Mui Ne - Phan Thiet Attractions
Vietnam’s landscape is a source of endless
fascination, with a huge variety of climate and scenery ranging from long
beaches and endless rice paddy to the cool mountains of the Central Highlands.
In the Mui Ne-Phan Thiet area alone, you can see
stunning beaches, tropical forest, Sahara-like sand dunes, a beautiful harbor
and ancient buildings such as the Hindu Cham towers and the Van Thuy Tu Temple.
All of these create unique opportunities for
visitors to explore in and around the area.
Mui Ne Fishing Village
Mui Ne gets its name from the local fishermen using
this area as a shelter during the stormy season. Mui means nose or peninsula
and Ne means to duck or to take shelter. The combination of sun, sand and deep
turquoise water of the Pacific Ocean create a breath taking and spectacular
site to the visitors.
Phan Thiet is a small-but-thriving
Vietnamese city, and would be a decent destination for tourists in its own
right, but for one small problem: it's a stone's throw from Mui Ne, and there's
no good reason for the foreign tourist to dally here when a prime beach-town is
beckoning just over the horizon.
That being the case, Phan Thiet
sees very few foreign faces, save those visiting on a day trip from Mui Ne or
belting through on an Open Tour minibus. For the Vietnamese tourist however,
Phan Thiet is a good compromise -- they don't have to choose between expensive
resorts and low-rent guest houses like in Mui Ne, good, reasonably-priced
seafood restaurants line the water, and the beach is just as fine as Mui Ne -
there's just less of it. Domestic package tours tend to show up in Phan Thiet
in force as well, no doubt cutting sweet deals with local hotels and taking
advantage of the proximity to Mui Ne. A number of minor treats -- including
Cham towers and huge cemeteries -- can all be easily visited either
independently from here (or Mui Ne).
In terms of the cost of
accommodation, the variety of eats and things to do, we have to recommend Mui
Ne as the better destination.
The Sand Dunes of Mui Ne Highlights
By far the most popular among tourists are Mui Ne
Sand Dunes and Mui Ne Beaches located 12 miles East of Phan Thiet. The sand
dunes in this area are shaped by the elements of the wind; therefore they are a
spectacular site to the visitors.
Many visitors enjoy a trip to these surprisingly
Saharan-like sand dunes located not far from Mui Ne’s important beaches. There
are the two fascinating spots to check out; the white and the red sand dunes.
The White Dunes are by far the larger dunes and are
known by locals as Bau Trang or White Lake. There are quite a few small stands
selling food and drinks to visitors within the area along with pine trees
offering much-needed shade.
The
Sand Dunes of Mui Ne Highlights
The Red Dunes, as the name suggests, features
reddish-brown sand that makes them a more popular place for photography. Smaller
than White Dunes, they are easier to reach. Sand-sledding is a common (and fun)
activity here, but it is hard to nail down where the best location to do so is
as the sands shift from season to season so it’s best to look around. Dry sand
is much more enjoyable to sled on.
Visitors can rent plastic sleds and it is a wise
idea to check the price and agree on it beforehand. Some travelers have had
unpleasant experiences with the youngsters renting them out so be alert and
keep cool. Another interesting activity is kite flying as well as catching the
beautiful sunset here. These dunes are a popular picnic place for locals too.
Bai
Rang
Bai Rang or Rang Beach is probably the most
beautiful beach in Phan Thiet. It is located 15 Km northeast of Phan Thiet and
is described by the locals as the beach that is nestled in the middle of a
coconut palm forest. Other landmarks in the area of Rang beach are Da Ong Dia
(boulders of the Earth God), and Suoi Tien (Celestial stream).
Van
Thuy Tu Temple
Van Thuy Tu Temple, built in 1762, has a special
claim to uniqueness: it is the final resting place of more than 100 whales,
whose skeletons are on display, the largest being 22 meters long. Whales were
believed by local fishermen to be helpful and benevolent animals, and whenever
one became stranded on the beach, its body was taken to the temple, which is on
Ngu Ong St (Fisherman St).
Phan
Thiet Harbour
Phan Thiet Harbour is at the mouth of the Ca Ty
River (formerly known as the Phan River). The harbour, with its hundreds of
colourful fishing boats, is a delight for photographers.
Also, check out the bridges and parks around the
harbor, which are delightful, especially at night. Exploring the town’s many
good shops and restaurants will occupy at least half a day.
The
Phan Thiet Water Tower
The Phan Thiet Water Tower was built between 1928
and 1934 and was designed by Prince Suphanouvong of Laos who, at that time, was
chief engineer for the Vietnamese government. The elegant tower is the most
important landmark in Binh Thuan Province.
Takou
Mountain
Takou Mountain is a must for any visitor. About one
hour’s drive from Mui Ne, it has its own special magic. Hike up the mountain or
take the gondola through beautiful tropical rain forest full of birds and
wildlife to the Mountain Pagoda at the peak. Here you can see tomb towers, a
cave and what is said to be the largest reclining Buddha in Vietnam, measuring
49 meters in length.
The
Prince’s Castle
The Prince’s Castle is on a hill overlooking Phan
Thiet. The “castle” is in fact the ruin of a large French estate house built in
1911. On the hills in the same area are Cham towers (built in the late 8th
century AD), a pagoda and the tomb of a famous poet. From the hills there are
fine views of the town and the surrounding countryside.
Poshanu
Cham Tower
Those small complexes of Cham towers were from the
Kingdom of Champa in long time ago, located on Ba Nai Hill, Phu Hai Ward, just
7km from Phan Thiet City to the Northwest.
The remains of those towers are not completed but
still in good condition built around 8th -9th century and
worship Shiva God. In 15th century, some simple towers were built
worship Poshanu Princess. In 1992-1995, after many archaeological excavations,
this complex Cham Towers was named Poshanu since then until now.
Duc
Thanh School
It was built in at 1907 by the patriotic Vietnamese
in Phan Thiet. This school related with Vietnamese history as Duy Tan movement
and Ho Chi Minh who was a great leader of Viet Nam has been teaching here. Duc
Thanh School nowadays became a tourist site as its historical witnesses.
It is situated right in the heart of Phan Thiet
City, next to Ca Ty River and Phan Thiet market.
Ta
Cu Mountain
Ta Cu is around 30km from Phan Thiet to Ho Chi Minh
City, on the highway 1 A. Ta Cu Pagoda situated on Ta Cu Mountain, around 400m
height. It was listed as one of National history & culture relics of Viet
Nam.
This pagoda was built in 19< sup>th century.
Abbot Nguyen Huu Duc, who was set up this pagoda, was a monk and also was a
very famous healer.
There is a big statue of Buddha lying down on the
stage with 49meters long and 7 meters height and many other Buddha Statues in this
pagoda.
A lot of local people came here for praying and they
had to step up for hundreds stairs to this pagoda. Travelers prefer to go up by
cable car but step down.
