Mui Ne Beach - Phan Thiet - Vietnam

Mui Ne beach is a beautiful tropical beach lined with groves of swaying palm trees, immense saharan sand dunes meandering for kilometers through colors of red, yellow and white. Mui Ne has winding rivers teeming with fresh fish and crabs; tall mountains with bamboo rainforests and pristine waterfalls. And more, there are deep red canyons parted by twisting streams and echoed by the sounds of tropical birds...

Mui Ne beach is located 220 km east of Sai Gon on the way to Nha Trang. This beach is a stark contrast to Nha Trang, with its quiet, rolling sand dunes and virgin palm groves. This is where you go to get away from the noise, from the pushy street vendors, the party crowds...
 
Mui Ne means "sheltered peninsula," and indeed, is used as a seasonal harbor by local fisherman.This area was previous occupied by the Cham Kingdom, as testified to by the Cham Towers overlooking Phan Thiet. The towers were built in the 8th century to worship Shiva, and are said to be among the oldest in Vietnam. Beside these three towers, there was once a temple, but it has been buried in the ground for more than 300 years. 

In 1306, King Tran Nhan Tong agreed to the marriage of princess Huyen Chan to King Jaya Sinhavarman III of the Cham Kingdom. The area is rich in local lore and superstition, with many stories of ghosts, fairies, local gods, monsters, magic and miracles, both ancient and recent. In 1692, Nguyen Phuc Chu captured the area and named it Binh Thuan Dinh. In 1693, the troops of the Nguyen Lord, led by Chief Nguyen Huu Canh, passed on and then stayed in this area. The city of Phan Thiet is very new however, and the modern occupation of this area is only within the last century. Phan Thiet is the provincial capitol, and Mui Ne is more or less a suburb.
 
In Mui Ne, you can enjoy the finest weather in Vietnam (Mui Ne has the lowest annual rainfall in the entire country). Enjoy fine dining or local street food. Spend an exciting day of windsurfing or a reclusive morning at the White Sand Dunes. Shop at the Mui Ne Village Markets for cheap clothing and local produce, or visit the Phan thiet City to shop for traditional Vietnamese arts and crafts.

Mui Ne is now quickly becoming known as the kiteboarding and windsurfing capitol of Vietnam. Likewise, neighboring Phan Thiet has one of the finest golf courses in the country. Development continues on a number of new and exciting venues for the area as well.
 
Mui Ne is a relatively new community. Phan Thiet is said to be less than 100 years old. In contrast, much of the resort areas of Mui Ne are less than 5 years old. Mui Ne is relatively "undiscovered" and is much more relaxed than other costal areas in Vietnam, and perhaps the friendliest.Tourists won't be pestered by street venders here.

However you spend your vacation, you will find it to be one of the most relaxing yet memorable yet.