The first time I heard of Mui Ne was seeing a photo of Fairy Stream on Instagram. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw all the images of this part of Vietnam. It is so different from anywhere else in the country and this world! So I knew I had to go!
First a little bit about Mui Ne. It is a small coastal town in southeast Vietnam. It is 220km east of Ho Chi Minh City and is part of the city of Phan Thiet in Binh Thuan Province. The main part of Mui Ne centres along the coast.
If this is your first time travelling solo to Vietnam, you should definitely include Mui Ne in your itinerary because the scenery along the coast is not something you can see anywhere else in the country.
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What you need to know before going to Mui Ne Vietnam
Before you plan your visit to Mui Ne, check out these travel tips first:
- Mui Ne is a safe city for solo female travellers. I was there for a few days and didn’t have any issues with safety even when I went out at night.
- The best time to visit Mui Ne is between December to April during the dry season. It has ideal conditions for kitesurfing.
- Plan your visit to Mui Ne with the following festivals and events:
- Nghinh Ong Celebration (16-18th of 8th lunar month) – see parades and dragon dances at the Ong Pagoda in Phan Thiet City.
- Mbang Kate Festival (8th and 9th lunar month) – festivities at the Cham Towers overlooking Phan Thiet.
- Cau Ngu and the Ba Trao Opera (alternate years with Nghinh Ong Festival) – a fisherman’s festival for whale worship which includes dragon boat races, games and a parade at Mui Ne harbour.
How to get to Mui Ne Vietnam
Most people will go to Mui Ne from Ho Chi Minh City as a weekend trip or part of a trip across the entire country. And the best way to travel to Mui Ne is by taking a sleeper bus.
Taking the sleeper bus is an experience in itself. All the seats are already in a semi-reclined position, allowing for lower and upper seats in the bus. It sounds claustrophobic, but it was quite a great experience. The sleeper bus is safe which is perfect for solo travellers.
Ho Chi Minh City to Mui Ne Sleeper Bus
- Sleeper Bus: from Ho Chi Minh City to Mui Ne
- Cost: 300k to 500k VND
- Time: 4.5 hours (8am or 10:30pm)
- Check: The Sinh Tourist website for more info
How to get around Mui Ne Vietnam
The attractions in Mui Ne are located in different parts of the village. The best way to get to each tourist site is by hiring a taxi. You can hire a cab for specific destinations.
If you are only spending a day in Mui Ne, you can hire a taxi for half a day to see all the tourist attractions in Mui Ne. The cab driver can wait for you and drive you around for several hours. Which is what I did since I wanted the ease of getting around the village and see everything on the same day.
Map: What to do in Mui Ne
Whether you are travelling solo or with others, everyone goes to Mui Ne to see Fairy Stream, sand dunes, kitesurfing, and anything else in between.
It is possible to see all the best attractions in Mui Ne in one day.
Some people may be coming from Saigon to Mui Ne for a weekend trip. Then these attractions can be split into two days and more beach time can be inserted into the itinerary.
Best things to do in Mui Ne in 1 day
All the best attractions in Mui Ne can be seen in one day. Follow all the red pins on the interactive map for the full day itinerary.
1. Fairy Stream
Fairy Stream is one of those surreal places you didn’t think existed. It is a 2km walk in a shallow stream with a small waterfall at the end and one of the best things to do in Mui Ne.
The entrance to Fairy Stream isn’t very obvious. I walked through a shop leading to a small path next to the stream. I kept walking until I couldn’t continue further so I paid 5000 VND to leave my shoes on the shelf (otherwise you have to hold your shoes the entire time).
Then I walked barefoot in the shallow murky water where red sand washed over my feet. The water level doesn’t get that high. It might go up to your knee but that’s about it.
The waterfall at the end was just okay. But the natural red sand and rock formation along the way make up for it. I’ve never seen anything like this and definitely not in Vietnam.
Depending on your speed and how many photos you take, the entire walk takes about an hour or so. There are little cafes along the way if you want to stop for a break or a drink.
2. White Sand Dunes
The White Sand Dunes is the other highlight of Mui Ne. This is the biggest sand dune in the area and the most visited.
There are a few ways to experience the White Sand Dunes. I hired a jeep (for about 400k VND) and the driver drove across the sand dunes and up a massive hill. The view from the hill was just amazing! You can see miles and miles of sand and a nearby lake. I’ve never seen anything like this! But the 30-minute ride was wild. So hold on tight!
Or the alternative is to walk up the sand dune yourself for free. But this seems like a hotter, sunnier and less fun option.
And if you want to sandboard down the slope, you can rent a plastic board for a thrilling ride.
3. Red Sand Dunes
On the way back to the hotel, visit the Red Sand Dunes, which is just off the side of the main road.
The Red Sand Dunes takes up a pretty big area but at this point it doesn’t look as grand as the white one. But it was still a pretty impressive spot to take photos (even though the red sand didn’t really turn out that great in my photos).
This is your last chance for some sand dune fun. You can walk around or rent a plastic slide and slide down the dunes.
4. Mui Ne Fishing Village and Mui Ne Harbour
The last stop of the day tour includes Mui Ne Harbour and Mui Ne Fishing Village. It is worth stopping even for a few minutes to see a bit of local life in the area.
When you pull off from the main road, you can immediately see the colourful fishing boats in the harbour. These round disc-like boats are what the fisherman uses to catch fish and seafood.
Fish, crabs, scallops and other seafood are sold at the fishing village where some vendors set up their stalls right on the beach. It is possible to buy seafood on the spot and the locals will cook it for you. Talk about fresh seafood!
5. Kitesurfing on Mui Ne Beach
Mui Ne is one of the best places to learn kitesurfing. The coastal town has steady wind during the dry season, which is the ideal weather condition for kitesurfing (and other activities like windsurfing).
There are many kitesurfing schools along the main beach in Mui Ne.
Directly in front of Sailing Club Resort Mui Ne, The Sailing Club Kite School teaches beginners how to kitesurf. It is one of the more established kitesurfing school in Mui Ne. And besides kitesurfing, you can try kayaking, paddle boarding, surfing or bodyboarding.
So whether you are a beginner or advanced kite surfers, you’ll want to do a bit of kitesurfing in Mui Ne.
6. Watching the sunset
And if your idea of a vacation is lying on a sun lounger by the beach, you will fall in love with Mui Ne. The beach goes on forever. Truly idyllic and beautiful!
And wherever you are in Mui Ne, you will likely see a gorgeous sunset as the town faces south. I watched the sun set almost everyday while I was there. It was quite magical!
7. Try local food in Mui Ne
Seafood lovers will love Mui Ne! Fresh seafood is sold by the fisherman at the harbour daily. Definitely try the squid, shrimp, clams, fish, razor clams and anything from the sea. There are a lot of seafood restaurants closer to the west side of Mui Ne.
But no matter what your budget is, you can eat almost anything you want in Mui Ne. Here are some of my favourite places to eat:
- BiBo – family-run alfresco seafood restaurant that locals and tourists visit. You can tell how much they love being there. And prices are very reasonable (compared to Saigon).
- Dong Vui Food Court – The entire food court is full of independently run vendors, and each vendor offers a different type of cuisine. So if you are missing the flavours of other cultures, you will find yourself salivating over all the choices they offer.
- Sandals – there are more high-end hotels and restaurants on the west end of Mui Ne. The restaurant at Sailing Club Resort Mui Ne called Sandals serves upscale western and Vietnamese food along with an incredible beach view and kitesurfers.
If you are spending 2 days in Mui Ne
You can see most Mui Ne highlights in one day. But if you are in the coastal town for another day, there are other things to do outside of Mui Ne town.
Here are some attractions to consider if you are spending more time in Mui Ne (follow the purple pins on the interactive map):
- Ong Hoang Hill – see historical structures like Prince’s Castle, Po Shanu Cham Towers and Thap Po Sah Inu and Victoria Statue on the way to the top. And hopefully the panoramic view of the coast is clear on the day of your visit.
- Phan Thiet – explore the town of Phan Thiet and see Duc Thanh School, Van Thuy Tu Temple, Phan Thiet Water Tower, Guan Di Temple and the Central Market.
- Ta Cu Mountain – see the 49m long Lying Buddha on Ta Cu Mountain and take a cable car ride to Linh Son Truong Tho Pagoda.
Where to stay in Mui Ne as a solo traveller
If you are going to Mui Ne to enjoy the beach, then you must stay at one of the beachfront hotels. Many hotels and resorts line the main road, Huynh Thuc Khang and most of them have direct access to the beach.
Here are two beachfront hotel options in Mui Ne:
- Villa Aria Muine ($$) – newly built 4-star beachfront resort with affordable and clean rooms.
- Sailing Club Resort Mui Ne ($$$) – the 4-star luxury hotel has amazing bungalows and a fantastic spa facility. And not to mention the beachfront restaurant!
- Check prices & reviews: Agoda
Are you including Mui Ne in your solo trip to Vietnam?
I hope so because there are so many things to see in Mui Ne that you can’t see anywhere else. The sand dunes and rock formation are so different from other parts of the country.
Plus, the seaside spot is the perfect place for relaxation when you are travelling the entire country. Mui Ne is the place to slow down and enjoy a bit of beach life.
Let me know in the comments if you are going to Mui Ne during your solo trip to Vietnam or if you have any questions about travelling solo in Mui Ne.
Thank you for reading my Mui Ne travel post
You might also like these other posts on solo travel in Vietnam:
- 3 weeks Vietnam solo travel itinerary
- Hanoi Solo Travel: 2 days in Hanoi
- Trekking in Sapa as a solo traveller
- Day trip to Ninh Binh from Hanoi
- Halong Bay 2 night cruise for solo travellers
- Hoi An 3 day itinerary
- One day in Hue Vietnam
- Ho Chi Minh City 3 day itinerary
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