Vietnam Beach: Mui Ne Beach, Phan Thiet

An "Ibiza" in Communist Vietnam?
Seventh in a series of short descriptions about different beach destinations in Vietnam. The rising star of Vietnam's south-central "Beach Coast" destinations, Mui Ne Beach, Phan Thiet is fast becoming Vietnam's answer to Ibiza.

Also see:
Vietnam Beach: Lang Co Beach, Lang Co
Vietnam Beach: China Beach (Non Nuoc), Danang
Vietnam Beach: Cua Dai Beach, Hoi An
Vietnam Beach: Nhat Le Beaches, Dong Hoi
Vietnam Beach: Quy Nhon Beaches, Binh Dinh
Vietnam Beach: Nha Trang Beach, Khanh Hoa
Vietnam Beach: Mui Ne Beach, Phan Thiet
for other Vietnam Beach destinations.

Why visit Mui Ne Beach, Phan Thiet?
The wind, water & wave capital of Vietnam and home to the most rollicking beachside nightlife in Vietnam.

What is Mui Ne Beach, Phan Thiet?
Actually two separate beaches; one on the windward side of the point and the other in a sheltered cove on the leeward side. The windward beach to the north of the point is broad, sandy and pleasant enough, but not the best swimming beach in Vietnam. Depending on the tide and wind conditions, there can be a dangerous rip along this beach and the sandy bottom is constantly changing. This is the domain of the windsurfers and connoisseurs of other wind/water pursuits.

While not as big as its brother around the corner, the beach in the cove is a much better swimming choice for the children or inexperienced swimmers. A much prettier, palm-fringed beach than the surf-side, the water can sometimes be less than 100% clear if there are storms out in the South China Sea.

Mui Ne is now fighting it out with Vung Tau to become the #1 beach relaxation spot for residents of HCMC and is already #1 for wind/water sports and nightlife. Largely clustered along the road running parallel to the sheltered cove beach, the "strip" features dozens of restaurants, bars, pubs, hotels, resorts and everything in between. A favorite getaway spot for foreigners living and working in southern Vietnam, Mui Ne is Vietnam's answer to Ibiza!

Where is Mui Ne Beach, Phan Thiet?
Mui Ne is 12 km north-east along the coast from Phan Thiet in Ninh Thuan province. The sheltered cove beach is just south of Mui Ne headland and the fishing village of the same name. The larger windard beach is approximately 1km north from the centre of the village.

When to Mui Ne Beach, Phan Tiet?
June to September is the best time to visit Mui Ne for the beaches. This coincides with the best beach weather. Of course the nightlife pumps all year round.

How to get to Mui Ne Beach, Phan Tiet?
ByAir
Not the best option for getting to Mui Ne. The nearest airport is at Cam Ranh, only slightly closer than HCMC - about 230km away!

By Rail
Unless you are a train buff or have time on your hands, it generally isn't worth it to get the train from Hanoi to destinations this far south.

All express and non-express trains from HCMC stop at Phan Thiet station. Tickets for the 4 hour journey from HCMC start at around VND 58,000 (US$3.26). If you are making your way south from Hue, Danang or Nha Trang, fares begin at about VND 390,000 (US$21.92) from Hue, VND 343,000 (US$19.27) from Danang and VND 84,000 (US$4.72) from Nha Trang. The trips take approximately 17, 15 and 4 hours respectively.

By Road
Far and away the most convenient way to get to Mui Ne. The journey by road from HCMC takes approximately 3 hours by car or minibus. There are dozens of operators running daily services between HCMC, Phan Thiet and Mui Ne. Mui Ne is also on every open-ticket route we know of. All tourism/travel cafes in any city or town will be able to arrange travel to Mui Ne.

The journey from HCMC is very popular, so prices and services vary widely: from VND 30,000 (US$1.70) in a regular Vietnamese scheduled service (not so roomy) up to as much as VND 2,500,000 (US$140.50) for an all-inclusive limo drive!