Mui Ne is a small city in Vietnam popular for its beaches & sand dunes. Yeah!! there are sand dunes in Vietnam.
Apart from the famous sand dunes there is one more thing which is fairy stream. A walk way over the stream is freshening & amazing.
Mui Ne was my second stop in Vietnam after Ho Chi Minh . Mui Ne is not one of the most sought destinations of Vietnam. However, backpackers do visit this place
as a part of covering real Vietnam. Vietnam is beautiful when covered from road. The pristine landscapes & jaw dropping sceneries are one of many reasons
to visit this place.
How To Reach:
Mui Ne can be best reached via Ho Chi Minh city or Nha trang through a bus. There are plenty of buses running across the day at different times. The best would be to catch an early bus & reach the place by the evening.
I boarded bus from Ho Chi Minh city. Ho Chi Minh & Nha Trang has an international airport. However, frequency of flights is higher in Ho Chi Minh compared to Nha Trang.
Things To Do:
There are plenty of things to do here. I stayed only for a day & covered all the major attractions which were due to experience. Not wasting any more time. Below are some of the Mui Ne offers.
Sand Dunes:
Probably the best thing to do is watching sun rise from the red sand dunes. It is hard to imagine a sand dune in the midst of the city. But, shattering your this perception there is a red sand dune. This natural highlight of the place is the most visited place in the Mui Ne. There are two types of sand dunes one is red sand dunes & other one is white sand dunes. Do visit both of these places. These are worth visiting especially red sand dunes. Watching sun rise from the dunes is a major travel goal.
Fairy Stream:
Fairy stream is a walk on water for some distance. There is a waterfall from where the water running in a stream, cutting through the land just enough to able to walk without any difficulty.
The route is freshening & photogenic as well. If you like, you can have a tea over the stream which is quite an experience. Footwears are not allowed so make sure you keep them at a safe place.
Although the stream is free, however the local charge around 5,000 VND to allow you to enter the place.
Fish Market:
Fish market is located in the fishing village.This place is all about local delight, a place to see the mundane work of people. The way they catch the fish & all the efforts they take to put a delicious dish on your plate.
There is nothing much to see apart from the fish boats. Also, fish sauce is specialty of the place. So, if you have time do visit the place to get some inside knowledge of the fish sauce. Mui Ne fishing village is very famous among the tourists.
Mui Ne Beach:
Mui Ne beach is perfect for an evening stroll. The breeze & the landscape is a pleasant experience. The beach is not too big & is hard to access from the city center.
Although sandy beach is available swimming & dipping is not an option here; reason being the water. The water is not that great for a swim or a dip.
Still, one can enjoy the evenings in these sandy beaches.
Live Music Restro:
One of the unique things of the place is its restaurants. The architecture & the decoration of the places are amazing. Each place is decorated in a different way.
The lights & the lamps force you to capture the beauty of the place. Live music is a must while visiting this place. There are many beach bars which offer live music. Do visit one of these
places to relax after a tiring day.
Kite Surfing:
The place has a season for kite surfing. But, one needs to check prior as the season is only open for few months in the year. So, all the kite surfer who wants to
try this shall book accordingly.
Cost Involved:
Usually, the cost involved in traveling is bifurcated in few subheads. These are my estimation of prices with my experience. The rates might vary with the
season of visiting the place. The prices are often high in season & low in off season. So, if you are looking for a budget trip choose accordingly. Although, Vietnam is a pretty cheap
destination to travel to.
Accommodation:
Finding a hostel is tough in Mui Ne. Being a beach facing city, the place is crowded with lots of beach resorts. There are plenty of places to choose from & the resorts are
something. They are built extremely beautiful, but there is cost involved for this luxury. So, if one is deep on pockets can book resorts. Backpacker's don't need to panic at all, there is one option backpackers village which
is a cheap option to stay. Located opposite to the beach (however, there is no direct beach access). But, it is a good option to stay for a couple of days, considering swimming pool is available in the property. I paid approx 1,20,000 VND per day for an 8 bed dorm
Food:
Food variety is available from Indian to chinese. One can find anything tasty to eat. There are plenty of street vendors which can satisfy your taste buds. One of the best things to try in Mui Ne is fruit juices & dragon fruit in particular.Site Seeing:
For site seeing it is better to book a tour. As all the sites worth visiting can be covered through a cab. Usually, hostel or hotel reception can help you with booking the tour. The cost of such tours are very minimal. So, it won't pinch a pocket. The sites can be covered in half a day so there is plenty of time in hand to explore the city. Generally, hostel will help you to book the tour. A cab will charge you approx 1,50,000 VND to cover 4 to 5 points.Commutation:
The best way to commute in the city is through bicycle or motorbike. The roads are decent & the population is not as dense as Ho Chi Minh. So, riding here is comparatively safe. Enjoy riding bicycle during evening when the sun is setting at the far beyond the sea.
The place is perfect for couple of days. However, don't spend much time here as there is nothing much to see in the city. I covered the place in a day & headed to Nha Trang (my next stop).
I loved the dunes which I feel is the must do activity in Mui Ne. It is a bit unique compared to other experiences. I hope this guide will help you to plan
in a better way.
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Handy Resources:
Below are the few resources you should check before making an itinerary.Agoda: Best place to book hotels of your liking. Agoda provides the best solution & great offer while booking a hotel.
Skyscanner: Skyscanner compares various sites & sort the flights based on the rates. A great way to check flight cost. Although the only drawback is that rates are flexible. Hence, the cost might change while you are making the payment.
Jetradar: Jetradar is a comparing site which is just like Skyscanner. But, is much more accurate & much more handy in use.
Booking: Best place to book hostel rooms. There are plenty of options available & with so many properties booking becomes much easier.
Couchsurfing: Best place to find free accommodation. It is as easy as filtering people & messaging. If you will get lucky you will find free accommodation in local resident house.
Travel Insurance: There are numerous options available to get one. So, you can choose anything which suits your requirement. Make sure you read the terms & conditions before buying one.
