A trip to Vietnam: beaches, dunes, mountains and what to see beyond the kite spot

Most people come to Mui Ne for wind and leave having seen a beach, a bar and the inside of a kite bag. That is a waste of a flight, because some of the more striking landscapes in Vietnam are within an hour of the water.

This is what we send our guests to see on windless days.

The dunes

The red dunes sit minutes from the village and are best at sunrise or in the last hour of light, when the sand goes properly red and the heat is survivable.

The white dunes, about 25 km away, are the bigger landscape — a genuine desert with a lake in the middle of it. Go early. By eleven the sand is too hot to walk on barefoot and the light is flat.

The Fairy Stream

A shallow warm stream that runs through eroded red-and-white rock formations. You walk up it, ankle-deep, barefoot, for twenty minutes. It costs almost nothing, takes an hour and is unlike anywhere else nearby.

The fishing harbour

Mui Ne is still a working fishing village, and the round coracle boats in the harbour at dawn are the most photographed thing in the province for a reason. Go early — the boats come in with the night's catch and the market happens right there on the sand.

Phan Thiet and Phan Rang

Phan Thiet, twenty minutes away, is the nearest real town: markets, food that is not aimed at tourists, and the Cham water tower.

Phan Rang, further north, is another kite spot in its own right and home to well-preserved Cham towers — the same civilisation that built My Son, on a smaller and quieter scale.

Further afield

Da Lat — five hours inland and 1,500 m up, where the climate turns temperate, the coffee is grown and the nights are genuinely cold. A good two-day break from the coast.

Ho Chi Minh City — four to five hours by road, and worth a night on the way in or out rather than a day trip.

Phu Quoc — the island, a flight away, and a different kind of holiday entirely.

Practical notes

Getting around: scooters are cheap and the standard way. Traffic is calmer here than in the cities but not calm; wear the helmet properly.

Food: the seafood on the beach road is excellent and inexpensive. Eat where the Vietnamese eat, one street back from the front.

Weather: the kite season, November to April, is also the dry season — which makes it the best time for everything above, not just for the water.

Frequently asked questions

How many days do I need beyond the kiting?

Two or three windless days cover the dunes, the stream, the harbour and Phan Thiet comfortably. Da Lat wants two more.

Do I need a guide?

No. Everything above is reachable by scooter or a cheap taxi, and signage is adequate. We are happy to point you at the sensible order.

Is it safe to ride a scooter without a licence?

Rentals will hand you one regardless, but your travel insurance almost certainly will not cover you without the correct licence. Check the wording before you assume.

What about the rainy season?

May to October brings rain, mostly in short heavy bursts rather than all day. It is also the surf season, so the trip changes character rather than being ruined.

Coming to ride? Season, prices and logistics are covered honestly in our Mui Ne guide, and courses are on the lessons page. We are also happy to suggest where to stay — see accommodation.