Travelogue :  Kyvan's Southeast Asia Adventure

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Dec 10, 2005
A Jeep Adventure to the Sand Dunes of Mui Ne
 

I had no knowledge of Mui Ne until days before I left for Vietnam. My mother and father are from Vietnam and they don't even know much about Mui Ne. It wasn't a city that had much going on. But lemme tell you something...if you come to Vietnam without visiting Mui Ne, man, you missed out!

Mui Ne is a coastal city near the city of Phan Thiet. It has coconut tree beaches and creamy lavender sunrises over the ocean. The most notable aspect of Mui Ne are the sand dunes. I was shocked to discover that Vietnam has vast, white sand dunes reminiscent of Tunisia. This place is like an inspiration to all those who appreciate the beauty of nature.

We were dropped off at the Sea Breeze Resort on the Mui Ne coastline in the late afternoon. Since we only had half a day and one night here, we instantly hired someone to take us around. For $35 we got Anh Hieu (a very good man) and his army Jeep and then we were off, jetting down the road in the open air towards five destinations, each one spectacular in its own way:

1) Suoi Tien (fairy stream) was incredible! This is a shallow stream of running water. We entered the streambed and walked upstream through the water, towards a waterfall. The most amazing thing about this hike was the red soil surrounding us. The streambanks were composed of the most red, iron-enriched soil I have ever seen. It was soft and doughy to walk on. To our sides were vegetation, four-leaf clovers, and sandy wind-carved hills. We had the whole stream to ourselves. The water is shallow and cool. It was very tempting to find a quiet and cozy corner, set up a beach chair over the water, and read a nice book. This would definitely be an activity of mine if I lived in Mui Ne.

2) Fisherman's cove is an area on the beach where fishermen bring in their catch from nets and do their business. We saw all the activity and their boats from an elevated vantage point. Being a coastal city, fishing is in.

3) The Red Cliffs were very Martian-like in color and very alien in structure. Some boys were trying to get me to rent sleds here. Sledding down sand dunes is the thing to do here and you must try it. Well, before I rented anything, I just wanted to explore and scope out the area. And wouldn't you know it, these boys were cons, because there is no where to sled in the Red Cliffs area! They're just straight up cliffs. If I sled off those, I'd be freefalling. Those little swindlers! But this is what you must adapt to in Vietnam, everyone tries to rip you off. It is a way of life. Anyway, I was saving the sledding for the white dunes.

4) Doi Cat Trang (white sand dunes) was the most inspiring, picturesque sand dune landscape I have ever witnessed. These dunes are made of soft, white sand that stretch so far. We met Be and Kim, two kids who took us around and "rented" sleds to us. This renting concept is a misnomer because these kids are actually earning a living. They don't give you a price as to how much it costs to rent a sled. They ask you to give whatever amount you would like. And they will go with you to the dunes. So it's like you have a little tour guide with you to tell you about the area. If you don't speak Vietnamese, I guess you can try speaking English to them. And if they don't speak English, well you'll have a good time anyway because they're kids, and they're all really great hosts. They really welcome you. But honestly, I never though I would go sledding on sand dunes during this Christmas season. Climbing sand dunes is not easy! Your foot gets buried with each step which makes it especially hard when going uphill. Fortunately we went in the evening and the sand was cool. You will want to avoid the afternoon. Sledding would be unbearably hot. Sledding on the cool evening sand already produces enough friction to heat up the sled. If you are lucky enough to be in Mui Ne during a full moon, come to the white dunes. They have been known to glow bioluminescently under the bright moonlight. This was my favorite Mui Ne attraction.

5) Doi Cat Vang (red dunes) is similar to the white dunes, but are red and on a much smaller scale. By the time we got here, it was pretty dark, but the kids were still there to greet us with their sleds to make money. There was no reason to go sledding again so we just walked with the group of kids and talked. It was very enjoyable. The girls befriended my sister and two boys were discussing the performance of the Vietnamese soccor team with me.

By nighttime, we came back to eat dinner at a hole-in-the-wall restaurant across from the Sea Breeze Resort and it turned out to be soooooooooo good! You must order the "thit kho" (slow cooked, caramelized pork served in a clay pot.) Perfect texture and perfect amount of sweetness.