Mui Ne

The ten kilometres of beach that makes up Mui Ne is a beautiful tropical beach of the kind that most holiday-makers dream of – for about seven of those kilometres, that is. The west end of the beach is the widest and sandiest, with the cleanest water. Here the majority of quality resorts are found. The far east end is also sandy and tropical-looking, with a few more up-market resorts. Nearly three kilometres of the central area, however, has lost all sand, and many resorts have only concrete walls or steps to the ocean – and are cheaper as a result. Look carefully, for there is a wide variety of offerings. Find the kind of beach you like first, then look for a resort to suit your needs.

Mui Ne offers a wide choice of beachfront resorts and hotels along its length, with accommodation from budget to 5-star. The west end of the beach holds by far the biggest number of high-end resorts, with 5-star Anantara resort holding up the top end. About two kilometres up the beach, from Saigon Muine Resort onwards, is a mid-range and younger zone (our map Mui Ne West) where the majority of kite surfers find budget beds. Following that is the three kilometre-long ‘concrete beach’ area which is distinctly cheaper. The far east end of the beach becomes sandy again, and the quality of resorts also rises here, with a few more 4-star establishments mixed in with a number of guesthouses.

A beautiful sandy beach is not enough for everyone, and visitors eager to see some of the local countryside and attractions will find quite a few interesting places to visit. These include the big Mui Ne fishing village, the red sand hills, the white sand hills, Phan Thiet town and market, the Cham monuments and others. Also, there are a couple of pleasant drives to make, by motorcycle or car. The easiest from Mui Ne is the northern coastal route, while the southern road to Ke Ga lighthouse is a bit further, and requires finding your way through Phan Thiet town – but it too, makes a pleasant, half-day cruise.

Mui Ne is the kite surfing centre of Southeast Asia, and surely all of Asia. While Thailand has Hua Hin and a few other places favoured by kiting enthusiasts, none match Mui Ne either for the perfection of its daily breeze nor the number of kites in its skies. The season runs from December to April, peaking in February and March when thousands of kite boarders take to the water daily. With many skilled kite boarders coming from around the world, their spectacular flying jumps and acrobatic turns make great beach theatre.

The fleet is huge and colourful, making a great photo spectacle for the hoards of tourists who come here daily. They come to the beach by morning to watch the catch being off-loaded, sorted and sold, or in the late afternoon to see the boats glowing in the evening light. Closer inspection though, shows that all is not well with Mui Ne’s fishing fleet, and the catch that they bring ea

ch morning is pathetically short of sizeable fish, and high on tiny fish fry and inedible ‘junk’ sea life that is simply discarded, dead, back into the water. See more photos of Mui Ne fishing village.

Vietnamese are natural capitalists – despite their government’s attempts at creating a communist economy – and small private restaurants are booming along the back road behind the resorts. The biggest number is found at the west end. The quality varies greatly from rather good to poor, in both Vietnamese and foreign dishes. Many are very attractively appointed and provide a pleasant ambiance from which to watch the evening parade of visitors along the back road.

The best, and most popular outside eating venues are distinctly scrappy and rough-and-ready. These are the 20 or so seafood restaurants that run along the mid section of beach where the road has left no space for resorts. These attract crowds of locals and foreigners each evening with live seafood displays, and a generally good standard of food.

Following years of social control that frowned on nightlife and dancing as forms of corrupt western culture to be kept out of Vietnam, the government has began to relax. Nightlife has begun creeping into Mui Ne, with the acceptance of the local authorities. In 2012 there were three night scenes in central Mui Ne that opened well past midnight and saw their guests drinking, flirting and dancing – normal stuff in any other country. These venues are all found at the central west sector of beach where there are many cheaper accommodations used by young travellers, backpackers and kite surfers. Joe’s Garden Resort, Wax Beach Club and Sankara Bar wither the three happening places in 2012. See more on dining & entertainment in Mui Ne.