10 Things To Do in Mui Ne and Phan Thiet

10 Things To Do in Mui Ne and Phan Thiet
Oh what do we tell you about Mui Ne and Phan Theit?! These tiny fishing villages are nestled between turquoise beaches that line the Eastern coast of Vietnam. The area is just 4-hour train ride away from the chaos of Ho Chi Minh City but seems like a different world altogether. There are endless reasons for visiting Mui Ne and Phan Thiet. We found it tough to choose between gorgeous sunsets, glistening beaches, surreal scenery, and picture-perfect villages but we managed to restrict ourselves to listing just 10 Things To Do in Mui Ne and Phan Thiet

1)     Rent a bike
You are in Asia. This is a no-brainer. If you want to explore the area, there is no better way to do it than by renting a bike. Bike rentals in Mui Ne cost anywhere between $8-12 per day. Traffic can get crazy in this part of the world, so be careful. Bus drivers seem to be on a mission to demolish anything comes in their way. Another piece of advice – always have your helmet on or you’ll definitely be stopped by a cop which will result in a lot of discussion and eventually, bribery. South Vietnam tours Packages

Renting a bike will give you the flexibility of exploring offbeat places in the area, discovering hidden beaches, and exploring local markets.

2)     Go Quad biking at the White Sand Dunes
We’ve already introduced you to this geographical wonder in our write-up on the White Sand Dunes Of Mui Ne. If you’ve rented a bike, getting to the White Sand Dunes is a joy ride in itself. It will take you through unpaved roads and gorgeous stretches of Vietnamese countryside. Once you are there, enjoy the dunes on a quad bike – everything from gentle bumps to stomach churning bends are on offer. Mekong river tours Vietnam

The white sand dunes of Mui Ne are approximately 25 km. away from the centre of Mui Ne – once you have had your share of fun at the dunes, just walk over to the lotus pond and spend the afternoon watching the sun go down. Halong bay cruise


3)     Visit the early morning fish market of Mui Ne
Mui Ne’s chaotic early morning market provides a fascinating peek into the lives of local Vietnamese fishermen. Every morning they get their catch to the shore. Their wives and family members sort out the catch and sell it to the local traders, restaurant owners, and street food vendors on the spot. It’s like a trading floor right out of a Wall Street institution.  Expect to find fishing nets full of seafood, buckets overflowing with fish, shells strewn everywhere, raucous conversation, and plenty of photo-opps (It was tough to tear Vid away from the market 😉 )

10 Things To Do in Mui Ne and Phan Thiet

4)     Sunrise and Sunset at Mui Ne
Early morning isn’t the only time you should visit Mui Ne. This little village is absolutely magical at sunrise and sunset. Dozens of brightly coloured boats adorn turquoise waters. Everything is bathed in a luminescent light – highly recommended!! In fact, this might be our favourite thing to do in Mui Ne and Phan Thiet.

5)     Visit the Red Sand Dunes of Mui Ne
Another great place to catch a gorgeous sunset are the Red Sand Dunes of Mui Ne. If you don’t have the time to venture out to the White Sand Dunes, the Red ones are just a couple of kilometres from the centre and can be reached on foot as well.We still can’t get over the wonders of nature in Mui Ne and Phan Thiet – sand dunes that make you feel like you are in a desert right next to the beach?!
Read our post on the Red Sand Dunes of Mui Ne for detailed information and photographs (opens in new tab)


6)     The Fairy Stream
When we first heard about it, we were apprehensive about this being a tourist trap. But we were wrong!! This aptly named stream is another wonder of nature. Tucked between beaches and fishing villages, this gurgling stream is surrounded by amazing limestone formations. You can deposit your shoes at the entrance or carry them along with you to explore this muddy stream. Make your way through colourful limestone formations, warm water, and bright green trees to reach a waterfall.

7)     Treat your nostrils at fish vats 😉
Mui Ne and Phan Thiet are famous for being the home of fish sauce. This popular condiment might add a great dash of flavour to Asian food, but it doesn’t smell particularly pleasant. In fact, the word vile comes to mind – fermented fish in huge vats – doesn’t exactly remind you of perfume, does it 😉 There are a number of factories in Phan Thiet, but if you are in Mui Ne, you can witness the action close to The Fairy Stream.

8)     Find a secluded beach
There is no shortage of things to do in Mui Ne but it is easy to spend languid days at your hotel’s beach. But we suggest taking your rented scooter out for a spin and exploring the area. There are a number of isolated beaches perfect for an impromptu picnic or skinny dipping, if you enjoy that sort of thing :-) Our favourite secluded beach is the Hon Rom beach which can be reached by driving past the Red Sand Dunes towards the White Sand Dunes.

9)     Learn Kite Surfing
Mui Ne and Phan Thiet boast of a number of windy beaches that are perfect for kite surfing.  In fact, the area is one of Asia’s most popular sites for kitesurfing. There are a number of Kite Surfing schools in the area that offer courses for amateurs and beginners at extremely competitive prices. Moreover, there is no shortage of wide, sandy beaches to practice the sport

10)  Binge on The Food
Aah, the best for the last 😉 Mui Ne offers scrumptious seafood for dirt cheap prices. Grilled Red Snappers for £3 and clams and mussels for £2 often crop up on menus. If you’re adventurous, there’s snakes, crocodiles, and turtles on the menu. Freshly BBQ’d scallops with spring onions and peanuts drizzled with a lemon, sugar, and salt dip were my favourites. Mmmm, I want to go back for some more.

Then there are the fruits – everything from litchis and mangoes to mangosteens and papayas are on offer. Mui Ne’s morning fruit market is the equivalent of a candy factory for fruit lovers. The pick of the lot? Fuchsia-coloured Dragon Fruit. You’ll see entire orchards of Dragon Fruit on the way from Ho Chi Minh City to Mui Ne. No wonder it tastes better here than in any other part of Asia. Our friend Jodi talks about some great eating options in her Crash Course on Mui Ne :-)

 How To Get To Mui Ne And Phan Thiet
It’s fairly easy to  get to Mui Ne / Phan Thiet from Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City). On our way to Mui Ne, we took the train from Saigon that departed at 06:50 a.m. (eek!) and brought us to Phan Thiet in 4 hours. We could have taken the bus, but our hotel staff  suggested that the train would be more comfortable. Right they were :-) From the train station, we were ferried to our resort in Mui Ne by the pre-arranged pick-up driver from our resort. In total, it took us 4.5 hours to get to Mui Ne. Train tickets, including reserved seating, cost $16 . More details can be found here.
On our way back from Mui Ne to Saigon, we decided to take the bus. Our hotel arranged the bus tickets with a company called Hanh Cafe, which we later found out did not have good reviews 😉 It was too late to change our booking but thankfully our experience was not bad at all. We were picked up from our resort hotel and after picking up a gazillion other tourists from different hotels in Mui Ne, we were driven to Saigon through the choked roads and highways in a little over 5 hours. We preferred the train, but the buses offer more flexibility in terms of schedule.

Floating markets - the uniqueness of Mekong delta

Mekong Delta area is the largest rice growing region in Vietnam which always covered with green rice paddies, orchads coconuts, mangos, pineapples, bananas and oranges. It is also the only region in Vietnam where riverboats and sampans are the main means of transportation due to low-lying, soft soil condition and dense system of rivers and canals. Also because of dense rivers and canals system, the uniqueness of Mekong Delta – floating markets are created to supply the demands of trading of local people. Gradually, it becomes attractive places for tourists when they travel to Mekong Delta area.

The Cai Rang floating market, the most facsinating and largest wholesale floating market in the Mekong Delta, starts around 5:00 am and runs until mid-day, however, it could be more interesting if you visit it before 9:00 am. Some historians say that it has been operating since early 1900s during the Nguyen dynasty. It means that this market has become a must in the life of local people for a long time. If you don’t want to discover this market by yourself, don’t worry because a day tour to Cai Rang floating market is the most popular Mekong tour from Ho Chi Minh city. Talking about the distance of 6km from Can Tho or about 30-minute boat ride, you will have a glimpse about life along shores. You’ll see vibrantly painted boats anchored along the shore, merchant vessels carrying loads down the river or houses built on stilts over waterface. Once you reach the market, it’s an impressive site. A strech of boats selling all variety of goods lines the river. It’s not only the place of selling souvernirs, but also people come here to buy large quantities of goods, mostly foodstuffs. You’ll learn that boats identify what they are selling by hanging a sample off the top of a long pole, if you want mango, simply scan for a hanging mango. And if you want, you’ll have an opportunity to interact with some of floating merchants to get more understands about their work. Au Co Cruise

Floating markets - the uniqueness of Mekong delta

Not far away from Ho Chi Minh city, approximately 2 hours by car, Cai Be floating market is an ideal place for those have limited time travel in Mekong Delta. Cai Be is a charming small town with lots of colorful fruits and vegetable gardens, traditional crafts, a French church from 1935 and an impressive traditional house which can be visited. Cai Be, one of well-known floating markets in western region of southern Vietnam, lies in Tien river, adjacent to three province Tien Giang, Vinh Long and Ben Tre. This market is always busy from 3:00 am in buying and selling goods. Rafts and boats that full of fruits, vegetables and other products are anchored along two sides of river for kilometres. As same as in Cai Rang floating market, the merchandise sold in each boat is hung on a pole in front of the boat to attract customers. From floating markets, goods are shifted for selling at inland markets or small boats take them for delivery along canals in the Plain of Reeds. South Vietnam tours Packages

Floating markets in Mekong Delta is an unique cultural characteristic, creating such a beautiful river painting. Apart from Cai Rang, Cai Be, you also can visit Phung Hiep floating market in Hau Giang province or Nga Nam in Soc Trang province. It can be denied that visiting floating markets is among can-not-miss experience in Southern Vietnam which will leave you the most impressive, meaningful and memorable moments in Mekong Delta travelling.

Moreover, it also is a necessary part in any Mekong day tour, so if you want to explore, you only need to join in our tour at Mekong Delta Tours

The most charming street in Da Nang city – Bach Dang Street

The glamorous city of Da Nang has variety of stunning attractions, from beautiful beaches and natural destinations to amazing Ba Na Hill and outstanding architectures. Especially, on the left side of poetic Han River, there is a very alluring and fantastic street called Bach Dang Street. It is considered as the most charming street in Da Nang city with perfect position and perfect view. Travel Centre Vietnam tours
 Da Nang city – Bach Dang Street
Bach Dang is not only an ideal place to see the whole wonderful view of Da Nang city, but also has a lot of historical relics, cultural beauty and notable architectures such as bridges, buildings, etc.
Splendid embankment
Bach Dang Street runs along Han River. Some people compared Bach Dang Street as a bulwark embracing the city or as the image of a sweet mother hugging her child. The street brings distinctive creation of architecture as a highlight of the city. It is also featured by a lot of stunning natural sceneries. Jasmine Cruise Halong bay
The most charming street in Da Nang city – Bach Dang Street
Walking along the street, you can see and feel the vibrant city of Da Nang with high-rise buildings, extremely impressive bridges including Han Bridge, Dragon Bridge, Thuan An Bridge as well as the poetic beauty of Han River. You can stand on the street or on bridges to see other destinations of Da Nang such as Son Tra peninsula or Ngu Hanh Son. Mekong eyes cruise

The witness of history

Bach Dang Street has existed for a very long time, since the city has name of Tourance. In the past, it is an important street in Da Nang’s transportation with many key buildings, cultural centers put on it. A part of the street was a crucial trade port, where was very crowded with foreign ships. Han Market, a very big market of Da Nang was held on the street. There was also a train station built in French Colonial time. Other remarkable buildings were French Cutural Center (today is Da Nang Library), Cham Museum,…

The most charming street in Da Nang city – Bach Dang Street

Best place in holiday
In New Year Holiday, Bach Dang Street is covered with colorful flowers, making an outstanding version of flower street of Nguyen Hue (Ho Chi Minh City). The street along Han River is more beautiful and charming because of many different species of blooming flowers.

In other holidays or festivals, Bach Dang Street with a lot of advantages in aesthetics, position and space is always used to celebrate.
Visiting Da Nang city, one of the first thing you have to do is hiring a bike or just walking by your foot to make a tour on Bach Dang Street.