Mui Ne Travel Guide

If you don’t ride a motorbike, you can still go to the Eastern Bus Station to buy tickets to Phan Thiet, which takes about 5 hours and costs around 130,000 dong per person, depending on the bus company.

Tourists can also take the SPT1/SPT4 train from Saigon station, which costs 110,000 dong per person and departs in the morning.

From Hanoi, tourists can fly to Ho Chi Minh City and then travel to Phan Thiet, or fly to Cam Ranh, Nha Trang and take a bus to Mui Ne (about 200 km away).

After the Dau Giay-Phan Thiet expressway is put into operation (scheduled to be completed by the end of 2022), the travel time from Ho Chi Minh City to Phan Thiet will be shortened to about 1.5 hours. Phan Thiet airport is expected to be put into operation in phase 1 by the end of 2022, which will promote convenient transportation connections to Phan Thiet.

Things to do:

Mui Ne is not just a “paradise of entertainment” with a beautiful coastline, it is also famous for many historical sites and rich cultural heritage of the Cham people. Below are the top 10 must-visit destinations in Mui Ne, Phan Thiet.

1. Hon Rom

Hon Rom is the name of a small, pristine mountain located in Long Son hamlet, Mui Ne ward, Phan Thiet city. Visitors should come to Hon Rom in the early morning or late afternoon to admire the sunrise and sunset. This is also an ideal camping spot for campfires at night or stargazing. The beach cluster at Hon Rom has gentle waves, no underwater rocks, and clear water. You can ask for directions to Hon Rom 1, Hon Rom 2, or Thuy Trang beach for swimming.

2. Red Sand Dunes

Near Hon Rom is one of the most beautiful scenic spots in Mui Ne – the Red Sand Dunes. In addition to the long stretches of sand dunes, the color of the sand is also a highlight that attracts tourists, with up to 18 different colors of sand at times. On the sand dunes, you can rent a sled for around 20,000 VND per board.

At the foot of the sand dunes, there are some quick snacks and drinks available, such as coconut, banh bot loc (a type of Vietnamese dumpling), and tofu.

3. Hon Ghenh

Hon Ghenh, also known as Hon Lao, is located about 1 km from Mui Ne and is still relatively untouched. To get to Hon Ghenh, you can rent a boat from a fisherman (200,000 dong for a boat of 10 people) or take a shuttle service from a resort or hotel.

In the early morning, visitors can come here to go fishing, followed by snorkeling to see the coral reefs. The best time to enjoy the beautiful scenery of the sunset and the twilight on the sea is in the evening.

4. Bau Trang – Bau Sen

“Bau Trang – Bau Sen” are two natural freshwater lakes located amidst vast white sand dunes. During summer, visitors can enjoy the sight of thousands of lotus flowers blooming on the white sand dunes.

The sand dunes of Bau Trang are often compared to a “mini Sahara desert” in Vietnam, with its vast and wild scenery. Visitors can rent off-road vehicles or Jeep to drive around Bau Trang, with prices around 600,000 Vietnamese Dong for 20 minutes.

   5. Suoi Tien

Suoi Tien in Mui Ne is often called the “fairyland scenery”. There is a small water stream located next to Hon Rom. Next to the stream are natural red and white rocky hills with strange shapes due to erosion by time.

   6. Mui Ne Fishing Village

Mui Ne Fishing Village is about 3 km from the town center. At the entrance of the fishing village are hundreds of colorful fishing boats anchored along the shore. Not far from there is a small market with a peaceful atmosphere.

Although the fishing village is only about 100 meters long along the coast, it is where visitors can most clearly experience the life of the fishermen. If you come to the fishing village early in the morning, you can buy many fresh seafood right when the boats have just docked.

   7. Duc Thanh School

This is a historical destination you should visit when coming to Mui Ne, Phan Thiet. The school was established in 1907 by patriotic scholars to respond to the Duy Tan movement in Central Vietnam. Duc Thanh School was also the place where President Ho Chi Minh stopped to teach before entering Saigon. Nowadays, within the Duc Thanh School area, nearly all of the artifacts from almost a century ago are still preserved.

8. Whale God

Located on Ngu Ong Street, Vạn Thuỷ Tú Mansion is an ancient relic (1762) with an antique and solemn beauty. This is also a symbol of the worship of the Whale God among the fishermen in Binh Thuan. Vạn Thuỷ Mansion is also where the largest Whale God skeleton in Vietnam and Southeast Asia is preserved.

This skeleton measures 22 meters long and weighs up to 65 tons. Every year, various important ceremonies are held at the Dinh to worship the Whale God on the 20th day of the lunar months of February (Spring Offering), April (Fishing Ceremony), June (Main Fishing Season), July (Vertical Supplication) and August (Harvest Ceremony). During these rituals, there are also activities such as classical opera, bã trạo performance, and boat racing.

9. Mui Ne Bay

This is an attractive destination if you enjoy beach bathing and outdoor activities. Along the Mui Ne Bay are beautiful beaches with long stretches of white sand. If you want to find pristine, deserted beaches, you can rent a boat to Hon Lao island. This is a deserted island near Mui Ne Bay but is rarely visited by people.

10. Poshanu Cham Tower

Located 7 km northeast of the center of Phan Thiet, the Poshanu Cham Tower is a group of remaining relics of the ancient Cham Pa Kingdom. The tower features Hoa Lai architectural style with Cham Pa’s ancient art.

If time permits, visitors should also visit Ba Island, Ke Ga Lighthouse, Ta Cu Mountain, Co Thach Stone Beach, Hang Pagoda, Son Ganh, Cau Island, Phu Quy Island…

Specialties

1. Seafood salad

Mui Ne is famous for its fish salad and scallop salad. Fish salad is made from fresh mai fish, suot fish, or fresh squid served with raw vegetables, vermicelli noodles, and a special dipping sauce. Scallop salad consists mainly of sliced scallops, pork, vegetables, roasted peanuts, and fried shallots, mixed well and served with a sweet and sour fish sauce.

2. Dong dishes

The specialty of Mui Ne sand dunes is Dong meat. The white meat of Dong is as sweet and tender as chicken meat, but with a more delicate texture. Some delicious dishes made from Dong meat are: grilled Dong, Dong rolls, steamed Dong, Dong sausage, Dong salad, Dong porridge, and Dong cooked with pink melon.

3. King crab

This is a specialty of Tuy Phong, Binh Thuan. King crab meat is sweet, chewy, and fragrant; the crab shell is crispy and soft enough to be broken with teeth. King crabs in Tuy Phong are available year-round, but the best time to enjoy them is during the lunar month of December. King crabs are usually grilled or steamed and served with salt, pepper, and lime juice, but the best way to enjoy them is in a crab porridge.

4. Soft rice paper rolls, shrimp paste rice paper

These are popular snacks in Binh Thuan province in general. You can find them at street food vendors throughout the city, especially at the Thủ Khoa Huân and Trần Hưng Đạo intersection, which only sells them in the evening.

5. Tha hot pot

Tha hot pot is a specialty dish in Phan Thiet that many tourists enjoy. The main ingredients are usually mai fish leaves, tuna, mackerel, catfish, and red snapper that are cleaned, filleted, and sliced into thin pieces. The accompanying vegetables are also sliced into small strips. Tha hot pot is served with a dipping sauce made from a mixture of sour tamarind, chili, roasted peanuts, ripe banana (some places use mashed soybean paste), and fish sauce.

Hotels, resorts

The fast development of tourism in Mui Ne has led to a wide variety of accommodation options. Tourists can choose from budget homestays to high-end hotels and resorts. Homestays are usually located far from the beach and cater mainly to young people and foreign groups who like to experience something new, with an average price of 500,000 VND per night.

Guesthouses are usually located deep in the alleyways, mainly concentrated on the Huynh Thuc Khang street leading towards Hon Rom. Hotels in Mui Ne are plentiful, mainly concentrated on Nguyen Dinh Chieu street, with an average price ranging from 700,000 to 1,000,000 VND per night.

If you come to Mui Ne for a vacation, tourists should choose resorts. This type of accommodation is very diverse here, from budget to high-end. Tourists can consider depending on their needs and budget. One of the high-end resorts worth the money in Mui Ne is Anantara Mui Ne. The resort is located on a long beach with 89 rooms. It is like a tropical garden facing straight to the sea.

The resort’s design is inspired by the Orient but is equipped with full modern facilities and high-end services such as wine cellar, pool bar, spa, kids club, gym… From the resort, tourists can enjoy the sunset, international cuisine, explore the beautiful mountains or kitesurf on the sea.

Another equally attractive option is NovaHills Mui Ne. This is a different destination to “check-in” in the Mui Ne area with villa rows on the hill, facing the sea or villas with long swimming pool rows up to 250 m… From here, tourists can admire the beautiful Mui Ne bay.

In addition to the large conference center, swimming pool, tourists can enjoy convenient services such as spa and health care center, private beach, sea sports, outdoor BBQ garden, convenience store, kids’ playground, large flower fields, observation tower above 100m…

Note:

The sea waves are not too big but will be stronger than usual, you should find calm beaches with safety signs to swim.

In the evening at Hon Rom tourist area, there is a night market with many grilled seafood dishes, the prices are very reasonable.

In the evening in Mui Ne, there are many foreign tourists, mostly Russians and Koreans. Some hotels only allow foreigners to rent cars, so don’t be too surprised.