Mui Ne - Phan Thiet is a famous tourist destination in Vietnam, which is known by many people for its long stretches of white sand and blue sea. Many people mistakenly think that Mui Ne has only the beach as there plenty countless beautiful and interesting places to explore. The list of Mui Ne top attractions will help you choose the best things to do in Phan Thiet.
You will find several beautiful beaches in Mui Ne that are suitable for swimming and enjoying beach sports and activities. However, this dreamy place also has countless other beautiful and interesting places to explore. Mui Ne is the ideal place for you to drop your soul after the hustle and bustle of life in big cities such as Ho Chi Minh City or Hanoi.
The best places to visit in Mui Ne and surrounding areas are listed below.
Best Places to Visit in Mui Ne
Mui Ne Sand Dunes
Mui Ne Sand Dunes is the place not to be missed when traveling to Mui Ne, Phan Thiet. These sand hills are also known as the flying sand hills because their shape changes continuously for hours. Every day, the shape of sand hills in the afternoon is not like the shape of sand hills in the morning. In addition to the beautiful shape from the erosion of the wind, Mui Ne Sand Dunes have up to 18 different fancy colors such as yellow, red, black, gray, white, pink, creating spectacular scenery.
Hon Rom area’s Red Sand Dunes, that are located only about 2 km from Mui Ne town, stretch for many kilometers from Binh Thuan to Ninh Thuan. This place is a very popular spot during sunrise and sunset because it attracts travelers by giving the feeling of standing in the desert in the Middle East.
Up on the sand dunes, you can rent a board and try sand-boarding for only about 5,000-10,000 VND. The best time to visit sand dunes is in the early morning or evening to avoid the heat. If you will come by a motorbike, it can be parked at the restaurant opposite the sand dune area.
Mui Ne Red Sand Dunes can also be reached by a public transportation as two local bus routes Mui Ne Bus 1 and Mui Ne Bus 9 are passing by.
Mui Ne Fishing Village
Mui Ne Fishing Village, located nearby Mui Ne town, stretches along the coast for about 100 meters. Mui Ne Fishing Village is the place where you can explore the daily life of fishermen and immerse yourself into the local’s life as well as buy cheap fresh seafood. As soon as you step into the fishing village, you can witness hundreds of colorful fishing boats anchored on the sea.
If you come in the morning around 6:00 - 7:00, you will witness the bustling shopping scene with seafood trading activities and will be able to buy fresh seafood such as lobster, crab, squid, fish right on the harbor and enjoy it right at the spot. Catching the sunset in the fishing village is also an interesting experience.
Address: Huynh Thuc Khang Street, about 200 meters from Mui Ne bus station
Fairy Spring (Suoi Tien)
Fairy Spring or Suoi Tien is a small stream located next to Hon Rom, in Mui Ne ward, Phan Thiet City. On one side of the stream, there is a red sand hill and on the other side, a vast green coconut grove. The stream is quite shallow, just up on the ankle, and the deepest place is only knee level so you can easily walk barefoot in the middle of the stream. Steep limestone cliffs and orange water from the red sand hill gentle flowing along the stream combined with the surrounding hills and mountains creates a beauty that makes you feel like in a fairy-tale place.
Fairy Spring is also the place for photography-loving travelers to have impressive shots of daily life and extraordinary landscapes of Mui Ne, Phan Thiet.
Bai Rang Beach
Bai Rang Beach with dense coconut palms lining up the wide golden sandy beach is regarded as the most beautiful beach in Mui Ne, Phan Thiet. Bai Rang Beach is an ideal stop for those who seek a relaxing and peaceful atmosphere. The best way to fully enjoy the vibe of Bai Rang Beach is staying at one of nice resorts nearby to admire the spectacular view.
Best rated resorts on Bai Rang Beach are as follows:
Muong Thanh Holiday Muine Hotel
Hon Rom
If you are thinking of an island, then you are wrong, as Hon Rom is actually a 17 km long picturesque beach, located at the foot of the mountain. The beach has clear water, white sand, calm waves and no reefs. This place also attracts people with its strangely shaped rocks facing the sea. At Hon Rom you can spend time just sitting and admiring the sunrise or sunset as the scenery here is extremely romantic, especially on the full moon nights. Many people here organize campfire picnics.
Mui Ne Rock Cliffs
Mui Ne Rock Cliffs is a beautiful oasis that has just been known recently. The place has many rocks emerging from the sea to embrace waves, creating a unique natural scenery. Between the rocky beaches, there is a small sand beach. On the top of it there is Ba Vang Temple and at the end of the beach Thach Long Mausoleum can be found.
Best Places to Visit around Mui Ne
Bau Trang / White Sand Dunes
Located 20 km northeast of Mui Ne, Bau Trang or White Sand Dunes is a unique and fascinating tourist attraction in Mui Ne that you should not miss. Bau Trang is known as the miniature Sahara of Vietnam with wide sandy area. The reason of this place being called "Bau Trang" is because "Bau" in local language means "lake" so you will find two freshwater lakes lying in the middle of White Sand Hills. The large lake and the small lake have the names of Bau Ba and Bau Ong respectively.
Many people also call Bau Trang with a different name Bau Sen because it's famous for its rich flora and lotus blooming. In the lotus season, you can rent a small boat rowing on the lake, fishing, lotus picking, enjoying the beauty of the lake between the white sand, or watching the beautiful sunset on the lake.
Poshanu Cham Tower
Poshanu Cham Tower is located on Ba Nai Hill in Phu Hai ward, 7 km northeast of Phan Thiet center. Poshanu Cham Tower is a group of relics of the Kingdom of Champa, with a Hoa Lai architecture dedicated to worship Princess PoshaInu. Princess PoshaInu is loved by people as she was the one who taught people how to plant wet rice, weave brocade, and raise animals. Every year, the Kate festival takes place here with many special performances in July of the Cham calendar.
Address: Ong Hoang Hill, Mui Ne, Phan Thiet
Entrance fee: 10,000 VND per person
Duc Thanh School
Duc Thanh School is a historic school founded by patriotic scholars in 1907 in response to the Duy Tan movement in Central Vietnam. Duc Thanh School is also the place associated with a part of President Ho Chi Minh's life. The school is still quite well preserved in the tranquil scenery and lush gardens.
Address: Ong Hoang Hill, Mui Ne, Phan Thiet
Opening hours: 07:00- 18:00
Van Thuy Tu Temple
Van Thuy Tu Temple with the majestic architecture is one of the oldest relics in Binh Thuan province. The temple, located on Ngu Ong Street in Duc Thang ward of Phan Thiet City, is the place to worship Nam Hai god - Ca Ong, according to the belief of fishermen in the area.
Ke Ga Lighthouse
Ke Ga Lighthouse is a 64 m high structure with 200 spiral stairs which is the oldest and highest lighthouse in the region. The special feature of Ke Ga Lighthouse is its surroundings of the natural unique stone and clear blue water.
From the peak of the lighthouse, you can see a vast expanse of sea and sky, as well as enjoy cool ocean winds. From Phan Thiet City, you can take Phan Thiet bus route number 6 for a distance of over 30 km to get to Ke Ga lighthouse in Ham Thuan Nam district.
Cu Lao Cau Island
Cu Lao Cau is a small island rising in the middle of the sea, located about 10 km away from the mainland in Tuy Phong District of Binh Thuan Province. From Ca Na port (Cảng cá Cà Ná), you can take the boat to this island. It takes about 1 hour to get to the island and the price should be about 250,000 VND for a round trip.
On the island, there are thousands of unique stones in different colors and shapes. Cu Lao Cau Island is also one of the best places for scuba diving and exploring coral reefs in Mui Ne.
Hon Ghenh Island
Hon Ghenh Island, locally called Mount Lao, is a relatively new tourist atraction in Mui Ne, located less than 1 km from the coast. At first glance, Hon Ghenh looks like a giant sea turtle swimming on the shore. Hon Ghenh Island is another good place for snorkeling to see fancy coral reefs or simply sitting on the rocky shore to admire the beauty of nature.
To reach Hon Ghenh, you need to hire a boat of fishermen for about 200,000 - 300,000 VND per boat for up to 10 people or ask your hotel to arrange it. The boat ride to this island takes only 10 minutes.
Wine Castle
RD Wine Castle is one of the very special wine cellars in Vietnam with European-style architecture which is extremely luxurious and noble. The castle is home to thousands of wines. When coming to RD Wine Castle, you can visit the process of making a bottle of wine in the underground wine cellar and enjoy wines. In addition, you can try fishing or golf at the nearby Sea Links golf course.
Address: Quarter 1, Ham Tien (belonging to Sea Links Golf Country Club)
Entrance Fee: 100,000 VND per person
Ong Dia Rock Beach
Ong Dia Rock Beach or Bai da Ong Dia is located on Nguyen Dinh Chieu Street, half way between Mui Ne and Phan Thiet City. There is a wide collection of rocks of all shapes. In particular, there is a rock breakwater and a stone road running straight to the sea, which became an interesting spot for tourists to take photos.
Chua Chan Mountain
Chua Chan Mountain, also known as Gia Lao Mountain, is another interesting tourist destination in Phan Thiet. Chua Chan Mountain with a height of 800 m above sea level is the second highest mountain in the Southern region and Mekong Delta. Chua Chan Mountain is famous for its majestic scenery. On the mountain, there are many spiritual relics such as Buu Quang Pagoda, also known as Gia Lao Pagoda, attracting many tourists.
Phu Quy Island
Phu Quy Island is a small island located quite far from Phan Thiet City, about 120 km away. Phu Quy Island is the favorite destination for many tourists who like the tranquil beauty. It’s actually an archipelago comprising 10 small islands, of which just Phu Quy is inhabited and the largest in pristine condition. In addition, Phu Quy island also contains many interesting places to visit such as Linh Quang Pagoda, Phong Dien Palace, and Linh Son Pagoda. The best time to visit Phu Quy Island is from December to June, as at that time the sea is calm and clear. To get there, you can take a speedboat at the harbor of Phan Thiet City The trip should cost around 350,000 VND and it can take about 2-3 hours to get to the island.
Ta Cu Mountain
Ta Cu Mountain, located about 30 km southeast of Phan Thiet, is one of the highest mountains in Binh Thuan Province. Ta Cu Mountain is a tourist complex of forests, mountains, and sea. This place is also an important pilgrimage site for Buddhists. You can visit the cultural and historical relics of Linh Son Truong Tho Pagoda built in 1887, which is located halfway up the mountain at an altitude of 420 m above sea level. To reach the top of the mountain, you can choose to climb over 1,000 steps or take a cable car for just 2 minutes through the vast rainforest to enjoy the beauty of Ta Cu nature.
