Vietnam Things To Do

Things to do in Mui Ne

Many tourists arrive to Mui Ne without a clue of what the town is about. Most arrive on a southern Vietnam tour or as a stop-off on the tourist bus route running between Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, stepping out of their vehicle with wide eyes and big ambitions for what is usually the first stop from Saigon. It’s easy to miss some of the best things to do in Mui Ne if arriving this way, as a great deal of your itinerary is often planned for you, leading you to soak up the grand, sweeping natural beauty of the town but missing some of the quiet and unique additions to one of Vietnam’s best beach resorts. The meteoric rise in the 1990s of the laidback fishing town to this highly-regarded position has seen the glazing over of some of its satellite attractions, meaning many go ignored by visitors keen to settle on the beach and refuse to budge for three days. This is also a fine Mui Ne activity, but if there’s any chance of you getting a little bored after three days of sun-tanning, take solace in the fact that the other highlights of Mui Ne can be explored within relatively close proximity to the beach. These are Incredible Asia Journeys’ top things to do in Mui Ne:Natural AttractionsMui Ne is all about natural beauty and it has the span of a south, east and west-facing coastline with which to display it proudly. 15km of this coastline is taken up by white-sand, earning Mui Ne one of the accolades for top beach destinations in Vietnam, but many of its natural attractions lie further inland, covering everything from the beautiful to the bizarre.The BeachesIt’s not a surprise that staking a spot of white sand under the shade of a swaying palm tree, setting up shop and relaxing for the duration of the day is one of the more popular things to do in Mui Ne. Mui Ne is blessed with some great beaches, and if you know where to go, your Vietnam beach holiday can be spent in the utmost paradise. The eponymous Mui Ne Beach is the town’s most popular, but not its best. The soft sands here still provide a comfortable seating platform to watch the windsurfers do their thing, but the beach’s ease of access is its undoing, flooding the coast with tourists and resorts claiming individual spits of sand. For true beach relaxation, it is worth making the effort to Mui Ne’s northeast coast where Suoi Nuoc (also called Long Son) lies in a straight line facing out onto the sea. Watching the sunrise from this east-facing beach certainly constitutes one of the top attractions in Mui Ne, and one not oversaturated with the same levels of tourists that Mui Ne Beach hosts.Red and White Sand DunesMui Ne might be one of the last places you expect to find two distinct deserts, but the popularity of these beautiful sand dunes speaks volumes. Occupying a position just off the main road, these inexplicable sand dunes look like a con at first. If you’ve heard of sand being imported to create some of the other of Vietnam’s best attractions, like Titop Island or Tuan Chau Harbour in Halong Bay, then you might think the same has been done here. In fact, the strong winds of Mui Ne are the reason these dunes exist, blowing sand around the cape where it settles in huge quantities.As the most conveniently accessible, the Red Sand Dunes are the most popular, with orangey-red sand that shines vividly under the Mui Ne sun. Like with most desserts, there isn’t much to do but admire the beauty, which is magnified during the magnificent daily sunset, turning the orange dunes into a gorgeous blood-red. The dunes are situated about 500m from the coastline and 20 minutes from the main town, so they receive a great deal of tourist interest.The most interesting thing to do in Mui Ne’s sand dunes is pretty much its only one; sand-sledding down the hills on what can loosely be described as a sled, but can much more accurately be described as a paper-thin piece of plastic with a string threaded through the top. They’re a cheap way of enjoying one of Vietnam’s best beach resorts, but most importantly, a great way of stopping children trying to push their homemade boards on you. Safety concerns about the boards are minimal, considering that they travel at about the same speed as a particularly languid camel, so give them a go, it might be a great introduction to the other adrenaline sporting activities in Mui Ne that we’ll mention later.The White Sand Dunes are a completely different story, offering a quieter atmosphere and receiving universal acknowledgement that these are the best sand dunes in Mui Ne. Their location a further 25km from the Red Sand Dunes make them much more relaxed, and they play the part of a Sahara-like landscape much better because of it. Of course, the Vietnamese approach to tourism still prevails, so the peace is occasionally interrupted by the dune buggy tours that roar over the vast sand mountains, but visitors can seek reprieve at the beautiful Lotus Lake, a genuine oasis in a 100% natural landscape.Fairy StreamWading through opaque brown water might not sound like one of top things to do in Mui Ne, but you’ll change your mind upon setting eyes on the town’s Fairy Stream, whimsically named and beautifully presented. Like the sand dunes, this is another of Mui Ne’s popular attractions that sets heads scratching, mostly because of the strange rock formations rising either side of the traversable canyon containing ankle-high water. Visitors walk through the water and look at the rocks, which sit in a statuesque harmony with the solidified sand hills and verdant scrubs that have also found a home here.The brown water running through the canyon is made up of red clay, turning the riverbed into a soft surface and one that is quite comfortable to walk through. Tours of the stream usually take about 45 minutes, giving you ample opportunity to saunter through the water at your own pace, admiring the geology and taking some very vivid snaps.Hon Rom and Mui Ne BayHarking back to the days when Mui Ne was a sleepy fishing village, large swaths of Hon Rom act as sort of a time capsule, freezing a small part of Mui Ne in the era before it became one of Vietnam’s best resort towns. Its rugged beach is dotted with a huge mass of fishing boats, continuing the tradition that established Mui Ne before the arrival of 5-star hotels. It’s hard to move for the wild scrub and basket boats that fleck the beach here, but the beauty is raw and it’s hard to find a more natural attraction in Mui Ne than this small peninsula.At the similar but more popular site of Mui Ne Bay, colourful fishing boats get an audience of camera shutters clicking, as the picturesque scene that they create in a small, craggy cove is one of the lasting images of Mui Ne for tourists who visit it. The bay is viewed from a cliff above, where tourists can snap it from its best angles, watching the lazy activity on fishing boats that have sadly become largely obsolete because of the vast difference in income that tourism brings overfishing. Still, they hark back to the same placid atmosphere bestowed by Hon Rom, one that was universal in the city until recently.Architectural AttractionsGiven that Mui Ne was a town founded by a collection of relaxed fishermen, it was never going to be one of the top architectural powerhouses of Vietnam, and grander buildings can indeed be found in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. Nevertheless, there is a certain quaint charm to some of the buildings of the town and, like with most of the best things to do in Mui Ne, they have a whimsical touch of the bizarre about them.Rang Dong Wine CastleBy bizarre, we’re talking about the gigantic Wine Castle, built to look like a traditional European castle but more probably based off a Google image of a Disney-inspired child’s drawing. 200,000 VND ($9 USD) will get you a tour of the castle, giving you a chance to see the inner workings of the large cellars and also a chance to taste 5 wines, all from the Napa Valley in California. In fact, there is not much of a Vietnamese vibe to this European-style castle housing American wines, but the architecture and the scenery around the hill that it finds itself on definitely make it one of the more interesting things to do in Mui Ne.Po Shanu Cham TowersOn the border with Phan Thiet, the city neighbouring Mui Ne to the west, stand the Po Shanu Cham Towers, two stubborn relics of the Champa civilisation who used to occupy large sections of southern Vietnam. The Champa empire was mercilessly destroyed in the early 19th century by Vietnamese emperor, Minh Mang, but their legacy still stands from the 9th century, when Po Shanu were constructed to celebrate Hindu gods. Along with similar towers at My Son Sanctuary (Hoi An) and Po Nagar (Nha Trang), Po Shanu provide an excellent historical highlight of Mui Ne and a reminder that the town was not always so laidback and care-free.Mui Ne ChurchThe uniqueness to Mui Ne’s architectural attractions continues with Mui Ne Church, a beautiful church with European roots, built in a very Vietnamese style. Reminiscent of Phat Dien Cathedral in Ninh Binh, this church’s large front is built of several tiers, coloured immaculately in sandstone-orange and featuring some curved, tiled roofs sporting universal emblems of a dragon. Other churches in the area such as Rang Church, are less Asian in their make-up, but are still comprised of the same sandstone colour and spotless presentation.Linh Long TempleJust over the road from Mui Ne Church, you will find a religious building rooted much more in native Vietnamese and Buddhist principles, characterised best in the 25m statue of the reclining Lady Buddha. Another tall, upright statue of the Lady Buddha looks out to sea from Linh Long Temple, granting safe passage for the fishermen under her watch as they sail out of Mui Ne Bay. There are more grandiose Buddhist temples in Vietnam, but Mui Ne’s is colourful, charming and ornate, with a verdant garden creating the most peaceful of peaceful atmospheres.Sports AttractionsFor enthusiasts, there are a few sports activities in Mui Ne, starting at maybe the world’s most placid sport and ending with an adrenaline-igniting one. Given Mui Ne’s location, it’s no surprise that most of these sports are water-based and luckily, can be done at the beach, with phenomenal views all around.GolfPhenomenal views are certainly the order of the day at the Sea Links Golf and Country Club. This full, 18-hole course is situated atop a cliff, overlooking the deep-blue ocean stretching to the horizon. Those looking for quiet activities in Mui Ne would fail to find exactly that at this golf club, as perfectly manicured lawns, rows of wind-rocked palm trees and excellently landscaped bunkers and ponds all contribute to a fantastic, meditative atmosphere and truly one of the more relaxing things to do in Mui Ne.KayakingSlightly more high-octane than golf, but certainly not a Mui Ne sports activity that will pop the blood vessels, kayaking is a great mix of serenity and sightseeing that is fun and possible for all ages. Paddling through the crowd of kite surfers on Mui Ne beach might not be as relaxing as kayaking should be, so the many resorts who offer it as an activity usually do so at Suoi Nuoc beach, or at least on the fringes of Mui Ne beach. These are one of the best things to do in Mui Ne for families, as kids love to let loose in the kayaks, while the older folk can keep an eye on them and admire the idyllic scenery at the same time.KitesurfingWhen it comes to kitesurfing, or kiteboarding, Mui Ne is the top dog in this part of the world. Its perfect, windy-but-not-too-windy conditions attract budding and established kitesurfers from all over, keen to come to the kitesurfing capital of Southeast Asia to demonstrate their flips and tricks in front of crowds of onlookers at Mui Ne beach. Of course, not everyone is an immediate pro upon turning up to the town, so several visitors opt to try one of the most fun activities in Mui Ne and sign up for kitesurfing lessons. These lessons usually take place in groups of 3 or 4 and last between 1 and 7 days, giving you a fun toe-dip in the ocean or the full adrenaline experience. Tours can be arranged by sauntering over to one of the kitesurfing shacks on Mui Ne beach and enquiring within.

Things to do in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta

There’s a curious contradiction of life that occurs every day, just over an hour’s drive southwest from central Ho Chi Minh City. The stretching coconut trees and ambitious ferns that line the languid waters of the Mekong Delta suggest that life here might be a rather reclined affair.To saunter up and down the river absorbing the seemingly endless verdant greenery is to experience the Mekong Delta as its most beautiful. However, another hour southwest and you’ll find yourself in a whirlwind of activity, one that sweeps up visitors into the agitation of a floating market and pushes all thoughts of serene backwaters to the back of their memory. Woman rowing the row boat to pick lotus flower Indeed, the pace of life in the Mekong Delta can go from a mild stroll to Formula 1 within the space of an hour, and its potential to do so speaks of a deep-rooted history in the very diverse region. This 15,000 square mile expanse makes up the very end of the tail of Vietnam’s rising dragon, a land body stretching from the fertile Mekong Delta to the dragon’s head in the northern provinces of the country. Around 2300 years of habitation has given rise to multiple cultures, various languages, different food, drink, transport and attitudes to life around the 12 provinces that comprise the region in modern Vietnam. So, unsurprisingly, there are many things to do in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta, and any exploration of the south should focus at least one day in both the placid canals and the effervescent floating markets. At Incredible Asia Journeys, we’ve created this comprehensive guide to the top attractions in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta. Floating Markets Thousands of boats once made up the floating market at Cai Rang, but modern Vietnam has less time for genuine business on the river now that bridges carry large-haul trucks straight over it. Still, the sight of hundreds of shop-boats plying the silken waterways is one of Vietnam’s typical scenes and visiting the bubbling floating markets is most certainly one of the top things to do in the Mekong Delta. Cai Rang Cai Rang Floating Market was recognized as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2016The most lively, colourful market in the Mekong Delta is, naturally, its most famous. The 300-or-so boats that still remain on the waters of the Mekong at Cai Rang continue life unabated; selling produce, cooking food and generally reveling in the vivacity around it. From a sampan boat, a local of Can Tho City, 6km from the market, will row you out, taking you on an unplanned route around the mass of boats, flitting in between gaps and generally greeting all 300 of their friends in endearingly boisterous ways. Vendors at Cai Rang have to hang their wares from the top of a pole that rises above all the water-level bustle. You can see the flags of fruit, clothes and upturned, empty liquor bottles standing high above the boat, adding to the intensely colourful scene from above. Vendors selling food tend to rely on people’s sense of smell rather than nailing a lone noodle to the top of a pole, and far-off boats can be beckoned closer with the help of your very obliging boat rower. Cai Be If the idea of two hours on a sampan boat amid a maelstrom of activity doesn’t appeal to you, feel free to head to Vinh Long Province, 2 hours from Ho Chi Minh City. There are a few advantages in heading to Cai Be over Cai Rang, including the much shorter travel time, fewer tourists, less hustling and the fact that Cai Be stays open later for visitors arriving from Ho Chi Minh City. Cai Be sells pretty much exactly the same merchandise as Cai Rang, with the only difference in scenery being a picturesque Catholic cathedral that stands on the riverbanks. Tourists are excited to visit Cai Be floating market Long Xuyen A lot of the Mekong Delta’s floating markets are very similar, and a visit to more than one is unnecessary, but if you’re more into local experiences, then Long Xuyen in An Giang Province is the one you should visit. Long Xuyen doesn’t usually make any ‘top things to do in the Mekong Delta’ lists, but its exclusion is perfect for travellers looking for hidden gems and a lack of commercialisation. There is still a lively atmosphere but the pressuring for buying which is sometimes felt at Cai Rang and Cai Be is much milder here, giving you free reign over a bountiful market operated and visited almost exclusively by locals. Long Xuyen floating market is called by many people as a floating village in An Giang Food While many people argue between the food cultures of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, it should be noted that the deep south of Vietnam has its own traditions and dishes that they are rightly proud of. Steaming bowls of Hu Tieu and leo are doled out daily from rustic boats across the Mekong Delta’s floating markets, giving tourists a chance to taste a unique, seafood and fruit-based culture evolved over thousands of years. The region’s tropical fruits account for a staggering 70% of the entire country, and, in a country as obsessed with rice as Vietnam, to have 60% of its overall output of this precious grain must feel like an incredible achievement. Indulge yourself in the food here, it’s certainly one of the best activities in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta. Hu Tieu As with the rest of the country, the colourful appearance of the food in the Mekong Delta makes up for half of its appeal. Brown fish balls, pink and purple squid, red pepper, green celery, light orange shrimp and white noodles get to know each other in a clear broth of Hu Tieu, one of the deep south’s most beloved specialities. The presence of seafood is felt strongly in Hu Tieu, and you can enjoy its salty flavour while floating serenely on the Mekong. Gordon Ramsay did exactly this and was compelled to deem the broth of Hu Tieu the best he’s ever had. Bun Nuoc Leo Presented as a small bowl overflowing with vibrant ingredients, Bun Nuoc Leo is one of many Vietnamese dishes that was carried out of the south after the fall of Saigon, finding favour throughout the world where Vietnamese refugees settled. Its origins are actually from the Khmer people of Cambodia, but it was adapted by the chefs of Soc Trang, one of the Mekong Delta’s more southern provinces and now contains a lot of fish stock and pickled fish, along with shrimp and fish balls. It’s a fishy dish, for sure. Banh Cong Banh Cong is a simple concoction of two things that don’t really sound like they should go together, but it’s fortunate that someone thought to try it; shrimp and cake. These are small ‘shrimp muffins’ containing shrimp, ground pork, onion and shallots baked into a light, fluffy cake. Banh Cong is incredibly moreish and sharing a few with the locals of Soc Trang Province, where they originate, is one of the top highlights of a local experience in the Mekong Delta. Mouse Meat Definitely one for the more adventurous tourists to the Mekong Delta, mouse meat is a bit of a delicacy here and available to try if your stomach can take it. Locals have developed methods for cooking mouse to mask the flavour of, well, mouse, over several centuries of trying to eradicate the pest from their coconut trees. Mouse meat really kicked off when locals needed all the food they could get during the French and American wars, justifying the cooking of them by claiming that the coconuts eaten by the mice must have imbued their flesh with the same flavour. Best tours to Mekong Delta: Mekong Delta Day Trip, Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh Discovery, Foody Tour in Ho Chi Minh and Mekong Delta. Birds The vast swathes of large birds that soar high above the boats are one of the Vietnamese Mekong Delta’s big attractions for bird lovers, who come on bird-watching trips from around the world to witness the majesty of storks, herons, cranes and pelicans as they roost in the trees. Tram Chim National Park Undoubtedly the best place to see over 300 species of birds, some of which are incredibly rare, is Tram Chim National Park near the border with Cambodia. The huge variety of birds here find their food within the park and its surrounding rivers, swooping with gigantic wings to scoop up fish and take them back to their nests. There are also a great variety of ducks and grebes paddling around the ponds and lakes, while colourful kingfishers, starlings and bee-eaters flit between them in search of food. Tram Chim National Park Vam Ho Bird Sanctuary The vibrating white flecks on the tops of trees at Vam Ho Bird Sanctuary might look like curiously energetic snow from far away, but get closer and you’ll see one of the Mekong Delta’s iconic sights. Thousands of storks return to Vam Ho around sunset every day to roost, which usually sends cameras in sight of the birds into a frenzy of frantic clicks. The protected area is accessible by boat and visitors will be treated to the sights of other large birds like herons and buzzards along with other animals like bats and pythons. Vam Ho Bird Sanctuary Bang Lang Bird Sanctuary For getting up close to roosting birds, your best bet is to head to Bang Lang. This sanctuary is sometimes referred to as a ‘stork garden’ because a viewing platform that sits in the canopy gives a wonderful view of the brilliantly white storks as they relax in the trees stretching out in front of you. Aside from every type of stork in the Mekong, you can see egrets, herons, cormorants and many more.Bang Lang Bird Sanctuary Nature In a region as naturally blessed as the Mekong Delta, it’s unsurprising that getting into nature is one of the top things to do in the deep south. Aside from Tram Chim National Park mentioned above, there are plenty of places to get up close to the luxuriant greenery birthed by the fertility of the Mekong River. Tra Su Forest Indeed, if it’s greenery you’re after, you can’t get more green than a visit to Tra Su Forest, an enchanting collection of canals adorned with water lettuce, so much so that birds can sometimes be seen walking on top of the carpet of green to cross the river. A 15,000 VND ($0.70) trip on a sampan boat will be one of the most relaxing (and cheapest) things you do in the Mekong Delta, drifting through a living mosaic that gently parts as you cut through, looking out for majestic birds, watching the tall cajuput trees sway gently and listening to a soundtrack that nears reflective perfection.  Tra Su Forest U-Minh Thuong National Park A mixed site of nature and war, U-Minh’s mangrove forest is the largest one of its kind outside of the Amazon. It was a hiding spot for the Viet Cong during the American War and thus withstood a chemical bombardment in a bid to kill the foliage and reveal the soldiers. U-Minh is slowly returning to its natural state thanks to the expulsion of dioxin in its river system caused by years of heavy rain. The park’s wide canal that cuts through Ken Giang Province provides a different boat experience to that of Tra Su Forest, and the presence of fishing cats and otters inside sets it further apart. U-Minh Thuong National Park Ben Tre Aside from Cai Rang Floating Market, Ben Tre is probably the most popular attraction in the Vietnamese Mekong Delta. Day tours to Ben Tre from Ho Chi Minh City are the most popular way of visiting this relaxed backwaters, where sampan boats cruise shaded canals below overhanging ferns and palm trees, creating an idyllic ambience and one that should not be missed on a tour of the Mekong Delta. Ben Tre is famous for its coconuts, and all manners of coconut-based food, drink and handicrafts can be tried here for the curious tourist. Boating in Ben Tre Temples Religion took off nicely with the early Vietnamese settlers in the Mekong Delta. Their languid pace of life afforded them plenty of time for building some of the country’s most impressive Buddhist temples. The introduction of Christianity via the French, Spanish and Portuguese missionaries arrived particularly strongly in the Mekong Delta due to its proximity to the sea, whereby missionaries entered the country.  Vinh Trang It’s a combination of the size, vibrant colours, grandiose architecture and intricate detailing that most tourists remark on when visiting Vinh Trang Temple, just outside of My Tho City. The temple has the feel of a European palace with its straight, golden beams; a direct influence from the French, who were well-integrated into the country by 1849 when Vinh Trang was built. Outside influences can be seen in the Korean characters dotted around, as well as the Japanese tiling and bonsai garden, painted Renaissance-style patterns and grand Romanesque arches and pillars. A gigantic bell and two 20 metre-tall Buddha statues make Vinh Trang truly one of the most impressive things to see in the Mekong Delta. Vinh Trang Temple Sam Mountain The views of flat rice fields lie below visitors to Sam Mountain; an added bonus on a pilgrimage to the many temples and shrines that are spattered around this 230-metre tall holy mountain, next to the town of Chau Doc on the Cambodian border. On the way up the mountain, pilgrims stop at Tay An Pagoda, a wonderfully ornate religious building with obvious Indian influences, the Ba Chua Xu Pagoda with obvious Chinese influences, and the Tomb of Thoai Ngoc Hau, which is 100% Vietnamese. Sam Mountain The Khmer Temples of Tra Vinh The steeply slanted roofs, elaborate patterns and painted gold of Khmer temples can be found mostly in Cambodia. However, the large Khmer population in the Vietnamese Mekong Delta accounts for the four Khmer Temples in Tra Vinh Province, each of which provides a different flavour to the Mekong. Ang Temple survives from the 10th century, while the impressive architecture of Hang Temple includes a gargantuan temple gate. Vam Ray is the oldest Khmer temple in the country and finally, Co Temple (meaning Stork Temple), houses hundreds of large storks presumably in search of enlightenment. The Khmer Temples of Tra Vinh