Archived News: Mui Ne-Binh Thuan Tourism

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Docking Bar Opens for May Day Weekend

01.05.09 The Docking Bar, Mui Ne's newest nightlife attraction, has opened just in time for the long holiday weekend. The atmospheric bar is located between the Forest Restaurant, Forester Spa, and a new mini golf course also set to open next month.

Docking Bar has a unique design, blending exotic wooden sculpture with a traditional mud-home, and tieing it all together with colorful accented designs painted floor to ceiling. The inside has the feeling of a funky grotto with plenty of dancefloor room, and cozy nooks for conversation. Outdoors is a family atmosphere with stylish wooden picnic tables. A large range of drinks are availabe--as well as some great food offerings, including bacon cheese burgers, fish and chips, and fried cheese.

Petrol Station Still Cheating Foreigners

30.12.08 Earlier this year we reported that attendants at the Petrolimex on the hill in Phu Hai, between Phan Thiet and Ham Tien (Mui Ne Beach), was systematically cheating foreigners (going all the way back to it's opening more than 4 years ago). Attendants routinely fail to set the meter to zero when they service foreign customers (so as to confuse them on the amount of gas they are receiving) and then fail to give the correct change (typically in amounts of 10,000-50,000VND, but larger amounts are possible). As complaints continue to be voiced, we recommend visitors avoid the Petrolimex and instead head to one of the 2 gas stations down the hill in Phan Thiet, just past the Phu Hai bridge. Both have a good reputation for treating customers (local and foreign) fairly, although customers should always watch meters and count their change judiciously at any petrol station.

If you feel you've been cheated by any businesses in Mui Ne or Phan Thiet, we invite you to send us your complaints so that we can look into the matter.

Holiday Parties in Mui Ne

01.11.08 Bars around Mui Ne hosted parties for Halloween last night. Wax had great music, festive decorations and professional fire dancers. Pogo had the largest gathering with a wild dance party and great food. The only disappointment was that the free food and drinks advertised by many venues around the beach didn't appear to be forthcoming. Overall, the nightlife in Mui Ne appears to be looking up. See more photos on the Mui Ne Blog, The Fish Egg Tree.

Mui Ne Aquaba Flats are Going Fast

09.08.06 Suoi Nuoc Resort Co., Ltd. claims to have sold at least 60% of the residences at the Aquaba Resort on Mui Ne Beach, despite breaking ground only three months ago. Foreign and local companies as well as individuals have purchased 50 year leases on the property.

The Aquaba residences cost nearly US$60,000 for a fully-furnished one-bedroom apartment and nearly US$600,000 for one of the 6, four-bedroom villas overlooking the beach. Buyers can in turn rent their flats to visitors of the resort. According to Aquaba, owners who rent their property to guests will pay roughly 30% of their annual income from their property for management and maintenance costs. It's unclear what percentage of profit must also be paid for taxes and government fees.

The company is allegedly spending around US$10million to develop Aquaba at the site of Long Son Suoi Nuoi in Mui Ne.

Property ownership for foreigners in Vietnam has many restrictions. Foreigners my lease land for a maximum of 50 years. Permanent ownership is not available. Property held by foreign interests may not be re-sold or transferred to a third party. When the lease term expires, the property is appropriated by the government. Foreign occupant must abide by the same regulations as hotel guests--and must regularly renew visas (which are not guaranteed) and frequently re-register with the local police. Unmarried mixed couple of foreigners and vietnamese citizens may not sleep under the same roof. If you are considering leasing property in Vietnam, you should seek the advice of a lawyer familiar with Vietnamese property laws who can explain current regulations.

Dragon Boat Festival Canceled

23.04.06 With great disappointment, we regret to announce that the Binh Thuan International Traditional Dragon Boat Racing Festival has been canceled this year. The festival is normally held on the Ca Ty river in downtown Phan Thiet. This year it was to be held April 26-27 (although apparently rescheduled to April 24-28 before it was canceled) in celebration of Vietnam National Reunification Day. The festival was apparently canceled due to team preparations for the 7th Asian Dragon Boat Championships to be held in Macao, and a lack of sign-ups for the festival locally this year. Read the announcement at www.bthuantraditionboat.com.vn.

Aquaba Resort to Open in Mui Ne

26.03.06 Aquaba, a new five-star beach resort, is scheduled to open in Mui Ne in mid 2007. A total of 9.5 million USD will be invested to comprise two seven-storey apartment buildings and 39 villas (six with beach-front). Facilities will also include a thermal spa, several swimming pools, tennis court and a library. The rate is estimated to be about $200 USD per day for a villa and 40-50 USD per day for an apartment.

Three New Resorts in Binh Thuan

10.03.06 Binh Thuan province continues to grow. Officials have issued many preferential policies to call for investment in 62 new projects. The province has recently signed contracts with the Viet Nam-Korea Joint Stock Co. to build the Sweet Coconut Tourism Resort in Phan Thiet; with Hong Son Co. Ltd. to build Coral Tourism Resort in Mui Ne; and with Phong Phu Textile Co. to build the Cu Lao Cau Eco-tourism Resort in Tuy Phong district.

Development in Binh Thuan continues unabated despite bad weather that adversely effected tourism during the holiday season. After a severe drought in 2004 and 2005, heavy rains fell out of season this winter; causing coastal flooding and erosion. Sections of Mui Ne beachfront were washed out, causing difficulties at some resorts. Compounding the problem; winds arrived near the end of the normal kiteboarding season this year.

Binh Thuan contains the driest localities in South East Asia. The province is prone to drought over dry seasons, and flash flooding and extensive erosion in rainy season. Most resorts in the province are built in unstable dunes areas. It is becoming an increasing priority for resorts to consider environmental issues to to avoid problems in the future.

New Spas in Mui Ne and Khe Ga

27.10.05 On October 24, the Sao Mai Mineral Mud Center broke ground for the construction of a 6.3 hectare resort. The tourist attraction will be built at a cost of over 50 billion VND (roughly 3.2 million USD). It will include a spa resort, a mineral water recreation centre, restaurants, and a 50-bed relaxation area. The first phase of the project will cover the construction of a mineral spa reservoir, a mud bath area, and swimming pools, and will be completed in late 2006.

Also on October 24, the Thai Binh Ltd. Co. officially opened facilities built in the first phase of the Rock Garden tourist attraction project in Thuan Quy, Ham Thuan Nam district. The first phase of the project cost 50 billion VND and covered the construction of a 150-bed relaxation area, a mud bath area, restaurants, a swimming pool, and mineral water spa resort. The site covers 40 hectares and extends along the Khe Ga beach.

Both sites would be the first resorts devoted entirely to Spa treatements at these two areas, although other resorts have spa facilities with varying degrees of service. There are no known natural mineral water sources in Mui Ne or Khe Ga, so it is likely the resources will need to be brought from other areas. There are however natural mineral springs in the NorthEast of the province at Vinh Hao (near Ca Na) and at the SouthWestern border of the province.

Ben Thanh Tourism Company offers a new "Kung Fu in Phan Thiet Tour"

09.05 The first ‘Kung Fu tour” will be held in Phan Thiet over two days and one night. Leaving early from Saigon, tourists will see Ta Cu Mountain and Vietnam’s longest reclining Buddha statue before arriving at Phan Thiet at 12 noon.

After a short rest and lunch at the hotel, the group will visit Van Thuy Tu pagoda, built in 1762. They will see 100 enormous whale skeletons, and after visiting sand dunes in the afternoon, they will learn some defensive moves from Kung Fu master Ta Tan. In addition, they will be instructed in Qi Gong, which helps relieve stress.

The next morning, tourists will practice Kung Fu and Qi Gong at Phan Thiet Beach, and later visit Lau Ong Hoang ("The Prince’s House"), the Poshanu Cham Tower, the "Earth god Stone" and finally Phan Thiet market.

To book the tour, contact Ben Thanh Tourism Company: Tel: 8218989 -8215741 - 8212406, Fax: 8218340