What is the sea like in Mui Ne? Mui Ne resort in Vietnam: the pros and cons of holidays and our review of the village

We are talking about two of the most popular resorts in Vietnam - Mui Ne and Phan Thiet. What are they good about and what are the disadvantages of resorts? Here are reviews from tourists and prices for holidays in 2019.

Perhaps no resort has received such conflicting reviews from tourists as the Vietnamese Mui Ne (Phan Thiet). Some mercilessly scold it, others admire it and gladly recommend it for a visit. Let's try to understand the reasons for such mixed assessments.

Phan Thiet and Mui Ne:

Reviews of holidays in Mui Ne and Phan Thiet for 2018

Mui Ne and Phan Thiet are often identified with each other, although they are different settlements located nearby. Phan Thiet is a provincial town with active street traffic and other joys of city life, and Mui Ne is a quiet fishing village. Most often, tourists call Mui Ne a multi-kilometer beach area with hotels and restaurants, stretching from Phan Thiet to the village.

The busiest area of ​​the resort is Ham Tien with Nguyen Dinh Chu street, on both sides of which there are hotels and restaurants, mainly on the first line. The beaches are equipped with umbrellas and sun loungers. The sand strip is wide, with fine white sand, but closer to the fishing village it narrows; by the way, hotels are cheaper there, but the beaches are worse.

The disadvantages of Mui Ne and Phan Thiet, according to reviews from tourists who vacationed there in 2018, include difficulties with the road: you need to fly to Ho Chi Minh City, and from there it takes several more hours to get there by bus or taxi. But the main displeasure of some tourists was the sea. In Mui Ne, winds blow most of the time, high waves rise in the sea, and swimming becomes extreme. It’s better to go to the beach in the morning; after lunch, the excitement only intensifies. The sea becomes relatively calm only in spring.

For kite lovers, Mui Ne is a real haven; there are several on the coast good schools, where beginners can undergo training and gain the necessary skills. In the evenings, the main entertainment for tourists is walking, shopping in souvenir shops and dinner on the seashore - seafood is excellent here. If you get bored with a beach holiday, you can go on a tour of the surrounding area or go to Ho Chi Minh City or Dalat.

By the way, tourists who do not speak English will find it easy here - almost all signs and menus are in Russian, and the service staff is also often Russian-speaking. The second undoubted advantage of Mui Ne and Phan Thiet, according to reviews from tourists, is the affordable cost of vacation, although, when compared with Nha Trang, the prices here are slightly higher.

(Photo © n0r / flickr.com / License CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

Weather in Mui Ne and Phan Thiet

The warm climate of Mui Ne allows you to relax here all year round, without fear of sudden cold snaps and heavy rains. A natural belt of sand dunes has formed around Mui Ne, which create a special microclimate and protect the area from heavy rainfall. Even dangerous storms with floods bypass these places.

The average annual temperature in Mui Ne is +30°C with a slight “winter” drop to +25...+27°C. The warmest sea in summer is +27...+29°С, in winter it cools down to +24°С. The hottest months are May and April, the coldest months are . Nevertheless, many prefer to come.

The rains begin in June and continue until October, then dry and clear weather sets in. However, in Mui Ne and Phan Thiet, even in low season showers do not last long - usually in the afternoon and evening, relative humidity air is maintained at 79%.

According to tourist reviews about the weather in Mui Ne and Phan Thiet, in December - January due to strong winds It can be a little chilly in the evenings, so jeans and windbreakers will come in handy. High waves rise on the sea. Read more about it - we talk about the weather in each month.

Holiday prices in Mui Ne and Phan Thiet in 2019

Of course, kitesurfers will get the most out of their holiday in Mui Ne, but non-sporting tourists also have something to do. There are many massage parlors (spas) here, treatments cost from 15 to 30 dollars.

Gastronomic pleasures await gourmets: in the cafe you can order grilled fish, mussels, scallops, oysters, lobsters, as well as local exotics - crocodile or snake dishes. The best seafood is prepared in restaurants in the Boke area. The fresh catch is placed in the aquarium, and the guest orders what he wants. According to reviews, prices in Mui Ne and Phan Thiet are quite affordable - you can have lunch for only 5 dollars, dinner for 15 (in establishments for locals it will be even cheaper). A large glass of freshly squeezed juice costs just over $1.

(Photo © Tri Nguyen | P h o t o g r a p h y / flickr.com / Licensed CC BY 2.0)

In the vicinity of Mui Ne there are unique attractions that you can visit with a tour or on your own. Briefly, the top interesting places looks like that:

1. White and Red Dunes. These are the main attractions of Mui Ne and a favorite place for photo sessions for newlyweds. The Red Dunes are easily accessible by renting a scooter, the White Dunes are located a little further. The Red Stream flows next to the Red Dunes - due to the admixture of clay, the water in it is colored red. Not far from the White Dunes there are hot springs and very beautiful lake with lotuses.
2. Cham towers. These towers are the surviving part of an ancient temple complex from the 8th century. Entrance fee is 10 thousand dong, or 50 cents. The towers look especially impressive in the evening when the lights turn on.
3. Ke Ga Lighthouse. A granite creation by a French architect and a very popular local landmark. The lighthouse is located on an island near Phan Thiet. To climb to the observation deck, you will have to show physical endurance and climb 182 steps inside the tower. There is an entrance fee - about 90 cents, and you also need to pay for the crossing to the island. According to reviews from tourists, in the winter of 2018, the area where the lighthouse is located was called a collapse zone and visitors were no longer allowed inside. Let's hope this is temporary.
4. Mount Taku. Located 30 km from Mui Ne. At the top there is a statue of the Reclining Buddha, the largest in the country. Its length is 49 meters, height - 11 m. You can climb the mountain by cable car or walk along the path through a tropical forest past temples and other monastic buildings. The cost of visiting with a cable car costs 160 thousand VND (7 dollars).

(Photo © ruben i / flickr.com / Licensed under CC BY 2.0)

Hotel prices in 2019

On a note. If you are at a resort during the Vietnamese New Year, keep in mind that hotel prices rise dramatically and there are usually no rooms available - they are booked by the Vietnamese almost six months in advance. We encountered this when we lived in Nha Trang in the winter of 2016 - we had to leave for Ho Chi Minh City, since during Tet the hotel we lived in was overcrowded, and others cost 2-3 times higher than the regular price. Tet is celebrated in late January or early February.

How to book a hotel? You can find a convenient accommodation option for yourself on the well-known service Roomguru.ru - the site compares prices of a variety of booking systems and finds the best one.

In general, Mui Ne and Phan Thiet are a good alternative and (though you don’t need to wait for the corresponding Turkish resorts service), a place for an inexpensive and relaxing holiday, where the main entertainment is walks, beach joys, gatherings in cafes and unobtrusive shopping. Nightlife lovers and divers have nothing to do here - there is no nightlife, and due to constant waves, the water is often mixed with sand, cloudy and opaque.

According to reviews from tourists, they are characterized by high waves and winds, so during this period you should not plan a vacation with children, but it is better to postpone it to March-April or November. At this time, the temperatures are the most comfortable, the sea is very warm, and the waves are small.

Kite lovers can go at any time of the year, because winds in Mui Ne are a common occurrence, but the best waves are here from November to March. Those who want to save on costs can safely go during the low season: prices in hotels and restaurants are reduced, and climatic conditions allow you to relax comfortably.

Compare Mui Ne and Phan Thiet with - so you can choose the best for yourself the best place for relax.

(Photo © tesKing / flickr.com / License CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

Introductory image source: © isyaya / flickr.com / Licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.

Mui Ne is a small village in the south of Vietnam, but it is very attractive to Russian tourists. Why? One street is about 5 km long, along which there are hotels, cafes, bokehs (restaurants with live seafood), and souvenir shops. The sea is rough, quite powerful waves and always strong wind. It’s not for nothing that Mui Ne is called a paradise for surfers (and kitesurfers): they feel good here. But we don’t understand why tourists come to Mui Ne hoping for a beach holiday.

Nevertheless, we experienced this calm, peaceful atmosphere of Mui Ne: here you don’t want to fuss, life flows calmly and measuredly. Maybe this is precisely why our compatriots come here, neglecting the interesting, bright and beachy, but noisy and restless Nha Trang? One thing we know for sure: we couldn’t survive more than a week in Mui Ne; it’s good for recharging, but not for long-term living. Of course, this is our personal opinion, based on our rhythm of life and our interests.

Phan Thiet on the map of Vietnam:

What is the sea like in Mui Ne and Phan Thiet?

Message Vietnam borders the South China Sea, but it behaves differently in different coastal areas. As I wrote above, this sea in Mui Ne is choppy.

The peculiarity of the location of the village is that the wind always blows here, all year round. Stronger than the wind blow in winter - this time is called “season”. In fact, it is the season for kitesurfers and surfers, who are primarily attracted to Mui Ne by this constant wind allowing you to ride every day.

Kitesurfing schools in Mui Ne at every turn

But for ordinary tourists, the sea in Mui Ne is not very suitable: strong waves make it dangerous for swimming with children, plus kitesurfers and surfers are constantly spinning around swimmers, which is why there is a threat of getting hit on the head with a board.

In the off-season (that is, in summer), the sea in Mui Ne is calmer and the winds are not so strong. However, the sea is somewhat turbid. After rains, a lot of garbage washes up on the shore, making the beach very dirty.

The beach in Mui Ne lasts along a single street. From the beginning of the street (we will consider the part closest to the Red Dunes as the beginning) and approximately until the middle, the beach looks extremely unpresentable: just steps into the sea, without a strip of sand. There are low tides, during which you can see a thin strip of wet sand, but mostly vacationers in hotels in this area have to swim, entering the sea from the stairs.

During the day the sea reaches the steps

The other part of Mui Ne beach (which is located closer to Phan Thiet) looks pretty good: a wide strip of sand, sun loungers and umbrellas. We were on this beach in the off-season, in June, which is why the beaches are so deserted.

Every evening in Mui Ne we watched the tides, during which many beautiful shells appear on the shore.

We also noticed that there are a lot of jellyfish in Mui Ne, but in Nha Trang there are much fewer of them, and they appear quite rarely, mainly in the fall.

Despite the fact that during our stay in Mui Ne the sea was quite calm, we had no desire to go into it and swim. Fortunately, our hotel on the shore had an excellent pool. By the way, we noticed that almost all hotels on the beach in Mui Ne have a swimming pool. Maybe all the tourists vacationing in the village, like us, are saved by the pool overlooking the sea?

To be fair, it is worth saying that you can find a decent beach in Mui Ne. We read that one of these is available at the Sea Links Hotel (the same one on whose territory the Wine Castle is located).

You can choose and book a hotel in Mui Ne with good discounts here:

Distance from Nha Trang to Phan Thiet (Mui Ne)

Mui Ne is located 220 km from Nha Trang, Phan Thiet is a little further - 240 km.

Road from Nha Trang to Mui Ne on the map:

How long does it take to get from Nha Trang to Mui Ne (Phan Thiet) and how to get there

The easiest way to get from Nha Trang to Mui Ne is by intercity bus - slipbus. A ticket for it can be bought at numerous street travel agencies in Nha Trang or at bus stations of Sinh Tourist, Hanh Café, Futa Bus, Nam Phuong. We bought a ticket from The Sinh Tourist company, the ticket for one person cost 109,000 dong ($4.6).

The bus journey takes about 5 hours, but they fly by very quickly: in the slipbus you can sit comfortably, practically lying down, sleep, read, watch interesting videos(There is free wifi). The bus makes 2 stops of 15-20 minutes each, during which you can go to the toilet, have a snack in a cafe or just stretch your legs.

Slipbus Nha Trang-Mui Ne

Traveling from Nha Trang to Mui Ne on a bike is quite difficult, and we strongly advise against overcoming this route in this way. It’s not just about fatigue, but also about the huge trucks that drive along the highway at breakneck speed, under the wheels of which our Russian guys who travel between cities on their own very often die. The Vietnamese deal with trucks very carefully; there is an unspoken rule: the larger the vehicle, the more important it is. Russians are accustomed to equal rights on the roads, and perhaps that is why everything ends tragically.

Distance from Ho Chi Minh City to Mui Ne (Phan Thiet) and how to get there

From Ho Chi Minh City to Phan Thiet - 191 km, to Mui Ne - 214 km.

Road from Ho Chi Minh City to Mui Ne on the map:

You can get there the same way as from Nha Trang - by slipbus. Travel time and ticket price are the same: about 5 hours and 110,000 dong ($4.6).

Nha Trang or Mui Ne (Phan Thiet): which is better?

For us, the answer to this question is obvious: of course Nha Trang! Mui Ne has only one single advantage - sparseness of people, and as a result, peace. For some, another advantage of Mui Ne, compared to Nha Trang, is the cheapness of housing. This is true: you can rent a small house for just $ 150−170.

You won’t find such prices in Nha Trang; for this amount per month you can only rent a room in a guest house. But for us this plus is not a plus, since we don’t want to live in small “Vietnam style” houses, but modern apartments in European style in Mui Ne simply not.

You can, of course, live not in Mui Ne, but in Phan Thiet itself. This city is quite modern, slightly smaller in size than Nha Trang, but with developed infrastructure: apartment buildings, shopping centers and places for walking.

Deserted main street in Mui Ne, and it's already lunchtime

Where are all the people?

And this is Phan Thiet: it’s more lively here

But all the same, Phan Thiet (and even more so Mui Ne) loses to Nha Trang by many criteria:

• Sea. In Nha Trang, even on the city beach during the season (from April to September), the sea is calm, transparent, without waves. Well, or with small waves occasionally, bringing garbage, but in Mui Ne this garbage and these waves are permanent, and in Nha Trang they are a temporary phenomenon. And not far from Nha Trang there are paradise beaches from the “bounty” category: , . You can spend the whole weekend there.
• Infrastructure. There are not even large stores in Mui Ne where you can buy household items. For everything you need to go to Phan Thiet, which takes time and money (if you don’t have your own bike). In Mui Ne there are only small Vietnamese “all in one” shops and a few supermarkets, but their prices are higher than in ordinary shops. There are no hospitals in Mui Ne (only small private clinics), and what am I talking about - there is not even a gas station in Mui Ne! Seriously, to refuel your bike you need to find a petrol cart parked outside some cafes. This gasoline costs more than at gas stations, and one can only guess about its quality - any Vietnamese will not miss the opportunity to dilute gasoline to make extra profit.

Gas station with chickens on the way to Phan Thiet

Phan Thiet has some nice bridges

• Sights and interesting places. If in Nha Trang you need to choose what to visit, then in Mui Ne and Phan Thiet you can see everything in 2 days. And spend the rest of the day exclusively on the beach or by the pool. Maybe for some this is a plus. Of course, you can always find excursions from Mui Ne to other cities.

• Fun with kids. In Mui Ne and Phan Thiet, we found only two entertainments for children: a mini-zoo near Fairy Creek and a children's play area in Lotte Mart in Phan Thiet. For comparison, in Nha Trang there are play areas for children in every mall(and theirs), an amusement park, where for 10-15 thousand dong you can ride any attraction, climb in a maze, catch toy fish and go to a 5-D cinema. There is also Vinpearl in Nha Trang. And many children's stores. Read our article about.

• Transport. Of course, in Mui Ne there is a local minibus that runs between Mui Ne and Phan Thiet. Strictly speaking, there is no need for more there. In Nha Trang, the distances between objects are quite large, but any place can be reached by city bus in 8000 dong ($0.4). And even Zoklet beach, located 50 km from Nha Trang, can be reached by regular bus for 24,000 dong ($1). I believe that transport in Nha Trang is developed acceptable - convenient for both local residents and tourists.

To summarize, we see how much more advantages Nha Trang has over Mui Ne. I understand that there are people who dearly love Mui Ne for its peace and tranquility; we ourselves liked it for its tranquility. But we ourselves would choose Mui Ne only for a short-term vacation, when you just want to relax by the sea or pool. But not for a busy vacation, much less for a long life.

Watch a short video from Mui Ne:

There are no architectural attractions in Mui Ne itself, so if you can’t imagine traveling without the obligatory trip to religious ruins and ancient temples, get ready for field trips. Most often, local guides offer a ride to the Cham towers of Tap Poshan, which were once part of a gigantic temple complex built in honor of the god Shiva. The sanctuary was destroyed 300 years ago, but the towers did not get their turn, so in the 90s they were restored and tourists began to be taken inside. In addition to travelers, in these ancient buildings you can often meet local fishermen, bringing their gifts to local deities in exchange for good luck in business. If you drive 60 kilometers from Mui Ne, you can stumble upon another religious attraction, a 49-meter statue of a reclining Buddha. The deity is comfortably located on the slope of Mount Taku, where the cable car leads. The place is very popular with pilgrims, so the Buddha almost always has visitors.

Travelers who prefer non-man-made attractions can usually be persuaded to take an excursion to the Red and White Dunes. The first ones are located immediately behind the resort’s fishing village, but to get to the second ones you will have to travel at least 35 km. People visit these places mainly to watch the Asian sunset in a romantic setting, take spectacular photographs and slide down the steepest sandy slopes on a plastic sled. Another popular place that can be reached on foot and without an annoying guide is Red Creek or Fairy Creek, as the locals call it. The main feature of this modest source is its play on contrasts. On one side, yellow-red piles of sandstone hang over the stream, and on the other, lush exotic thickets adjoin it. For Martian landscapes, it is better to go to the Red Canyon, which is 19 km from Mui Ne (admission is paid), but true aesthetes and delicate natures are recommended to choose the route to the Lotus Lake. However, in the latter case you will have to guess the season: the approximate flowering period of lotuses is from July to September.

Beaches

The beaches of Mui Ne are an ideal place for passive contemplative relaxation and doing nothing, but the rich nightlife here is very difficult. Conventionally, the coastline of the resort is divided into three zones: the eastern part (Ham Tien), the central beach (Bai Rang) and the western coast (Puhai). Ham Tien Beach is unanimously considered the least crowded, one side adjoining the same fishing village of Mui Ne, from which the resort grew. Local hotels do not burden themselves with cleaning the territory, so Ham Tien does not shine with glossy cleanliness, but there is more than enough authenticity here. Some come here to look at the “basins” of local fishermen swinging on the waves, others - in search of an inexpensive bungalow, and still others use this territory as an opportunity to shortcut the road to Fairy Creek and the Red Dunes - local attractions.

The central beach or Bai Rang is a natural extension of Ham Tien, almost 10 km long. The narrow and often fairly littered strip of coast boasts decent infrastructure and walking distance to mid-price hotels. However, the further west you go, the cleaner, more spacious and, accordingly, more crowded the beach becomes. Moreover, this part of Bai Rang has the most big waves, which automatically puts it on the list of the best places for surfing and kiting.

The status of the most comfortable place for swimming and relaxing rest still belongs to Pukhai. Since this part of the resort is claimed by fashionable hotel complexes, the cleanliness of the coastal area is carefully monitored here. Of course, sunbeds and umbrellas on Puhai are only available to guests of local hotels, but access to the beach itself is open to everyone.

Surfing in Mui Ne

The most “correct” waves excite the sea surface of Mui Ne Bay in the autumn-winter season, so during this period the resort is especially bustling and crowded. In addition to classic surfing, the South China Sea offers good opportunities for kiteboarding. For beginners who have just begun to learn the basics of these sports, it is better to go out to sea in the morning, when the wind is not yet strong enough to “break” the wave. But seasoned extreme sports enthusiasts usually appear on the beaches in the afternoon, when the wind is at full strength. Another nice feature of the resort is heat water, giving tourists the opportunity to save on the purchase of a wetsuit.

For those who forgot to take sports equipment along the way to Mui Ne, they will be happy to rent it out at resort rental shops and surf schools. Typically, the rent for a “board” does not exceed 150,000 VND per hour (about 390 rubles), while for the services of an experienced instructor you will have to pay at least 1,350,000 VND (3,530 rubles).

The western part of the resort is considered the optimal place for surfing and kiteboarding: there are no rocks or hidden shoals that could ruin the pleasure of your holiday and seriously injure the unlucky “wave catcher”. True, during the season, serious competition for spheres of influence begins between swimmers, kiters and surfers. In such cases, there are only two options: take risks and try to maneuver in the midst of boards balancing on the water crests, or go in search of a more secluded place.

Food in Mui Ne

The cuisine at the resort is multinational: in addition to restaurants in traditional Vietnamese style, Mui Ne is full of French, Italian and Russian cafes. By the way, in any local eatery you can find a menu in Russian, which saves tourists from having to order a “pig in a poke”. The situation with prices is slightly ambiguous. For example, it is cheapest to dine in authentic Vietnamese cafes and canteens, since almost all the delicacies in them are either grown in the neighborhood or caught by local fishermen. In international taverns, most of the products are imported, and accordingly, the bill for lunch in such establishments is 2-3 times higher. However, if you don’t order exotic things like shark steaks and crocodile barbecue, then unpleasant surprises in the form of an astronomical bill can be avoided.

In Mui Ne, it is customary to buy fruits directly on the street, from hawkers, however, it is worth considering that prices in high-traffic areas will be higher. To find cheaper gifts of the Vietnamese land, you will have to dive into the tiny alleys branching off from the main street of the resort, or get up early in the morning and go to the Ham Tien morning market.

Shopping

As edible gifts from Mui Ne, tourists take all kinds of fruits, dried and dried seafood and local coffee. You can also find original accessories made of crocodile skin, as well as jewelry made of natural pearls in the resort shops. Such souvenirs, of course, cost a lot, but they are still cheaper than in Russian stores.

Among cosmetic and pharmacy products, coconut oil and warming balms based on snake venom. It is better to purchase the latter at a pharmacy: this way there is less chance of buying an unknown and useless product. As for the legendary Vietnamese silk, it is worth seeking out in larger cities, as are cheap clothes.

Prices souvenirs in Mui Ne, as a rule, they are very democratic, which makes it tempting to buy a lot of funny, but absolutely useless things. Those who are looking for interesting authentic gifts should save a certain amount for an excursion to the reclining Buddha: next to the giant monument of the deity there are tents with very exotic souvenirs that cannot be found in Mui Ne itself.

Where to stay

So far, Vietnam retains its status as one of the cheapest Asian countries, so an unpretentious tourist in Mui Ne will not have to splurge on housing. So, for example, a day’s stay in some modest one-star hotel in the area of ​​​​Cape Mui Ne will cost 250,000 VND (650 RUB). In hostels, prices are even lower - from 150,000 VND (390 RUB). Moreover, even if you choose the cheapest room in an establishment without stars, you are guaranteed walking distance to the beach.

Those for whom service and well-groomed coastal areas are important should head in the direction of Phan Thiet: it is in this part of the resort that higher-level hotels are located, which have their own beach areas, which are regularly cleaned and improved. average cost rooms with breakfast in a “four” like Muine de Century Resort & Spa or Unique Mui Ne Resort and Spa - from 1,800,000 to 2,326,000 VND (4600-6000 RUB). An option for traveling groups and families with children is a separate villa with its own parking, Wi-Fi and other amenities. Such a house will cost an average of about 3,900,000 VND (from 10,000 RUB). Fans of economical holidays still hold guesthouses in high esteem, with room prices ranging from 349,000 to 739,000 VND (approximately 900-1900 RUB).

Transport

Mui Ne is a one-street resort. The entire infrastructure of the area is a continuous strip of hotels, shops and restaurants, stretching for 15 km parallel to the sea coast. You can get from one end of the resort to the other, as well as go to neighboring Phan Thiet, by bus that runs daily along the embankment. The fare starts from 9000 VND (about 24 RUB). The fastest (and most dangerous) transport in Mui Ne is considered to be motorcycle taxis, which masterfully maneuver in traffic and make their way into the narrowest alleys. On average, a trip in the company of a Vietnamese motorcyclist costs from 60,000 to 80,000 VND (157-209 RUB).

For those who are especially prudent and comfortable, a classic taxi is suitable, which can be caught on the street or called by phone. Almost all cars are equipped with meters, but, just in case, it is better to agree on the final amount of the trip in advance with the driver. The average tariff for all taxis is 12,000 VND (31 RUB) per kilometer. In addition, for 60,000 VND (about 157 RUB) in Mui Ne you can rent a bicycle and ride around the area as much as you want.

Car rent

Local rental companies only enter into rental agreements with drivers who have a Vietnamese license. It is not difficult to obtain this type of document, but all the bureaucratic delays will take at least a week. So, if you do not plan to go outside the resort, it is better to limit yourself to public transport and taxis.

For those for whom Mui Ne will be just one of the locations on a trip to South Vietnam, a car will not hurt. It is better to rent a car in large cities like Ho Chi Minh City or Nha Trang: there are more offices there and a more decent fleet of vehicles. Typically, the cost of a daily car rental costs from 500,000 to 1,000,000 VND (about 1300-2600 RUB).

As for the specifics of driving, extreme sports enthusiasts and experienced drivers will feel most comfortable on Vietnamese roads. Compliance with the rules traffic local residents do not burden themselves, so the risk of being involved in an accident at the resort is very high.

Cellular communications and Internet

There are three mobile operators operating in Mui Ne: Mobifone, Viettel and Vinaphone. The tariffs for all three are approximately the same price category, so there is no point in understanding all the intricacies. Well, since there is no such thing as intranet roaming in Vietnam, you can purchase a SIM card in advance in Ho Chi Minh City or Nha Trang and travel with it throughout the country. The standard cost of connecting to the local network is 80,000-120,000 VND (about 200-300 RUB). The prices for international calls in Vietnam are also extremely tempting. So, for example, a minute of conversation with Russian operator will cost some 2500 VND (7 RUB).

Those who cannot imagine their life without social networks and other pleasures of the World Wide Web will have to choose between Wi-Fi in hotels and restaurants (the speed is usually not the highest, and the connection often breaks) and mobile Internet offered by local cellular operators. Prices for the latter are quite humane: 70,000 VND for 600 MB (183 RUB) and 200,000 VND for a 3 GB package (about 520 RUB).

The language barrier

The vast majority of tourists coming to Mui Ne are Russians or citizens of CIS countries, so the traveler at the resort will constantly hear their native speech. Moreover, there are a lot of signs and advertisements on the “great mighty” here. As for interaction with the indigenous population, the inhabitants of Mui Ne have prepared a dozen speech cliches for tourists that will help at least roughly clarify the needs of both sides. Well, in the most difficult cases, good old English, which almost everyone here understands, will help out.

How to get there

The closest airports to Mui Ne are in Nha Trang and Ho Chi Minh City. Both accept flights not only from the Mother See and Northern capital, but also other large cities. In particular, you can fly to Vietnam from Yekaterinburg, Krasnodar, Krasnoyarsk, Novosibirsk and Omsk. Flights from Moscow are operated by Aeroflot (the only direct flight connecting the capital with Ho Chi Minh City), China Eastern Airlines, China Southern Airlines, Emirates and Etihad Airwais. Aeroflot, S7 and Turkish Airlines fly from St. Petersburg towards Vietnam.

You can get from Ho Chi Minh City Airport to Mui Ne by taxi, bus or train running between the Vietnamese capital and Phan Thiet. The most convenient and expensive option is a taxi. Since the distance between the resort and the former Saigon is more than 200 km, the trip will cost VND 1,200,000 (approximately 5,700 RUB). However, if you haggle well, there is a chance to significantly reduce the price.

Traveling by bus will cost around 249,000 VND (about 640 RUB), but will last 5-5.5 hours. You can check the route schedule on the official website of the bus company. An option for the most economical is a train departing to the resort from Ho Chi Minh City Central Station. This trip lasts about 3.5 hours and costs from 94,000 VND (a seat in a general carriage) to 1,300,000 VND (compartment). You can book tickets on the official website of the railway company, and it is better to do this in advance, since this route is very popular among the Vietnamese themselves.

What in Vietnam and its surroundings can boast of being considered the best resort destination in the country. In fact, this is not the widest coastline, not the most beautiful nature, and the beach area is not the cleanest and azure, but despite all this, the beaches of Mui Ne and Phan Thiet are quite popular, especially among Russian-speaking tourists.

An undoubted advantage of the beach areas is the fact that all the beaches available here (the three largest and several more small and wild ones) are urban, and, therefore, along the coastline immediately behind the sandy strip there is a wide asphalt highway and only behind it are hotels located. The first coastline is represented only by inexpensive bungalows near the coast. Only .

Beaches of Fukui Island

Climate conditions of Mui Ne

The beaches of Phan Thiet and Mui Ne resorts are located in the southern part of Vietnam, and therefore the prevailing tropical climate, which means that most days of the year are very hot (the air warms up above +26 degrees), the air is dry. In Mui Ne, of course, like the rest of Vietnam, there is a season of heavy rains (from early May to mid-October), but still the rainfall here is an order of magnitude less than in the central or northern part of the country.

The best period to visit Mui Ne and its beaches is considered to be from the beginning of November to the end of April, when precipitation is unlikely, the air warms up to +29 degrees, and the water has a very comfortable temperature for a long stay at sea.

How to get there?

From Moscow and other cities of Russia, the easiest way to get to the beaches of the resort of Phan Thiet and Mui Ne is through, where direct flights are organized from the capital and some large cities of Russia, as well as many countries South-East Asia, Europe and the cities of Vietnam itself.

The distance between Ho Chi Minh City and Mui Ne is about 225 kilometers. It can be overcome by public buses, private minibuses or using taxi services. Approximate travel time is 5-6 hours.

Beaches of Mui Ne resort

There are only three large and famous beaches in Mui Ne: Central City Beach (Bai Rang), Ham Tien and Phu Hai Beach. Central and Ham Tien are essentially one beach area, but due to differences in infrastructure, they are usually formally divided into separate beaches. Puhai Beach is separated from the rest not only formally, but also geographically by a stone ridge, which does not allow access to the beach along the seashore or along a sandy beach. To get to Puhai Beach you need to take the highway.

All beaches are located not in the smallest fishing village of Mui Ne, but between it and the resort town of Phan Thiet, the distance between them is about 22 kilometers.

Central beach area

The central beach, as is already clear from its name, is located in the central part of the coastline and stretches for almost 10 kilometers along the sea. Its other name is Mui Ne Beach or Bai Rang. It is on this beach that the infrastructure is most developed among its neighbors and best options accommodation in hotels and bungalows along the entire coast of Mui Ne and Phan Thiet, especially for budget travelers.

Bai Rang beach

Most tourists concentrate on relaxing by the sea in the western part of Mui Ne Beach, since the coastal sandy zone there is the widest and there are more infrastructure facilities than in other beach areas in this region. In the same part Central Beach The largest number of wind and kite surfers gather, since this is where the largest waves are observed, if they exist at all, of course.

The eastern part of the beach is much calmer and less crowded, but during high tide the sand strip almost completely disappears into the sea, leaving almost no space for vacationers to sunbathe.

The central beach (Bai Rang) is considered an exclusively tourist area, created and landscaped purely for the needs and entertainment of tourists. You can meet local residents only on work matters, since they do not live in this part of Vietnam and directly in Mui Ne and Phan Thiet.

Ham Tien Beach

Ham Tien Beach is located a little further than Mui Ne Beach to the east and stretches all the way to the fishing pier, which is located in the fishermen's village of Mui Ne. Ham Tien is ideal for those looking for a calm, quiet holiday on the seashore, away from the huge crowds of tourists, closer to the local population and their lives. In this part of Mui Ne tourist sites(small hotel complexes, bungalows, bars and restaurants) fit organically among the rickety houses of local residents.

The infrastructure here is not as well developed as on the previous beach. The sandy coastline is deserted in places, and the beach area is not so well-groomed and clean, since fallen leaves, branches, and garbage are not removed here.

Ham Tien does not have the most picturesque view of the sea, as many fishing boats can be seen everywhere, some of which even look like multi-colored round basins.

The advantages of this beach include its close location to some attractions (Red Dunes and Red Creek), which can be reached even on foot, as well as the presence of the largest market in the area near Ham Tien.

Puhai Beach

Puhai Beach is located west of the Central Beach and is separated from it by a rocky area, which completely excludes the possibility of getting to the beach along the sea along the shore.

Puhai Beach is the closest beach to the city of Phan Thiet, where exclusively wealthy tourists prefer to relax. You won’t find local residents (except for service personnel) here, and among the tourists who relax on this coastline, the vast majority are guests of nearby luxury hotels: Lotus Muine, Takalau, Phu Hai Resort and some others. There is no cheap housing in the area, so budget tourists, if they appear here, are only for excursion purposes, i.e. watch the holidays of wealthy Europeans and Russians, and also take a walk around the surrounding area.

You can get to Puhai Beach only from the central asphalt road.

A distinctive feature of this beach is that most of it is assigned to the territory of certain hotels, and therefore the coastline by the sea is constantly cleaned and cleaned.

Disadvantages of Phan Thiet and Mui Ne beaches

Despite the fact that all the beach areas in this part of Vietnam are quite well-groomed, the sand of the coastline is soft and fine, and the entrance to the sea is mostly flat and comfortable, this resort also has some negative aspects that you may encounter on vacation:

1. Mui Ne and the beaches in the area are not the best place to relax with kids. Despite the fact that the sea and beaches are suitable for children, they are located along a fairly busy highway, where there are not even sidewalks. Also, there are often waves at sea, so beloved by surfers.
2. Almost completely absent on beaches night life. Mui Ne is a resort of one street, along which all the main infrastructure facilities are located. From about 23.00, life at the resort comes to a standstill until the morning. At night, you can only occasionally see tourists walking and having fun on their own.
3. Mui Ne is not suitable for those who are used to a more active pastime, since just lying on the beach is very boring here, and there are not so many attractions and interesting places in the area. Most often you will have to travel far from the resort and choose centralized excursion tours.
4. If you want to take a break from Russian speech and our compatriots in an exotic resort, then Mui Ne is not for you, since Russian speech is heard everywhere here, and most of the signs are translated into their native language. Often you get the impression that you are not in Vietnam, but somewhere in Anapa. It’s not for nothing that Mui Ne and Phan Thiet are called “Russian” resorts.

Any Vietnamese will agree with the statement that Phan Thiet is the sunniest, driest and windiest place in the entire country. To the question of when is the best time to go to Phan Thiet, the answer is not so clear. Phan Thiet is located in the south of Vietnam, where it is always warm - the temperature difference between months is minimal and in general the weather is very comfortable.

At the same time in South Vietnam There is a clear distinction between the dry season - it coincides with our cold half of the year - and the rainy season, which lasts from April to September. In Phan Thiet, the dry season is also a time of strong winds, thanks to which the resort is considered one of the best places in Southeast Asia for windsurfing and kiteboarding. However, each season in Phan Thiet has its pros and cons, and in order to choose when to go to Phan Thiet, you need to get to know the features of each in more detail.

The dry season in Phan Thiet lasts from October to March. Russian tourists, flocking to hot countries with the arrival of cold weather, love to relax in Phan Thiet in winter period and are less likely to come here in the summer. However, both the water temperature and the air temperature here are equally comfortable throughout the year.

It rains in the resort of Phan Thiet from April to September. The phrase “rainy season,” which frightens many people, does not mean prolonged downpours here: from April to September in Phan Thiet you can also get your well-deserved portion of sunbathing. Phan Thiet is surrounded by a strip of sand dunes, over which there is hot air during the day, which does not allow clouds to accumulate. Thanks to this microclimatic feature, there are practically no real tropical downpours here. However, it will always be useful to find out the weather forecast in Phan Thiet.

Weather table in Phan Thiet by month

It is worth knowing the weather forecast in Phan Thiet in advance to plan a comfortable vacation. The weather table in Phan Thiet by month will help you get an idea of ​​what the weather is like here in different seasons.

In summer, the sea is calm, there are no powerful waves, and the wind in summer does not have the strength necessary for windsurfing and kiteboarding. You just have to keep in mind that in late spring and early summer there is a high probability of encountering a jellyfish off the coast, but by mid-summer these creatures practically disappear.

The best time for a holiday in Phan Thiet and Mui Ne is traditionally considered to be the dry winter season - from November to March. It is during this period that the wind necessary for windsurfing and kitesurfing steadily blows in the area of ​​Phan Thiet and Mui Ne.

Phan Thiet and Mui Ne are famous for their stable winds, which make for excellent boarding, sailing or kite riding. Waves suitable for this sport are observed in certain places in the Mui Ne area already in July, the main time for surfing at this resort is from August to December (the time when typhoons from the Philippines bring large long waves), but in certain places surfing is possible until April.

The low season in Mui Ne and Phan Thiet - the period from May to August - is suitable for stand-up paddling, as although there are waves, the sea is generally calm. For windsurfing and kiteboarding, the best time is considered to be from November to the end of March. The maximum number of windy days occurs from December to February.