Vietnam Things To See & Do

Things to do in Mui Ne

When tourists arrive in Mui Ne, Vietnam, many of them are unaware of the town's offerings. Most visitors come as part of a tour of southern Vietnam or stop on the tourist bus route between Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi. However, they often overlook some of the best things to do in Mui Ne because their itineraries are pre-planned, and they spend most of their time enjoying the natural beauty of the town. Nevertheless, there are many quiet and unique attractions in Mui Ne that visitors miss out on while opting to relax only on the beach.[incredible_toc]Mui Ne experienced rapid growth in the 1990s, transforming from a laidback fishing town to a highly-regarded beach resort. However, this transformation has led many visitors to bypass the town's lesser-known attractions, choosing instead to relax on the beach for days on end. While spending time on the beach is a great activity, those who might get bored after a few days of sun-tanning can explore other highlights of Mui Ne, which are conveniently located relatively close to the beach. Follow Incredible Asia Journeys to explore the TOP things to do in Mui Ne below!Mui Ne Beach1. Natural Attractions in Mui NeMui 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.1.1. The Beaches in Mui NeIt’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 day are some 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.1.2. 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 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.White Sand Dune in Mui NeThe 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 a universal acknowledgement that these are the best sand dunes in Mui Ne. Their location a further 25km from the Red Sand Dunes makes 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.1.3. Fairy StreamWading through opaque brown water might not sound like one of the 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 set heads scratching, mostly because of the strange rock formations rising on 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.Fairy Stream Mui Ne, Vietnam1.4. 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, colorful 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.2. 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 most of the best things to do in Mui Ne, they have a whimsical touch of the bizarre about them. Here are some  Mui Ne things to see!2.1. 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 on 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.Rang Dong Wine Castle2.2. Po Shanu Cham TowersOn the border with Phan Thiet, the city neighboring Mui Ne to the west, stand the Po Shanu Cham Towers, two stubborn relics of the Champa civilization that 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 provides an excellent historical highlight of Mui Ne and a reminder that the town was not always so laidback and carefree.Po Shanu Cham Towers2.3. Mui Ne ChurchThe uniqueness of 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.2.4. 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, characterized 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 colorful, charming, and ornate, with a verdant garden creating the most peaceful of peaceful atmospheres.Read more: Should you visit Mui Ne or Nha Trang?3. Sports Attractions in Mui NeFor 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. Check now these best Mui Ne activities!3.1. 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.Sea Links Golf Country Club3.2. 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 some 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.3.3. 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.KitesurfingWith the above-mentioned detailed things to do in Mui Ne, we hope that you can find your favorite activities in Mui Ne. If you need more detailed information to plan your trip to Mui Ne attractions, don't hesitate to contact us to get free advice and consultations!

Shopping in Hoi An – What to Buy in Vietnam’s City of Lanterns

Hoi An was never made for shopping, but it certainly feels like it is now. The UNESCO World Heritage site lying in the middle of Vietnam was built on a history of trading, born of its advantageous position along the maritime Silk Road. The walls of Hoi An are dripping with history (and a ridiculous amount of rainwater in the wet season) and a building can barely be entered without stepping into a world of a hundred different stories, through maritime, personal and now, retail ventures.The incredible modern shopping scene of Hoi An grew out of the wealth accrued by traders, who plunged their money into the finer things in life, such as tailored clothes, art, and jewelry. The fruits of these ventures are seen today in Hoi An, sitting underneath swinging lanterns and blue skies, waiting for the discerning traveler to find a bargain within their walls. Shopping in Hoi An is now an unmissable experience in Vietnam, one that has garnered worldwide acclaim. Here at Incredible Asia Journeys, we have picked eight of the most fantastic and unique products to take home for yourself or gift to anyone unlucky enough not to be able to make it to this gorgeous and historic town.Hoi An SilkTailored ClothesWe’ll start with the obvious here. Despite a history built on maritime trade, Hoi An nowadays is more popular for the tailors that claim to be able to produce any item of clothing you want. The incredibly low prices ensure a steady flow of business from tourists who want to stock up on their 8th or 9th suit before returning home, where they can expect to pay up to tenfold for a very similar item. Most of the town’s tailors are far from the common Asian idea of cheap knock-offs, using a great deal of skill taught over generations that has formed the backbone of Hoi An’s shopping scene.Though suits are a very popular item for backpackers on a gap year before their accountancy internship starts up, really anything that you can think of can be made by Hoi An’s artisan tailors. Simply show them a picture, wait patiently while every corner of your being is measured, select your material and color and sit back for one or two days while the magicians do their thing. If you use a reputable tailor, you can expect a near-perfect replica for a fraction of the price.Tuong Silk TailorWhere to shop in Hoi An for tailored clothes? Where not to shop should be the question. The staggering amount of choice of tailored clothes shops in Hoi An can overshadow the beauty of the town, as competition for customers is fierce and sometimes verbally intimidating. Picking one of the respected tailors might give you a slightly higher price tag, but the increase in quality and the attentive but relaxed service you will receive is worth the price. Head to Tuong Tailor (67 Tran Hung Dao, +84 235 3863 573) or B’Lan Silk (23 Tran Phu Street, +84 510 386 1866) for reasonable prices and a complete absence of pushy service.Ethnic Minority ProductsFor the most wholesome of Hoi An shopping experiences, head to some of the shops specializing in selling ethnic minority clothing and products that usually don’t make it to mainstream society. It seems a waste to confine the beautiful colors and geometric patterns of Vietnam’s 54 ethnic minorities’ clothing to the rural enclaves in which they were lovingly and arduously stitched. Hoi An is branching out into new avenues, and now tourists can buy clothing that will certainly set them apart from the crowd.The vivid colors of the various H’mong tribes who reside in the north of the country are well represented here. The rainbow of colorful, patterned dresses and headscarves feature in the photos of so many travelers to Sapa, and they now have a market in Hoi An thanks to shops like.Village Craft Planet in Hoi AnWhere to shop in Hoi An for ethnic minority products? As mentioned above, VillageCraft Planet (59 Phan Boi Chau, +84 909 696 578) is a fantastic service that puts respect and fair trade at the forefront of their business philosophy. They sell everything from clothes and shoes to furnishings and jewelry, all at a reasonable price that goes a surprisingly long way to helping hill tribes around the country with low incomes.Tuong MasksIt’s hard to think of a better place to buy one of Vietnam’s most culture-soaked products than in its capital of culture. The history of Tuong masks stretches back over 1000 years and its origins, like many other forms of traditional entertainment like water puppetry, are found in the rice fields. After a successful harvest, villagers would don elaborate and colorful masks (or sit still for upwards of 8 hours while a professional painstakingly painted one onto their face) and entertain the villagers with singing and scandalous storylines, known as Tuong Opera.Of course, Tuong is a very rare form of art in today’s modern world, but Hoi An’s shopping scene has a small corner devoted to keeping the tradition alive. Though delicate and requiring a lot of care in getting home, these brazen and bold masks make a wonderful gift or a fantastic way to scare your kids into doing their homework.Tuong MasksWhere to shop in Hoi An for Tuong masks? The fantastic staff at The Timing Masks Workshop (66 Bach Dang, +84 235 3959 159) are warm, patient and passionate when taking you through the history of some of the huge array of masks on offer. The owner, Phong Bui, offers workshops that are a great way for kids and adults to learn of a charming piece of Vietnamese history.ArtIt is a mix of Hoi An’s beautifully evocative streets and its history of wealthy residents and art patrons that make it the best place to find fantastic art throughout the country. The classical, finely-painted Vietnamese scenes sit alongside more contemporary offerings in the galleries and art shops of Hoi An, meaning you will be spoiled for choice amidst centuries of artistic culture. Smaller pieces are obviously easier to transport home, so small ink-paintings on traditional do paper are among some of the more popular things to buy in Hoi An.Art Gallery in Hoi AnWhere to shop in Hoi An for art? Given the wealth of choice on offer, there is certainly not one specific place to satisfy your artistic sensibilities. Check out Gallery Dung (93B Phan Chau Trinh) for incredibly intricate ink paintings and postcards for cheap, while 155 Art Gallery (155 Tran Phu Street) provides those idyllic Hoi An motifs of palm trees, bicycles, and ancient house life. Phu Tam Photography (99 Nguyen Thai Hoc) is a great place to buy stunning photos by an internationally acclaimed artist, while Art House Vietnam Gallery (692 Hai Ba Trung) is the mecca for Vietnam’s contemporary artists, who sell their experimental pieces within its walls.LanternsIt shouldn’t take you more than one try to guess how Hoi An earned its moniker of the ‘City of Lanterns’. Any riverside stroll at night will be accompanied by the beautiful, calming light of hundreds of lanterns that has been present in Hoi An for centuries, lighting the late-night activities of tradesmen and sailors to the port town. Most tourists become rightfully enraptured by the lanterns and decide to buy several to take home and, if not for restricted luggage space and the delicate manner of the lanterns, they would probably bleed Hoi An dry, such is the love for one of Vietnam’s most beautiful decorations.Lantern Shop in Hoi AnWhere to shop in Hoi An for lanterns?You can resist the urge to steal the lanterns hanging outside of shops; buying lanterns in Hoi An is very easy and very affordable. The shops aren’t hard to spot either, just look out for the collective blinding glow of hundreds of lanterns hanging in one small area. Places like Dé Lantana Silk Lantern & Lamp (35 Ly Thai To, +84 510 6288 789) offer a range beyond your imagination, with plain lanterns sitting alongside incredibly extravagant ones, all for a price that won’t break the bank.Leather ProductsNot far from the world of personally tailored clothing is one of similar depth – leather. A walk down the streets of Hoi An is sure to be one flanked by leather bags hanging outside of doors, enticing potential tourists in with their sleek, smart look that will accompany your new suit most delightfully. Aside from the typical bags, shopping around Hoi An a bit will reveal a whole world of other products such as shoes, notebooks, belts and watch straps. Quality varies wildly between a lot of these shops as a void in supply has harbored the standard cheap products tended by overly-pushy staff. Many of them will be all-too-quick to pull out their lighters and torch their products in a bid to show you that the leather is real. Though it might be, the handiwork might be shoddy and the quality of the leather might just be one tiny step above flammable.Leather productsWhere to shop in Hoi An for leather products?Friendly Shoe Shop (18 Tran Phu, +84 935 211 382) have certainly done their research into what tourists want, as their big pull is the unassertive service that you’ll receive while perusing the shoes here. Along with this is their genuine top quality, one that is matched quite comfortably by Tu-Chi Leather Shop (24 Duong Phan Boi Chau, +84 905 216 515), who have a wider range of leather goods available.Kim Bong Wooden ArtOn the island of Cam Kim in Hoi An, you will find a village with a strong woodworking heritage, where wooden figurines, statues and furniture pile up in houses, awaiting shipment around the center of Vietnam. Kim Bong is the name of the village and it’s accessible on several day tours from Hoi An. The artisans of Kim Bong are experienced in the art of shell inlay, used to create incredible scenes with an iridescent beauty on wooden platforms. Once shells are selected, they are cut into various shapes and glued into fitted holes in a circular piece of wood before being polished. The result is a stunning piece of art, full of Vietnamese motifs and made of nothing but natural materials.Kim Bong wood art in Hoi AnWhere to shop in Hoi An for Kim Bong wooden art?Heading straight to the source is really the best thing you can do here for the most authentic product. While there are bound to be several knock-offs, the craftsmanship that goes into a piece of wooden art from Kim Bong is monumental and should be fairly easy to recognize at first glance. A stroll or cycle around Kim Bong will open up the world of shell inlay for you.JewelryOstentatious jewelry historically lay at the heart of the good life for Vietnam’s richest merchants in Hoi An. Huge incomes from successful trading were transferred into items of gold, diamond, and pearl, worn enthusiastically by the elite to display their wealth. Things are different now, of course, and Hoi An’s many jewelers are open to the general public, offering quality items for cheaper than you may find them elsewhere. Following the modern traditions of Hoi An, shopping for jewelry is a tailored experience. Simply show your picture to the goldsmith and await the results.Lotus Jewelry ShopWhere to shop in Hoi An for Jewellery?This is one of the highest-risk ventures in Hoi An because of how hard it is for the untrained eye to tell the quality of precious metals. There are many trustworthy shops, however, if you know where to look. Try Bien Bac Jewellery Shop (55 Hoang Dieu Street, +84 5103 862 353) or Bac Viet Quality Jewelry (10 Pham Hong Thai Street, +84 905 550 062) for pendants, necklaces, rings, bracelets and beyond that can be tailored to your specifications at a fraction of the international price.