Mui Ne in 3 days

Red and white sand dunes, constant wind and Vietnam's kitesurfing capital. Best time to visit: November-April. Average daily budget: $25 to $80 USD.

Day 1, Get oriented

Base: Ham Tien strip, The main resort road with most hotels, restaurants and kite schools.

Morning: White Sand Dunes at sunrise. Ride out at 4.30am for the light over the desert lake and quad tracks.

Afternoon: Explore Ham Tien strip, The main resort road with most hotels, restaurants and kite schools.

Evening: Fishing village at dawn. Watch the round coracle boats land the night catch on the harbour beach.

Eat: Banh canh cha ca, thick noodle soup with fish cake, a Phan Thiet staple

Day 2, Go deeper

Base: Mui Ne village, The working fishing harbour at the eastern end, with the coracle fleet.

Morning: Fairy Stream. Wade barefoot up an ankle-deep red canyon between eroded sandstone walls.

Afternoon: Explore Mui Ne village, The working fishing harbour at the eastern end, with the coracle fleet.

Evening: Kitesurfing lesson. Learn where the cross-shore wind blows reliably from November to April.

Eat: Grilled scallops with spring onion oil at a beachfront shack

Day 3, Hidden side

Base: Suoi Nuoc, Quieter far-eastern beach with wide sand and upmarket resorts.

Morning: Po Shanu Cham towers, 9th-century ruins on a hill above Phan Thiet. A local favourite most visitors miss, worth the detour.

Afternoon: Explore Suoi Nuoc, Quieter far-eastern beach with wide sand and upmarket resorts.

Evening: Bau Trang lotus lake beside the white dunes, best before the tour buses. A local favourite most visitors miss, worth the detour.

Eat: Lau tha, a Phan Thiet raw fish and herb hotpot assembled at the table

Hidden gems

Po Shanu Cham towers, 9th-century ruins on a hill above Phan Thiet
Bau Trang lotus lake beside the white dunes, best before the tour buses
The dragon fruit farms inland, lit up at night to force the crop
Ta Cu mountain cable car and the 49-metre reclining Buddha at the top

Getting around

The resort strip is 10km long, so a scooter at 150,000-200,000 dong a day is the practical option. Taxis cost 15,000-20,000 dong per kilometre. Dune tours run in shared jeeps for about 400,000 dong. Sleeper buses from Ho Chi Minh City take five hours and cost around $10, and the Phan Thiet train is a slower, more comfortable alternative.

Safety

Mui Ne is safe, though the main strip has more scams than most of Vietnam: check taxi meters, and photograph any rental scooter before you take it. Coastal erosion has left rough seawall on some beach sections and the currents can be strong. Quad bikes on the dunes cause frequent injuries and are often uninsured.

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