Northeast of Phan Thiet the coastal road climbs over the slope of a Cham-Tower-topped hill and descends onto the long, sandy crescent of Mui Ne Bay. The formerly little-inhabited beach south of the fishing village of Mui Ne proper has seen some serious development in the last 15 years. Now it's 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 90 Nguyen Dinh Chieu and is actually named Ham Tien.
Given the choice, nature would move the sand around, much to the dismay of some developers. Beach sand tends to migrate southward, leaving some (but not all) spots above 90 Nguyen Dinh Chieu with just a concrete breakwater rather than sandy beach. Accommodations at higher addresses tend to be smaller and less expensive, somewhat removed from the main tourist section 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.
A few bargain hotels have popped up on the inland side of the road, across from the beach-side resorts. If you stay on the inland side, you will need to pass though one of the resorts to reach the beach, which might or might not result in some hassle from the guards. The resorts jealously guard their lounge chairs and palapas, though the beach itself is open to everyone. If all else fails, you can always access a nice sandy stretch of beach via the Wax Bar at 68 Nguyen Dinh Chieu.
Most overseas visitors reach Mui Ne via "Open Tour" buses that run between Ho Chi Minh City and Nha Trang. Most depart from HMC between 7:30 and 9:00AM (7.30AM for Sinh Cafe in air-conditioned bus and arrive at Mui Ne at about 1 PM). In the opposite direction, buses typically depart from Mui Ne around 2PM and arrive in HCMC at 7PM. Outside HCMC, the coach will stop at a petrol station with a pretty large shop and stalls selling snacks, drinks and fruit. The buses stop in the heart of the tourist strip in Mui Ne, so there is no need to take a taxi. The cost is about US$6 each way, and tickets are sold all over the tourist districts of both HCMC and Nha Trang. If you are traveling to HCMC from Mui Ne, you will most likely be put on an already full bus traveling from Nha Trang. Since you are not assigned a seat you may not be able to sit with any traveling companions, and at some of the less scrupulous travel agents you may not even get a real seat (we were put on a mat at the back of the bus with four other people).
Public buses from both destinations also travel to Mui Ne, though finding the departure stations and figuring out the schedule is difficult for visitors. It's not worth the trouble unless you have a strong need to depart at a different time of day than when the Open Tour bus leaves. Travel agencies play dumb because they don't earn anything from helping you find a public bus.
A train runs daily from HCMC to Phan Thiet, departing around 6:30AM and arriving five hours later. The return trip leaves Phan Thiet around 1PM. The cost is quite modest at around 60,000 dong per person each way (similar to the bus). The train station in HCMC (Ga Sai Gon) is in District 3, about 3 km from the center. The train station in Phan Thiet is about five km (80,000-dong taxi ride) from the beginning of the Mui Ne resort strip, and taxis are abundant to take you there. The railway also sometimes runs a mid-sized bus from the station to Mui Ne for 25,000 dong per person. Tickets are sold on the train, though the announcement might be made in Vietnamese only, and you need to watch carefully for the ticket sellers to pass by.
The train has regular carriages operated by the state railways, and sometimes other carriages booked and operated by private companies. The latter have somewhat larger seats for a higher price, but fall short of luxury. The regular carriages are a bit cramped for the western-sized body. When the train is not full, railway staff usually pack everyone into one carriage, leaving another one empty, and then run a side business selling "upgrades" to the quiet, empty carriage. The entire train will be jammed on on holidays.
Overall, the train is probably less comfortable and convenient than the open-tour bus, though it has some advantages -- you get a better view of the countryside and avoid the endless honking of horns and lunatic driving of the bus drivers.
You can't get lost in Mui Ne, since the whole place consists of one long strip along a main street, Nguyen Dinh Chieu. Xe oms are everywhere and their drivers will bug you each time you leave the hotel. Bargain hard to get appropriate prices (10,000 to 15,000 dong is more than enough to pay for a ride from one place to another along the main strip.) Taxis are also abundant, with fares slightly higher than HCMC but still reasonable (starting at 12,000 dong and going to around 20,000 dong). The local
You can also rent motorbikes and bicycles at many resorts and tour agencies. Since traffic is light, motorbikes or bicycles are a pleasant way to explore the surroundings. Motorbikes cost anywhere from 60,000 to 150,000 dong per day depending on how late in the day you start, how many hours you need, and age / type of motorbike (automatics can cost 230,000 dong). The locals say it's getting harder to rent because of bike thefts and police enforcement of Vietnamese driving license. Your hotel may rent to you, which may be a bit more convenient since they already have your passport.
Even-numbered addresses are on the sea-side of the street, and odd numbers on the inland side. Even and odd addresses do not line up closely in the main resort strip, so (for example), 39 on the odd side is several hundred meters from 40 on the even side.
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.
Anything beyond very basic '''neccessities''' should be brought with you. There is a small pharmacy, but it would be wise to bring your own first aid kit.
Standard '''souvenirs''' offered include wooden and laquered 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 $3USD in HCMC is priced at $14USD in Mui Ne.
Several travel agencies along the strip also double as '''used book stores'''. Most have a few shelves of English books, along with a small selection in German and French. Books cost 80,000 - 100,000 dong and most shops will cut the cost in half if you trade in a book.
Every resort area 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.
Mui Ne has dozens of properties to choose from, in every price category (US$15-200), along the main ocean strip.
Accommodations at higher addresses tend to be smaller and less expensive, somewhat removed from the main tourist section 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.
A few bargain hotels have popped up on the inland side of the road, across from the beach-side resorts. If you stay on the inland side, you will need to pass though one of the resorts to reach the beach, which might or might not result in some hassle from the guards. The resorts jealously guard their lounge chairs and palapas, though the beach itself is open to everyone. If all else fails, you can always access a nice sandy stretch of beach via the Wax Bar at 68 Nguyen Dinh Chieu.
Remember that during Tet (Vietnamese New Year), hotels are booked way in advance.
NOTE: Beware, mosquitoes are a big nuisance in Mui Ne. So bring either insect repellent or long-sleeved shirts and pants for the evening. You may also consider bringing/buying the fun mosquito-killing racket (maybe 50,000 dong) to "sanitize" your room before sleeping soundly to the break of ocean waves.
There are a few '''Internet Cafes''' along the strip with ASDL connections and charging 5,000 dong/hour.
There are a couple '''ATM machines''' along the strip. Vietcombank has a 24hr ATM near 12.3km marker, with another ATM located just past it.
There are dozens of small travel agencies along the Mui Ne strip that sell daily excursions around Mui Ne, as well as airline, rail, or open tour bus tickets to other cities. Be sure to shop around since some unscrupulous agents will often overcharge the unwary buyer.
The bus journey to Nha Trang takes about 5 hours.Departure for Nha Trang is at about 1 PM and 1AM.
Sinh Cafe buses stop right inside the compound of a large guest house in Nha Trang. The beach is just across the road. Air-conditioned rooms are US10. Rooms are spotless and even at this rate, rooms are cleaned daily.