Phan Thiet

Mui Ne is 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 fishing people in the past. 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 sea breezes, Mui Ne is most famous for kite and wind surfing. Days from November to March have clear skies with perfectly strong winds from 11 am until late evening. The rock-free water makes it relatively safe for the kite surfers. There are also some Kite Surfing Schools, in which kite surfing starters are helped to launch the kite by beach boys. For starters who want more self-practice, you can try the western part front around Kite Surfing School Windchimes, where there are not many surfers, so that you can avoid unwanted accidents.

Obviously, lots of beautiful spots in Mui Ne attract domestic as well as international tourists, such as Ca Na Beach, which takes a 2-hour drive from Mui Ne and provides probably the best coral reefs and diving opportunity in Vietnam, Fairy Springs (Suoi Tien) – a stream where people can sightsee the local wildlife (birds, crabs, fish, frogs, many exotic flowers, etc.), Fish Sauce Plants, 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 rainforest, but also an old pagoda on top of the mountain, PoShaNu 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 clothing. Best time to visit is early in the morning.