A Travel Guide for Mui Ne Vietnam

Just four hours from Ho Chi Minh City, Mui Ne is the preferred hideaway spot for Saigon's wealthy urbanites. The long stretches of beach coupled with the fresh (and sometimes strong) sea breeze make Mui Ne world famous for water sports like surfing and kite-surfing.

Mui Ne is characterized by small, independent lowrise resorts and is an ideal destination for escape and relaxation. There are plenty of activities available both on and off the water, with one of Asia's finest golf courses, the Ocean Dunes, designed by Nick Faldo, a vibrant and dynamic kite surfing scene, great sailing courtesy of the brisk sea breeze, and the Sahara-like red sand dunes at Hon Rom to explore.

Besides its gorgeous beach and ocean tides, the area is famous for the red and white sand dunes nearby. Almost a clichéd image, no self-respecting photographer can resist a shot of those perfectly wind-sculpted sand dunes. The dunes can easily be visited by people powered bicycle, or by motorcycle or jeep. They are best visited in the late afternoon, during the golden hour when the sun shines softly onto the sands.

The golfing at the Ocean Dunes Golf Club is top-notch, and the caddies here train for up to three months before they are considered qualified, and many have years of experience reading the course and advising their charges on its nuances. They are often multilingual, and seem to have been educated in etiquette at a Swiss finishing school.

A string of resorts between the fishing towns of Mui Ne and Phan Thiet give visitors a genuine taste of coastal life in Vietnam. At dawn, local families congregate on the beach to greet the returning fishing fleet and off load the night's catch ready for delivery to market.

The local vintage of nuoc mam is widely lauded as among the finest across the land, and the sight of its production is common across the area. For better or worse, nuoc mam's special fragrance is guaranteed to stay with you for a while...