 = Recommended by MuiNeBeach.net
Recommended Modes of Transportation
Police have responded to a recent, tragic accident involving a tourist and a motorbike, by setting up roadblocks and confiscating motorbikes driven by foreigners. This has caused a serious problem in regard to lack of local transportation. Hopefully this is a temporary measure and life will return to normal over the coming weeks. Click here to read more.
If you are traveling to any site within Binh Thuan Province (leaving from Mui Ne), we recommend traveling by motorbike. Go with a driver, or drive yourself. The only exception is the Sand Dunes Tour, for which we recommend a jeep. Taxis are available in Mui Ne, and cyclos (rickshaws) are available in Phan Thiet, but neither are common here and both are expensive.
There are currently no local airports in operation. Boat rides are generally not available, although privately chartered fishing boats (which can be difficult to arrange) can take you up the river or out to Phu Quy Island.
You should travel by tourist bus between Mui ne/Phan Thiet and any of the nearest cities (Nha Trang, Da Lat, Nha Trang). It is cheap, comfortable, and convenient. Other modes of transportation are usually more trouble that they are worth.
The best mode of travel to more distant cities, in our opinion, is by train. However, busses are cheaper, and the train station in Muong Man is not easy to get to.
Recommended Tours
Sand Dunes Tour. This tour is best early in the morning to see the sunrise at the sand dunes, or late in the afternoon to watch the sunset. The dunes may now be reached by motorbike, but we recommend taking a jeep tour so you can ride on the beach. Stop at the market in Mui Ne village to pick up supplies (food and drink). Make your next stop at the Red Sand Dunes. Stay for a few minutes to take some photos. After passing Hon Rom village, ride along the beach to the village of Binh Tien. Head over the hills to the White Sand Dunes. This is the highlight of any trip to Mui Ne. Get some pictures, slide down the dunes on plastic sleds, and then have a picnic lunch by the lake, under the pines. Head back, stopping at the Red Sand Canyon for an exploration. Back in Mui Ne Beach, make an optional stop at the Fairy Springs (you should visit the springs at some point during your stay), and follow the stream through the canyon to the small waterfall at the back. The walk should take 30-minutes to 1 hour. This whole tour should last all morning and halfway through the afternoon.
Ta Kou / Khe Ga Tour. Ta kou and Khe Ga may be visited separately for a more relaxed tour, or together to make a very long day. Head out first thing to the Cham Towers. Get some nice photos of the towers and the view of the city and harbor. Next stop at the Phan Thiet City Market to pick up supplies (food and drink) and get some photos of the water tower, bridges and harbor. Head to Ta Kou Mountain and either hike the trail for free or take the gondola. At the top, view the temple and Vietnam's largest reclining buddha. Have a vegetarian lunch at the temple, enjoy a meal at the gondola restaurant, or eat a picnic lunch under the rainforest canopy. Next head to the coast to Khe Ga Beach to view the island lighthouse and take a swim. On the way back, stop at the great roadside canyon of Ganh Son and the former site of the LZ Betty, an American military base.
Other Sites. There are other worthy sites of interest in the area, read about them here.
The State of Local Tourism Companies
You will find that very few tour companies in Vietnam have websites or email addresses. You will also find that those who do have them, offer very little details and do not take reservations on line (the same is true of many tourist companies). This is partly because there is a lack of understanding and education locally about how to use internet technologies in business. However, the most significant reason is because of the backpacker culture. Backpackers tend to make plans spontaneously rather than making reservations, and utilize free sources of information without financially supporting the tourism companies and organizations that provide the information. The backpacker culture actually discourages technological development and innovation in regard to tour companies, hotels and restaurants in this way.
You can promote technological development and greater efficiency in the local tourism industry. Support the businesses that provide you with helpful information by purchasing services and products from them. When you make reservations, do your best to keep them. Ask companies how you can reach them online in order to encourage more productive use of the internet in the tourism industry.
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