Mui Né is a small beach town located 215 km East of Ho Chi Minh City. However, it is not like any other beach town. The region hides interesting landscapes such as Sand dunes and stream running through canyon of red-rock cliffs. Travellers often spend a day or two here. Here is a list of things to do in Mui Né.
How To Get There And Where To Stay?
To reach Mui Né you could take a 5 Hour bus ride from Ho Chi Minh City or a 4 Hour bus ride from Dalat (150km). There are trains from Ho Chi Minh City to Phan Thiet railway station. You will have to book a taxi from there to Mui Né.
Most hostels are located about 9km away from the Mui Né town center, closer to the beaches. The buses usually drop you off around the hostel area. If are dropped off away from the hostel or hotel that you are staying at, a taxi ride with nominal fare can get you there. It could cost you about 30K VND for a ride up to 3-4km.
I stayed at Mui Ne Hills Budget hotel for just 80 Rupees for a dorm bed (Around a dollar). It is the least I have paid for a hostel dorm and believe me, it was as descent as any other hostel that demands more. The Mui Né Hills backpackers hostel and hotel are adjacent buildings. I particularly liked this place because it was closer to the beach. They have two pools and every evening, they arrange some kind of an event by the pool.
You could also choose the The Bliss hotel next door for a private accommodation. Vietnam Backpacker Hostel is another good option to stay at.
If you fancy to stay at a resort and enjoy some excellent hospitality at a relatively reasonable price, there are plenty of options. Mui Né has no dearth of beach resorts.
Attractions
There are not a lot of things to do in Mui Né but it is still worth a visit as the landscape here is unique. You get to witness a diverse setting. Moreover, you could choose to spend a day or two relaxing by the beach.
White Sand Dunes
The best time to visit the White Sand Dunes is around sunrise. It is a wonderful sight to watch the first rays of sun lit up the skies and the white sands. The entry is free. You could easily walk up to the summit in 5-10 minutes or choose to pay and enjoy a ride on a jeep or ATV.
Red Sand Dunes
Red Sand Dunes are the perfect place to relive your childhood days by sledding down the dunes. Entry to the dunes is free. The boards are rented at the location for a price of 20K VND. Find yourself a good slope to enjoy sledging.
Fishing Village
There is a fishing village very close to Mui Né town. The best time to visit the village is early in the morning as planned by the tours. More than a village it may appear like a market with all types of fishes for sale. Early in the morning, the sight of all the boats flocked together by the beach makes a good view to be captured if you are a photo enthusiast.
Fairy Stream
The Beaches
The beaches near Mui Né hostels are decent enough to enjoy a swim. Many resorts and independent companies offer kite surfing facilities. The beach also houses a Kite surfing school.
Bãi đá Ông Địa or Mr. Dia rock Viewpoint
This long walk to the end of the town is a perfect way to end a day. With a right set of travellers, this experience could turn out to be a perfect Carpe Diem moment. The viewpoint is ideal place to spend an evening at, admiring the view, as rays form he setting sun lit up the evening sky.
Massage and Seafood Restaurants
You can find a lot of massage and Spa centres on the main street. Mui Ne is also a very popular destination among Russians, so much so that, you shall find the shop names and restaurant menus written in Russian. The restaurants serve excellent seafood dishes. Though most of the restaurants serve Vietnamese food, it is easy to find ones that serve continental cuisine.
Booking A Tour
To view the attractions, you could book a bus tour or a jeep trip (Shared by 4). Most of these arranged tours start with a sunrise viewing at White Sand Dunes and then make their way to Red Sand Dunes, Fishing village and Fairy stream. Therefore the tour lasts for about 5 hours (4 AM to 9 AM).
The hostel or the hotel where you are staying at can arrange the trip. Also, there are many other travel agencies on the main street that can offer the same package for a much cheaper price. However, ensure to check the time you get to spend at each place. The Bus tour at Hostel is reasonable. Jeep ride would cost around $30 at hostels/hotels. But at other booking counters, a jeep tour can be as less as $20 (450K VND) and can be shared between 4 people.
You could also rent a bike at a nominal price and do the tour on your own. That way, you could spend as much time as you want at the attractions.
My Experience
Honestly, I had not expected a lot from Mui Né when I got off the bus from Dalat. But, I must say that I enjoyed every moment of my stay here. While backpacking in Vietnam, from the north to the south, I had made a few friends along the way and that really made a great difference. I spent around 2 days in Mui Né. On the first day, we headed to the beach after lunch. It was nice to lie down on the beach and enjoy the mild waves. Early next morning, four of us booked a jeep and did the tour. We had a situation here.
After finishing the visit to the White Sand Dunes, we were unable to find our driver by the jeep. After about 30 minutes of waiting, we finally enquired about him at the local shops and they directed us to the hammock where he was sleeping. He dropped us off at the Red Sand Dunes next. We had great fun learning how to sledge. Make sure to find some time for yourself there.
After about an hour, when we returned to the parking lot, we did not find the jeep there. We looked around and enquired at the roadside shops. Finding no luck with that, we tried calling the agency, but the number was not working. Finally, the agency where we had booked the tour received the call. According to them, we had not stuck to the time limit supposed to be maintained at a given site. According to us, we were never informed about the duration at each location, neither by the driver nor by the agency. After a heated discussion with them, they agreed to send a jeep to pick us up. Back at their office, I insisted that we should be allowed to complete the tour, as it wasn’t our fault. The jeep was booked for 5 hours and irrespective of the duration at each place, we had to have the jeep for that time. The owner obliged and another jeep was arranged for us to do the Fairy stream and the Fishing village visits.
It was quite an experience! I think that is what I like about backpacking. You have to face the unexpected. The situations you might come across during your journey, will allow you to explore the skills in you to deal with them. If everything goes as per planned, I guess, it would be rather dull. The best thing about all this was that we could spend enough time at the Sand Dunes. Otherwise, the tours are a bit rushed.
Checkout My Vlog on Mui Né:
To plan your trips to Vietnam checkout the Vietnam Travel Guide.
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