See

Sand dunes              Mui Ne beaches

Eat

Wax bar                  One-sun-dried squid

Shop

Phan Thiet market

Map

Mui Ne Beach is a popular tropical beach. The tourist season is from December to May. The average temperature is 27°C, and the climate is hot and dry for most of the year.

Mui Ne, meaning “sheltered p eninsula”, is an idyllic, laid-back beach town featuring all that you need to help recharge those batteries. Palm trees, white sand beaches, great seafood and a range of hotel options make it a great weekend away. However Mui Ne isn’t just about lazing by the beach and reading a book, there are also some exciting water based activities, including kite-surfing and windsurfing, that are guaranteed to get your blood pumping.

Northeast of Phan Thiet the coastal road climbs over the slope of a Cham-Tower-topped hill and descends onto the long, sandy crescent of Mui Ne Bay. The formerly little-inhabited beach south of the fishing village of Mui Ne proper has seen some serious development in the last 15 years. 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 actually named Ham Tien.

Given the choice, nature would move the sand around, much to the dismay of some developers. Beach sand tends to migrate up and down the coast seasonally, leaving some (but not all) spots with just a concrete breakwater rather than sandy beach. There is always a good sandy beach somewhere along this 10 km beach. These sand dunes are at the northern end of town. The dunes are incredibly photogenic but because of their proximity to Phan Thiet and Mui Ne, they are incredibly popular as well. They are best visited very early in the morning or late at night to avoid the crowds and intense heat

Accommodations at higher addresses tend to be smaller and less expensive, somewhat removed from the main tourist section 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. There are some bars also, and hot competition means you can often find two cocktails for $2 around sunset - a perfect way to end a gorgeous day. Some, like Jibes and Wax bar, are well connected with the water-sports community and often run big beach parties on Saturday nights.

Mui Ne is gorgeous and really relaxing. If you make the effort to get there then you will be rewarded with postcard like palm fringed, white sand beaches and a lovely place to watch the world go by