Mui Ne Holidays

Where is Mui Ne?
The coastal resort of Mui Ne is in southwest Vietnam, almost directly east of Ho Chi Minh City – which is around 3.5 hours away by car. This proximity makes it a popular addition to an itinerary that takes in the country’s highlights from end-to-end or as an extension to an action-packed tour of the south. There’s no airport, but the nearest station on the main Reunification Express train line is Binh Thuan, an hour’s drive away; from there, you can reach Nha Trang in roughly four hours.

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Beaches
Mui Ne’s big draw is the glorious sweep of soft-white sand that curves 10 miles westward from the peninsula where the original fishing village is. It’s officially Ham Tien Beach – though it’s also referred to as Mui Ne Beach – and is where you’ll find most of the resorts and watersports activities. To the east of the peninsula is another beach, officially and confusingly called Mui Ne Beach, beyond which you’ll find quieter spots such as Hon Rom and Suoi Nuoc.

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Sand dunes
Wind, time and a relatively dry climate have helped to create Mui Ne’s most unusual sights: two areas of sand dunes that look more like something out of the Sahara than tropical South East Asia. The Red Sand Dunes – gloriously coppery at sunrise and sunset – are the smaller of the pair and closer to Mui Ne. A slide down the sand on a plastic sledge is a popular activity here, or you could just clamber to the top of the tallest dunes to enjoy the sea views. At the more extensive White Sand Dunes, 15 miles away, the landscape is even more surreal and dramatic; enjoy buggy rides and quad bikes through this extraordinary landscape.

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Fishing village
Life goes on in the original Mui Ne village much as it always has. First thing in the morning, it’s a hive of activity, with fishermen landing their catches of crabs, scallops, squid and more by basket boat on the beach and the market in full swing. Later in the day, the colourful fishing boats lie at anchor just offshore, creating a timeless and strangely mesmerising vista. Inland, the narrow lanes are lined with wooden houses shaded by swaying palms; look out for the large racks used to dry smaller fish to make the pungent nam nuoc sauce that’s something of a local speciality. If you want to eat seafood, there are lots of simple restaurants where the main ingredients could hardly be fresher.

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Food & drink
Seafood has always been a feature of the local diet, much to the delight of the growing number of visitors to this area. You can feast on rock lobster in upmarket resort restaurants, savour the flavours of satay squid at the outdoor tables of a popular local hangout or simply pick the dishes of the day at the bustling market or a characterful beach shack. It’s not all about fish, though. As well as food carts selling authentic Vietnamese favourites such as crispy banh xeo pancakes and the like, there are food courts and restaurants selling everything from pizza to Indian thalis. Along with fish sauce, here’s another more unusual speciality: dishes made from the iguanas who live in the sand dunes.

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