Mui Ne Sights and POI

Despite the fact that most tourists head to Mui Ne for the coastline, this small city actually has much more to offer.

Within a half hour ride, you’ll find yourself gazing in awe at giant sand dunes or strolling through traditional fishing villages. Travellers of all kind should expect to find something appealing about this part of the country; spend a few days or even a week if you’re looking to kick back and truly relax.

Kitesurfing

Without a doubt, the main draw of Mui Ne are the perfect kitesurfing waves. This city gets its fair dose of wind, which means the beautiful beaches experience a lot of crashing and rolling water. The whole town owns a surfer-type vibe, and it’s easy to see why.

Watersports

If kitesurfing isn’t your thing, though, Mui Ne doesn’t discriminate on water sports. Rent a kayak, surfboard, jetski, or even a sailboat. Outfitters line the beaches offering both lessons and rentals at fair prices, so you won’t have any trouble tracking one down.

Expect to pay up to USD60 per hour for professional water sport lessons, or save some money by grabbing a rental. Prices and hours vary by outfitter, but they’re readily available year round.

Sand dunes

Our all time favourite out of town excursion is to the nearby sand dunes. Both the red and white sand dunes are accessible in under half an hour, with tours and local transportation available to take you to and from with ease.

The most alluring thing about the dunes might be their unexpectedness. Follow that with ATV rentals, sandboarding, and jaw dropping sunsets, and you might be making more than one trip out. You can get to the dunes on your own at anytime and either pay for nearby parking or have a motorbike taxi sit and wait.

Visit before sunset, take a few spins down the dunes on a sandboard, and then finish the evening off watching the sun go down. (Open year round; free, but prices vary for equipment rentals)

Fishing village

The fishing village of Mui Ne itself is a sight to see. We hired bicycles and pedalled our way out, with just a few interruptions of cows crossing the road along the way. Ask a local which way to go, and then head off down the single highway that runs through town.

You’ll know when you’re there; a vast coastline dotted with tiny, round fishing boats awaits. Sit back and watch as locals navigate their circular vessels through the water, casting out nets and somehow not tipping over.

Farther afield, you’ll see dozens of junks moored in the water, which makes a perfect picture. Come here to relax, experience a side of Vietnam not seen anywhere else, and take some fantastic photos. (Open year round; free)

Fairy Stream

If you don’t mind braving the touts and scams, consider taking a trip out to Fairy Stream. This narrow waterway flows around the sand dunes near Mui Ne and offers some fantastic hiking and scenery. The muddy stream is only about ankle deep, and offers a natural walkway to a nearby waterfall.

While many people come here for the beauty and hiking, many also leave because of the trash. Sure, the natural aspects are breathtaking, but loads of tourists and little cleanup afterwards mean dirty grounds. If you don’t mind that drawback, go for a hike through the stream and check it out. It’s free to visit, but do expect to be hassled for high charges on parking and other things like shoe storage. (Open year round; free)