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
Before we tempt you with some amazing things to do in Mui Ne, let’s get the slightly boring stuff out of the way 😉
Accommodation in Mui Ne and Phan Thiet
We would strongly recommend staying in Mui Ne as Phan Thiet can get crowded and busy. We stayed in a very nice beach-side resort called Pandanus Resort . We have written a detailed review of the property along with pictures – you can read it here.
How To Get To Mui Ne And Phan Thiet
Although a bit convoluted, it is possible to get a Vietnam visa on arrival (for which you must apply online first). Once you are in Vietnam, 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.
Top 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.
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.
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.
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 😉 )
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 🙂
Planning a trip to South East Asia? Don’t forget to read our tips on accommodation, street food, and sightseeing
Need some inspiration packing for Asia? Hop over to our favourite outfits from Vietnam and Cambodia
Thanks fr sharing the amazing place. Cant wait to go there 🙂
Hope you make it there soon Rakesh 🙂
Amazing pics! Added to the bucket list 🙂
Thanks Snig. The only problem is one needs a LOT of time to explore South East Asia. There’s so much to do in every country! 🙂
this post is very much convincing and amazing .!! nd yes , not to forget , savi looks amazing in all the photos 🙂
Haha – thanks Kushagr. You’re too kind 🙂
Wow the pictures are awesome…dint know vietnam had so many things to do..thanks for sharing
Glad you enjoyed them Divya 🙂
We absolutely loved Mui Ne! You’ve listed all of our favourite things to do there, and more 🙂
Cheers guys!
Yayy – glad to see someone agrees. A lot of the people we met there weren’t too taken in by the place!
I just started being a reader of your blog….and it is fun, interesting and the pictures are beautiful. You are a great photographer, you don’t touch them much right? because the places look amazing. So happy for your travels. Not on my list….yet, got too many other places that I must visit first. Thank you and Happy Travels.
Thanks Vilma. No we don’t retouch our photos 🙂 Glad you’re enjoying reading Bruised Passports
Excellent post..Q trip to Mui-ne need to be planned 😀
Absolutely and South East Asia is so accessibly from India too!
Sand Dunes and Vietnam! Two things I never thought of together. Its looks awesome through and is definitely on my list of places to see in Vietnam.
Jen Vietnam has some crazy gems. Perhaps your next big trip after New Zealand? 🙂
Great pictures and tips!
For those who like the idea of the train but hate getting up so early, another option is to take one of the Reunification Express trains on the Saigon – Hanoi route and get off the train at Binh Thuan. I did this in February this year, we took the SE22 that departed Saigon Train Station at 12.20pm. From Binh Thuan we were picked up by our hotel. I would recommend pre-arranging transport to Mui Ne as there were not a lot of taxis and there doesn´t seem to be a regular bus. Binh Thuan is also the best train station to get out of Mui Ne if you want to travel north afterwards.
Thanks for the information Edwina – it’s truly invaluable. We agree with you – pre-arranging transport to Mui Ne is definitely the best option
Hi,
Is it possible for me to use your post as a guide for the guests at our hotel in Mui Ne. I think they will love it. I will fully acknowledge the sources and refer them to your website. Btw, I love this article, full of joys.
Thanks,
Tri
Hi, thanks for the information about Mui Ne it will be helpful for me. I’m going to Vietnam this December 🙂
Hey Rishi – hope you had an awesome time in Vietnam. Which cities did you visit? 🙂
Absolutely, it was amazing !! I visited Saigon, Mui Ne, Phan Thiet, Khe Ga (light house), Da Lat & Nha Trang… Favourite was Mui Ne for cheap sea food & relaxed atmosphere. 🙂
I have to Phan Thiet on February 20, 2014.
I am very fortunate to be tested 9) Learn Kite Surfing and 7) Treat Your nostrils fish at VATS
Feeling very interesting that in Singapore has never been
Thanks 🙂
Aah – so you did 2 things out of our list. How cool. Did you enjoy Phan Thiet? 🙂
Hi there, may I know which hotel did u stay in mui ne and was it close to the sand dunes? Was it also safe to ride bike in mui ne? TIA!
Cheers,
Alicia 🙂
Hey Alicia, we stayed at Pandanus Resorts and wrote a detailed article on it here: https://www.bruisedpassports.com/wheres/pandanus-resort-mui-ne-vietnam-review
Yes it’s very close to the red sand dunes 🙂
This is such a great guide, but the fish markets make me feel sick! I wrote a similar post on Mui Ne but unfortunately my travel partner got really bad food poisoning in nha trang and we didn’t get to see much of the town! I seriously wish I had made it to the sand dunes now 🙁
The sand dunes were quite spectacular, Dannielle. Especially the white ones 🙂 Well, there’s always a next time !
Great post! I absolutely loved the fairy stream 🙂 the perfect place for a dreamer like myself!
Ditto Ellie – I loved it 🙂
Absolutely love the post! Me n my girlfriend are planning to visit Phan Thiet, but we are staying at a place called Villa Del Sol, which is around 30 km south of Mui Ne.
Was wondering whether it was easy to get a scooter, and also of course the best way to get from Ho Chi Minh to phan thiet as we would be arriving around 10am!
Anyway thanks a lot for the post, helps a lot!
Hey Sahil – we took the train from Ho Chi Minh to Phan Thiet and it was a smooth journey. It’s super easy to get a scooter, there are rental shops everywhere. Don’t forget to bargain before renting one 🙂
Thank you for sharing, I’m going to Mui Ne this year and looking forward to have a wonderful trip as you did. 🙂
Hey Rizka – hope you have a good time in Mui Ne. Send us photos 🙂
Hi There! I’m arranging my trip to South Vietnam and that includes Mui Ne, bumped into your blog while googling and your blog is amazing 🙂 Definitely put your blog into our top list of reference. In Mui Ne, did you join a tour? And how do you recommend to pick the tour? from hotel or else? Thank you 🙂
Hi Citra,
We didn’t join a tour when in Mui Ne – we rented a scooter and drove around at our own leisure and pace. Hope you have a great time in Mui Ne!
Hi, how much is the scooter rental? will be in Mue ni this coming december. i’ll be travelling alone. would you suggest just to rent a scooter or join a group tour?
any tour agency can you suggest?
TIA
Jun
Hi Jun,
A scooter rental was around 2-3 USD a day in Mui Ne (it might be slightly higher in Phan Thiet). Do rent a scooter, but if you decide to go somewhere that is more than 20 Kms from Mui Ne, then join a tour 🙂
This is very nice. I can’t wait to see the beauty of Vietnam.
Hope you have a great time Nerissa!
Mui Ne’s Sand Dunes are beautiful.
Absolutely – love Mui Ne 😀
Mui Ne is my favorite destination too. 🙂 Beaches are clean, roads are wide and empty, sand dunes are huge, food is fresh and cheap, resorts are beautiful and affordable. I miss this place already. :((. Another destination worth a visit is Sapa. This place is totally different from Mui Ne in Phan Thiet. You’ll see lush terraced fields, magnificient mountain ranges, minority ethnic and waterfall with colorful flowers. 😀
Thanks for the suggestion Kim – will definitely look up Sapa the next time we’re in Vietnam. It sounds amazing 🙂
Heading to Mui Ne tomorrow! Thanks for your tips, they were really helpful 🙂
So glad you found these helpful. Have fun in Mui Ne. Send us your photos at bruisedpassports@gmail.com. Would love to share them with our readers 🙂
VId and Savi…was a pleasure meeting you in Delhi at Guppy last week though I got to chat only with VId…thanks for the Vietnam tips and putting Mui ne on my agenda….am off soon! Let me know when you are n Delhi next, would lve to catch up.
Dear Radhika,
It was so good to see you 🙂 Hope you do make it to Mui Ne and like it as much as we did. Let’s meet soon!
Cheers
What a lovely post, this has reminded me how much I love Mui Ne. It was so wonderful to see the town in sunset, admiring unspoilt heritages by years of war. Thanks you so much for the post!
Glad you enjoyed it Alex- Mui Ne is special indeed 🙂
I am so mad we missed this city when we were in Vietnam!
Hope you make it to Mui Ne super soon Hannah 🙂
Hi!
Wanted to book the train tickets to Mui Ne. just wanted to check if you receive them almost immediately?
🙂 Super nice place tho! cant wait
Hey Belle,
We made the reservations through our hotel’s concierge and we received the tickets on the evening of the day we made the booking. You can probably do the same? 🙂
We’re off to Mui Ne in November so this guide has been brilliant. Thank you
Happy to hear that Julie 🙂
Nice post! Helped me out with things to do in Mui Ne. We did the tour and visited the fairy river, fishing village and sand dunes too. We drove the ATV up and a driver also gave us a little bit of a joy ride (optional if your into the adrenaline stuff). Feel free to embed my video of the ATV if you like check it out it was crazy and so much fun.
https://youtu.be/yr4M17qUcbc
Cheers Jamie!
Hi there!
Nice and helpful content, thank you! I want to ask, can we somehow rent a bike in Vietnam without having bike driving licence (for cars only)? If they are any rules, can we circumvent it? 3:)
Thanks in advance
Eva
Hey Eva,
Never a good idea to circumvent rules 🙂 In my experience a license valid for cars should be valid for motorbike as well, isn’t it?
Nice post. Attractions in Vietnam are plentiful, ranging from stunning natural landscapes, untouched islets and quaint villages to war museums, colonial structures, and ancient citadels. The Cu Chi tunnels, located outside Ho Chi Minh City, represent the sheer grit and ‘can-do’ attitude of the Vietnamese while a visit to the War Remnants Museum brings home the horrible reality of war. On the more positive side, the marvelous Hue Monuments, along with the My Son Sanctuary will awaken your spiritual side. Attracting millions of visitors all year long, its colonial heritage also means that many hotels feature a unique blend of French and Asian influences while its cuisine is highly regarded as one of the best in the world.
Thanks for the wonderful insight into Vietnam 🙂
The blog is great but you forgot to mention hot air balloon rides- the only one place in Vietnam that does it!:P
In Mui Ne, I liked Fairy Stream and sand dunes the most. It is a pity that there is so much rubbish. I hope they will pay more attention to cleaning.
Completely agree with you, Greg!
I read this post in 2015 I think. since then i kept postponing. But FINALLY, I am going to Mui Ne and HCM. Thanks for the suggestions guys. I am so excited to visit there next month 😀
Have fun Rishabh. Make sure you send across photos to us 🙂
Absolutely!! 😀
Hi we are a group of friends(no couples) traveling to vietnam this February for 10-12 days(including one or two nights in ocean cruise) can u suggest us the places we should go & not miss on… We are not much history fans and love more of adventure, nature & party.. can u please help us decide on the stuff. Thanks
Hey Sweta – would suggest heading to Hanoi or Mui Ne in that case. You’ll love it there 🙂
Hi, absolutely loved this blog! We are a family of 4 travelling to Vietnam soon and we planned on staying at Mui Ne. Since it’s quite far off, could you suggest the most convenient way to travel to and fro Mui Ne and the airport please 🙂
Hey Divya,
We took the train from Ho Chi Minh city to Mui Ne. The nearest and most convenient airport is Ho Chi Minh city 🙂
Hi, I’m going to Ho Chi Minh soon! I’m only planning on travelling through South Vietnam for 7 days, how many days would you suggest are enough for Mui Ne?
Hey 2 days are ideal for Mui Ne 🙂
Hey Savi ,
Do you also have any blogs on planning our trip to Halong bay and Hanoi in Vietnam?
I could only find posts on Saigon and Mui Ne . Your articles are our travel bibles before planning any vacations.
If not , can you , in short, guide about planning a trip to Hanoi and Halong bay ? Would be grateful for this.
Love.
Neha
Hey Neha – unfortunately we couldn’t visit Hanoi due to bad weather, so we don’t have articles on it 🙁
Hi, absolutely loved this blog!