10 Things To Do in Mui Ne and Phan Thiet

Oh what do we tell you about Mui Ne and Phan Theit?! These tiny fishing villages are nestled between turquoise beaches that line the Eastern coast of Vietnam. The area is just 4-hour train ride away from the chaos of Ho Chi Minh City but seems like a different world altogether. There are endless reasons for visiting Mui Ne and Phan Thiet. We found it tough to choose between gorgeous sunsets, glistening beaches, surreal scenery, and picture-perfect villages but we managed to restrict ourselves to listing just 10 Things To Do in Mui Ne and Phan Thiet

1)     Rent a bike
You are in Asia. This is a no-brainer. If you want to explore the area, there is no better way to do it than by renting a bike. Bike rentals in Mui Ne cost anywhere between $8-12 per day. Traffic can get crazy in this part of the world, so be careful. Bus drivers seem to be on a mission to demolish anything comes in their way. Another piece of advice – always have your helmet on or you’ll definitely be stopped by a cop which will result in a lot of discussion and eventually, bribery. South Vietnam tours Packages

Renting a bike will give you the flexibility of exploring offbeat places in the area, discovering hidden beaches, and exploring local markets.

2)     Go Quad biking at the White Sand Dunes
We’ve already introduced you to this geographical wonder in our write-up on the White Sand Dunes Of Mui Ne. If you’ve rented a bike, getting to the White Sand Dunes is a joy ride in itself. It will take you through unpaved roads and gorgeous stretches of Vietnamese countryside. Once you are there, enjoy the dunes on a quad bike – everything from gentle bumps to stomach churning bends are on offer. Mekong river tours Vietnam

The white sand dunes of Mui Ne are approximately 25 km. away from the centre of Mui Ne – once you have had your share of fun at the dunes, just walk over to the lotus pond and spend the afternoon watching the sun go down. Halong bay cruise


3)     Visit the early morning fish market of Mui Ne
Mui Ne’s chaotic early morning market provides a fascinating peek into the lives of local Vietnamese fishermen. Every morning they get their catch to the shore. Their wives and family members sort out the catch and sell it to the local traders, restaurant owners, and street food vendors on the spot. It’s like a trading floor right out of a Wall Street institution.  Expect to find fishing nets full of seafood, buckets overflowing with fish, shells strewn everywhere, raucous conversation, and plenty of photo-opps (It was tough to tear Vid away from the market 😉 )

10 Things To Do in Mui Ne and Phan Thiet

4)     Sunrise and Sunset at Mui Ne
Early morning isn’t the only time you should visit Mui Ne. This little village is absolutely magical at sunrise and sunset. Dozens of brightly coloured boats adorn turquoise waters. Everything is bathed in a luminescent light – highly recommended!! In fact, this might be our favourite thing to do in Mui Ne and Phan Thiet.

5)     Visit the Red Sand Dunes of Mui Ne
Another great place to catch a gorgeous sunset are the Red Sand Dunes of Mui Ne. If you don’t have the time to venture out to the White Sand Dunes, the Red ones are just a couple of kilometres from the centre and can be reached on foot as well.We still can’t get over the wonders of nature in Mui Ne and Phan Thiet – sand dunes that make you feel like you are in a desert right next to the beach?!
Read our post on the Red Sand Dunes of Mui Ne for detailed information and photographs (opens in new tab)


6)     The Fairy Stream
When we first heard about it, we were apprehensive about this being a tourist trap. But we were wrong!! This aptly named stream is another wonder of nature. Tucked between beaches and fishing villages, this gurgling stream is surrounded by amazing limestone formations. You can deposit your shoes at the entrance or carry them along with you to explore this muddy stream. Make your way through colourful limestone formations, warm water, and bright green trees to reach a waterfall.

7)     Treat your nostrils at fish vats 😉
Mui Ne and Phan Thiet are famous for being the home of fish sauce. This popular condiment might add a great dash of flavour to Asian food, but it doesn’t smell particularly pleasant. In fact, the word vile comes to mind – fermented fish in huge vats – doesn’t exactly remind you of perfume, does it 😉 There are a number of factories in Phan Thiet, but if you are in Mui Ne, you can witness the action close to The Fairy Stream.

8)     Find a secluded beach
There is no shortage of things to do in Mui Ne but it is easy to spend languid days at your hotel’s beach. But we suggest taking your rented scooter out for a spin and exploring the area. There are a number of isolated beaches perfect for an impromptu picnic or skinny dipping, if you enjoy that sort of thing :-) Our favourite secluded beach is the Hon Rom beach which can be reached by driving past the Red Sand Dunes towards the White Sand Dunes.

9)     Learn Kite Surfing
Mui Ne and Phan Thiet boast of a number of windy beaches that are perfect for kite surfing.  In fact, the area is one of Asia’s most popular sites for kitesurfing. There are a number of Kite Surfing schools in the area that offer courses for amateurs and beginners at extremely competitive prices. Moreover, there is no shortage of wide, sandy beaches to practice the sport

10)  Binge on The Food
Aah, the best for the last 😉 Mui Ne offers scrumptious seafood for dirt cheap prices. Grilled Red Snappers for £3 and clams and mussels for £2 often crop up on menus. If you’re adventurous, there’s snakes, crocodiles, and turtles on the menu. Freshly BBQ’d scallops with spring onions and peanuts drizzled with a lemon, sugar, and salt dip were my favourites. Mmmm, I want to go back for some more.

Then there are the fruits – everything from litchis and mangoes to mangosteens and papayas are on offer. Mui Ne’s morning fruit market is the equivalent of a candy factory for fruit lovers. The pick of the lot? Fuchsia-coloured Dragon Fruit. You’ll see entire orchards of Dragon Fruit on the way from Ho Chi Minh City to Mui Ne. No wonder it tastes better here than in any other part of Asia. Our friend Jodi talks about some great eating options in her Crash Course on Mui Ne :-)

 How To Get To Mui Ne And Phan Thiet
It’s fairly easy to  get to Mui Ne / Phan Thiet from Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City). On our way to Mui Ne, we took the train from Saigon that departed at 06:50 a.m. (eek!) and brought us to Phan Thiet in 4 hours. We could have taken the bus, but our hotel staff  suggested that the train would be more comfortable. Right they were :-) From the train station, we were ferried to our resort in Mui Ne by the pre-arranged pick-up driver from our resort. In total, it took us 4.5 hours to get to Mui Ne. Train tickets, including reserved seating, cost $16 . More details can be found here.
On our way back from Mui Ne to Saigon, we decided to take the bus. Our hotel arranged the bus tickets with a company called Hanh Cafe, which we later found out did not have good reviews 😉 It was too late to change our booking but thankfully our experience was not bad at all. We were picked up from our resort hotel and after picking up a gazillion other tourists from different hotels in Mui Ne, we were driven to Saigon through the choked roads and highways in a little over 5 hours. We preferred the train, but the buses offer more flexibility in terms of schedule.

Top Things to do in Con Dao Island

Snorkeling
Con Dao is considered one of the best examples of marine conservation in the country. With over 340 species of coral teeming with a colorful array of marine life, Con Dao supports a high level of biodiversity including over 1,400 marine species. Snorkelling in the turquoise waters around the island gives you a chance to look at the colorful and exotic marine life. South Vietnam tours Packages

Con Dao Historical & Prison Tour
In 1861, the French colonial government built this prison to house political prisoners. Today, you can learn about that grim past at the Con Dao Museum, which was once the colonial governor’s residence. Exhibits also reveal details about the island’s natural and pre-colonial history.

Discover Sea Turtles
Con Dao is the only place in Vietnam where sea turtles come to nest and enjoy full National Park protection. From May to October every year, Green and Hawksbill turtles come to nest around one of thirteen beaches. During this period, female turtles come up on the beach at high tide during the night. It takes an exhausting two to three hours for the female to dig, lay and cover her nest before returning to the ocean. Paradise Cruise in Halong bay

Hiking in Tropical Rainforest
Venture into the rainforest behind the town and climb 260 metres above sea level to So Ray Plantation, where you might be lucky enough to spot rare species such as the Con Dao Long Tailed Macaque and playful Con Dao Giant Black Squirrel. Adventurous travelers can keep hiking through the less-traveled north side of Con Dao. BASSAC CRUISE

Rest at stunning Ong Dung Bay.
Trekking to the Lighthouse
A 30 minute ride by speedboat brings you to the beautiful island of Bay Canh, where this adventure begins. A two-hour trek through dense forest leads you to one of Con Dao’s most important landmarks. The Bay Canh Lighthouse was built in 1885 and is one of the highest points on the island, at 226 meters above sea level.

Top Things to do in Con Dao Island

Catamaran Sailing
Feel the soft breeze on your face and see the beauty and charm Con Dao has to offer, from the picturesque fishing boats to the point in the horizon where the sky seems to blend with the sea.

Fishing Trip
What better way to spend the early morning than on a boat feeling the sea breeze against your skin against the backdrop of Con Dao Archipelago? A simple fishing boat offers an ideal way to explore these picturesque waters - and perhaps capture some lunch!

Scuba Diving
With depths ranging from 5 to 20 meters for recreational diving, Con Dao offers a unique opportunity to explore the amazing variety of underwater life. Explore the untouched and pristine coral, and you might spot rays, turtles, giant barracuda, cobia, batfish and small bamboo sharks as well as a whole host of tropical reef fish.

Explore Local Life
A guide will take you around the island, through back roads, small dwellings and local agricultural plots that are peppered with livestock, so you can experience how local people live.

20 Things You Must Eat In Hanoi

Food-loving globetrotters, here’s a bit of sound advice: If you’re headed to Vietnam’s northern city of Hanoi, we’d recommend you pack a pair of elastic-banded pants. The city is a wonderland of cheap eats and drinks, offering an endless variety of soups, noodles, buns, rolls and sandwiches paired with plenty of fresh herbs — and fresh beer, too.
Food-loving globetrotters, here’s a bit of sound advice: If you’re headed to Vietnam’s northern city of Hanoi, we’d recommend you pack a pair of elastic-banded pants. The city is a wonderland of cheap eats and drinks, offering an endless variety of soups, noodles, buns, rolls and sandwiches paired with plenty of fresh herbs — and fresh beer, too. Travel to Vietnam

You could spend a week eating your way through the hectic, motorbike-clogged streets of Hanoi’s Old Quarter and never eat the same meal twice. I know I didn’t on my recent trip. Here are 20 dishes and drinks from Hanoi that haunt my hungry dreams.

1. Bánh bao
The close cousin to the steamed Chinese baozi can be stuffed with ingredients ranging from pork to mushrooms and quail eggs. It’s a hot and fluffy treat. Halong bay tours Vietnam

2. Bánh cuốn
When dawn breaks, we suggest you seek out these rice-flour rolls wrapped around minced mushrooms and pork. It’s a warm, wonderful way to start the day.

3. Bánh mì
The baguette is one of the enduring symbols of French colonialism. It’s given a Southeast Asian twist by stuffing it with pâté, mayonnaise, pickled carrots and daikon, jalapeños and gobs of cold cuts. But the bánh mì is basically a blank slate to which cooks can add whatever they desire. Mekong river tours Vietnam

4. Bánh xèo
Made with turmeric and plenty of coconut milk, the crispy rice-flour crepe classically encases shrimp, pork, onions and perhaps sprouts too. It’s also served with a garden’s worth of herbs.

20 Things You Must Eat In Hanoi

5. Bia hơi
Draft beer is sacred to Vietnam, where tipplers wile away the hours sipping on this crisp, unpasteurized and unfiltered lager—its name roughly translates to “fresh beer”—that’s usually sold for about 25 cents a mug. Go on, have four. You’d need to drink gallons to get drunk.

6. Bún bò nam bộ
Carnivores should seek out this southern-Vietnam dish: A bed of rice noodles is topped by tender grilled beef, chopped cucumbers, lettuce, papaya slivers, fresh herbs, crushed peanuts and heaps of crunchy fried onions. Mix it with fish sauce–spiked nước chấm, take a bite, moan and repeat.

7. Bún bò huế
Get your sinuses running with a bowl of this spicy beef-noodle soup that hails from Huế, Vietnam’s last imperial capital. You can cut the fire with some fresh herbs or a squirt of citrus.

8. Bún cha
When lunchtime hits in Hanoi, the air is perfumed with the scent of sizzling grilled pork, the key component to the city’s signature dish. The swine is served alongside a sweet ’n’ salty broth, slices of green papaya, rice noodles and fresh herbs as far as the eye can see.

9. Bún ốc
Slow-moving sea snails are cherished in Hanoi, where they’re served in a steaming noodle soup with a tomato-based broth.

10. Bún riêu
Consider this the love child of phở, tomato soup and the sea. The noodle soup is composed of a tomato-based broth filled with plenty of crab and bobbing chunks of tomato.

11. Cà phê sữa nóng/sữa đá
Jumpstart your nervous system with a steaming cup of cà phê sữa nóng—that is, potent coffee mixed with sweetened condensed milk. It’s an electric jolt to the nervous system. (If you prefer your coffee cold, order cà phê sữa đá—with ice.)

12. Chả cá
Chunks of fish are anointed with plenty of turmeric, then sizzled with heaps of dill and served with rice noodles. It’s a fragrant delight.

13. Gỏi cuốn
The cool, fresh summer rolls are made with rice paper wrapped around herbs, vermicelli noodles, shrimp, pork or whatever vegetables and protein you have on hand.

14. Mì vįt tiềm
You’ll notice the echoes of Cantonese cuisine in this soup stuffed with squiggly yellow noodles, roasted duck and Chinese broccoli.

15. Nem cua be
Instead of a tube, these flaky, deep-fried spring rolls are shaped like a square. What’s inside is equally surprising: ground crab, pork, mushrooms and more. Eat them with fresh herbs and lettuce, which ably cut through the greasiness.

16. Nước chấm
Almost everything in Vietnam tastes better after being dunked into this salty-sweet-sour dipping sauce. It’s composed of fish sauce, citrus juice, sugar, water and, if you prefer, garlic and hot peppers.

17. Nước mía
Attention, sweet tooth; Get your fix with fresh-pressed sugarcane juice served over ice. It’s oddly invigorating. Or maybe that’s the sugar talking.

18. Phở
The classic Vietnamese noodle soup is sold from sunrise to last call on street corners citywide. The broth is typically made from long-boiled beef bones and spices such as star anise and cinnamon. Pho bò refers to beef, while phở gà signifies chicken.

19. Sinh tố
Take advantage of Vietnam’s fruit bounty to savor a smoothie made with sweetened condensed milk, crushed ice and your choice of, say, strawberry, mango or lychee. Just whatever you do, stay away from us if you opt for the rank, custardy durian.

20. Xôi
Looking to get stuffed, fast? Seek out the ladies with giant baskets stuffed with warm sticky rice. The rice is topped with lotus root, roasted garlic and whatever meat or fish happens to be on hand.