to start and launch the kite. It is widely common to tip the beach boys with US$1/day. If you bring your own equipment and don't want to carry it from and to your hotel every day, you can store it at one of the kitesurfing schools for US$20/week or US$60/month, including usage of their compressors and shower facilities.

If you are a beginner but already can practice independent without an instructor, you might avoid the area around Sunshine Beach Hotel/Sankara/Wax, because there are too many kite surfers and swimmers which may lead to accidents, particularly if you can not fully control the kite. Try the western part of beach front around the Kitesurfing School Windchimes. There are less kiters in this area and you can practice without bringing you and others into danger.

There is a place called "wave spot" or. It is suitable only for intermediate/advanced kiters, but its much less crowded there.

Likewise, if you like windsurfing, go to eastern part of Mui Ne. Starting from Hai Au resort, there are some hotels that are offering good place to water start, rent or store your gear.

Money
There are numerous ATMs along the strip, including ACB.

Shopping
Along the Mui Ne strip are several small nameless shops; all selling the same sundries and souvenirs. You can find packaged snacks (Oreos, cakes, biscuits, ice cream, etc.), liquor, clothing, and souvenirs. Standard souvenirs offered include wooden and lacquered bowls, wooden statues, snake whiskey, and pearl necklaces. Compared with Ho Chi Minh City, souvenirs are almost five times more expensive in Mui Ne. The same small wooden bowl selling for US$3 in HCMC is US$14 in Mui Ne.

At least 2 WinMarts represent a little more diverse choice.

Eat
Every resort area in Ham Tien and Mui Ne is surrounded by restaurants specializing in seafood. The food is invariably fresh, well-prepared, and served in friendly and interesting surroundings. By all means get out of your hotel and try one of the local restaurants. The best restaurants are a motorbike ride away, found outside of the tourist/resort district on the ocean.





Sleep
Mui Ne and Ham Tien have over 200 accommodations to choose from, in every price category (from 100,000 dong), along the main ocean strip of Nguyen Dinh Chieu, Huynh Thuc Khang ("HTK"). Small guest houses, family-run beach hotels and some big luxury resorts can also be found east of the town center of Mui Ne proper, along the road leading to the Red Sand Dunes, where Ganh Beach offers long sandy beaches and excellent kite-surfing on the east side of the Mui Ne peninsula.

Accommodations at higher addresses of Nguyen Dinh Chieu towards HTK and Mui Ne ward tend to be smaller and less expensive, somewhat removed from the main tourist section in Ham Tien and more mixed in more with local life. If a sandy beach is important to you, some research is called for before booking in that area. Many "beach side" resorts are actually against a sloping cement wall that leads into the sea. The sand itself migrates up and down the long coast seasonally leaving some areas with expansive beaches and others with little at any given time.

Remember that during Tet (Vietnamese New Year), hotels and resorts are booked way in advance.

Connect
Free Wi-Fi connections can be found in most ho(s)tels, restaurants and cafés.

Cope
Mosquitoes are a big nuisance in Mui Ne. So bring or buy either insect repellent or long-sleeved shirts and pants for the evening. You may also consider bringing/buying the fun mosquito-killing racket (maybe 50,000 dong) to "sanitize" your room before sleeping soundly to the break of ocean waves, all available in Mui Ne.

Laundry services are offered by several restaurants and hotels. Upscale hotels charge 1,000-5,000 dong per piece of clothing. Budget hotels and restaurants charge 15,000 dong/kg. Confirm they will machine wash and dry your clothes (and if not, go elsewhere). Check your clothes immediately when you collect as there have been reports of items going missing, and if you don't realise until the next day it is almost pointless to go back and ask.

Sand flies on beach can cause allergic reaction on your legs. If you experience this, just use anti-mosquito spray all over your legs before you enter the beach, it will minimise amount of bites you'll have.

Go next
North:
 * Da Lat – The old French hill-station with "eternal" spring climate
 * Nha Trang – A popular beach town about 4–5 hours away
 * Quy Nhon – The inexpensive and tourist-free alternative to Da Nang or Nha Trang, yet off many people's radar and therefore still a tranquil and authentic, lively and pleasant city with much hyped beaches

South and east:
 * Phan Thiet – The regional capital and transport hub for Mui Ne, about 10–20 km west
 * Ho Chi Minh City – Formerly known as Saigon is about 200 km away, accessible by bus or train
 * Vung Tau – A city popular with locals for access to the beach from HCMC, but also many foreigner find their way here. Many connections exist from here into the surrounding region, Southern Vietnam and the Mekong Delta.