Four hours due East of Saigon, on the southern coast, lies Mui Ne, a small fishing town dubbed one of Vietnam’s most natural beauties. To our excitement, our Lonely Planet guidebook described Mui Ne as pristine and undeveloped, boasting the best beaches in the country. Red and white sand dunes are also a famous draw. Naturally, we carved out a 3 day stop from our tight Vietnam schedule to visit.

For the first time on our trip, our trusty Lonely Planet guide wasn’t right! Compared to Nha Trang, Mui Ne may be smaller, but it isn’t necessarily undeveloped. Palatial resorts, built wall to wall, envelope miles of coastline. The sporadic chunks of land remaining are littered with cement pylons, bricks and steel girders; nascent mega-resorts. I wouldn’t suggest arriving sans hotel reservation or local transportation like us, as we spent two hours with our packs in the mid-day heat trying to find less expensive alternatives. Also, later that evening, we walked miles in search of snacks before realizing the total absence of vendors outside the resorts. Mui Ne is definitely not a pedestrian town.

Despite these issues, a relatively mediocre beach ( grey sand and brown water), and getting a flat bike tire 4 miles out of town, we still enjoyed our 3 days. Troy spent an entire afternoon of surfing 3-4 foot waves, which are said to swell from July to October. Natural rock formations and sand dunes are an indisputable spectacle, and sit just 30 minutes away from town. It is a convenient 4 hours from both Saigon and Nha Trang. Mui Ne is ideal if you think in terms of stop-over versus destination.

Just a few days ago, we arrived in Nha Trang: Mui Ne's big brother and the most visited beach in Vietnam. When you see the turquoise water, fine golden sand, rolling green hills and surrounding islands just offshore, you understand why. This place is gorgeous. We haven't delved into sightseeing yet, but I will post again soon after our snorkeling and countryside trips.

Hello/hug/kiss to Maki, Ruba and Majella :-)
HAPPY BIRTHDAY ( a bit belated) to BUBS and DAD!! WE LOVE YOU-
xoxoxoxoxoxo