Mui Ne
Discover Mui Ne
Mui Ne is a traditional fishing town with approximately 25,000 residents in Bình Thuận Province in Southern Vietnam that became a ward of the City of Phan Thiết in 1999. The name Mui Ne is often erroneously used as the general name for the main resort area in Phan Thiet along Mui Ne Bay, 220 km northeast of Ho Chi Minh City. The wards along the coast have been transformed into a resort destination since the mid 1990s, when many discovered the area during the solar eclipse of October 24, 1995. Most notably, tourism has developed in the area from the city center of Phan Thiet to Mui Ne, including Phu Hai and Ham Tien wards along Phan Thiet Bay (also covered in this article). The dense resort area along Phan Thiet Bay and beyond now boasts over two hundred beach resorts and hotels, as well as guest houses, backpacker hostels, restaurants, bars, shops and cafes. Northeast of Phan Thiet the coastal road climbs over the slope of a Cham tower-topped hill and descends into the long, sandy crescent of Mui Ne Bay. The formerly little-inhabited beach southwest of the historic fishing village of Mui Ne proper has seen some serious development in the last few decades. Now it is a 15 km long strip of resorts that line up like pearls on Nguyen Dinh Chieu Street, shaded by coconut palms. The main resort strip lies between the addresses of 2 and 98 Nguyen Dinh Chieu and is called Ham Tien. Like Mui Ne it is now a ward of the city of Phan Thiet which stretches over 50 km of coastline to the south and to the west of the original city center of Phan Thiet.
Famous Beaches
Taste of Mui Ne...
Every resort area in Ham Tien and Mui Ne is surrounded by restaurants specializing in seafood. The food is invariably fresh, well-prepared, and served in friendly and interesting surroundings. By all means get out of your hotel and try one of the local restaurants. The best restaurants are a motorbike ride away, found outside of the tourist/resort district on the ocean. Mui Ne and Ham Tien have over 200 accommodations to choose from, in every price category (from 100,000 dong), along the main ocean strip of Nguyen Dinh Chieu, Huynh Thuc Khang ("HTK"). Small guest houses, family-run beach hotels and some big luxury resorts can also be found east of the town center of Mui Ne proper, along the road leading to the Red Sand Dunes, where Ganh Beach offers long sandy beaches and excellent kite-surfing on the east side of the Mui Ne peninsula. Accommodations at higher addresses of Nguyen Dinh Chieu towards HTK and Mui Ne ward tend to be smaller and less expensive, somewhat removed from the main tourist section in Ham Tien and more mixed in more with local life. If a sandy beach is important to you, some research is called for before booking in that area. Many "beach side" resorts are actually against a sloping cement wall that leads into the sea. The sand itself migrates up and down the long coast seasonally leaving some areas with expansive beaches and others with little at any given time. Remember that during Tet (Vietnamese New Year), hotels and resorts are booked way in advance.
Essential Information
Getting There
Multiple OptionsUnless you arrive directly by tourist or open tour bus, Phan Thiet to the west is the main transport hub for this region and Mui Ne. Most foreigners will reach Ham Tien and Mui Ne via "open tour" buses that run from Ho Chi Minh City, Da Lat, and Nha Trang. Most buses depart from Ho Chi Minh City between 07:30 and 09:00 and arrive at Ham Tien and Mui Ne at about 13:00. In the opposite direction, buses typically depart from Mui Ne and Ham Tien around either 14:00 or 02:00 and arrive in Ho Chi Minh City 5 hr later. Alternatively, you can travel through the next larger city, Phan Thiet, which is just 10-20 km west of Mui Ne and has connections into all directions and also covers smaller towns and cities that are not offered by the usual tourist buses. Local buses connect Phan Thiet and Mui Ne for 8-11,000 dong — see below. A train runs daily from Ho Chi Minh City to Phan Thiet, departing around 06:30 and arriving 5 hr later. The return trip leaves Phan Thiet around 13:30....
Getting Around & Staying
Getting Around
You can't get lost in Mui Ne and Ham Tien, since the whole place consists of one long strip along a main street, Nguyen Dinh Chieu. Even-numbered addresses are on the sea side of the street, and odd numbers on the inland side. Even and odd addresses are not aligned, thus 39 on the odd side can be several hundred metres from 40 on the even side. There are regular public buses (Bus No. 1 and 9) running 06:00–19:00 every 20-30 min between Phan Thiet and Mui Ne, probably even further. They might actually run until 21:00 — best inquire with your accommodation. The prices as of Dec 2023 can be seen in the picture here. Most trips inside the main strip should cost 8,000 dong, since the strip is about 10 km long — unless you go from Sea Links to Mui Ne village, which is about exactly 10 km. The trip between Phan Thiet center and most places along the strip is 11,000 dong – Phan Thiet center to Fairy Stream is 18 km.
Where to Stay
Mui Ne and Ham Tien have over 200 accommodations to choose from, in every price category (from 100,000 dong), along the main ocean strip of Nguyen Dinh Chieu, Huynh Thuc Khang ("HTK"). Small guest houses, family-run beach hotels and some big luxury resorts can also be found east of the town center of Mui Ne proper, along the road leading to the Red Sand Dunes, where Ganh Beach offers long sandy beaches and excellent kite-surfing on the east side of the Mui Ne peninsula. Accommodations at higher addresses of Nguyen Dinh Chieu towards HTK and Mui Ne ward tend to be smaller and less expensive, somewhat removed from the main tourist section in Ham Tien and more mixed in more with local life. If a sandy beach is important to you, some research is called for before booking in that area. Many "beach side" resorts are actually against a sloping cement wall that leads into the sea.
Money & Budget
There are numerous ATMs along the strip, including ACB. Along the Mui Ne strip are several small nameless shops; all selling the same sundries and souvenirs. You can find packaged snacks (Oreos, cakes, biscuits, ice cream, etc.), liquor, clothing, and souvenirs. Standard souvenirs offered include wooden and lacquered bowls, wooden statues, snake whiskey, and pearl necklaces. Compared with Ho Chi Minh City, souvenirs are almost five times more expensive in Mui Ne. The same small wooden bowl selling for US$3 in HCMC is US$14 in Mui Ne. At least 2 WinMarts represent a little more diverse choice. Every resort area in Ham Tien and Mui Ne is surrounded by restaurants specializing in seafood. The food is invariably fresh, well-prepared, and served in friendly and interesting surroundings.