From Sand Dunes to Shorelines

On the southeastern coast of Vietnam lies Southeast Asia’s most spectacular sand dunes that overlook the South China sea. Despite the stark beauty, there is no respite to the relentless movements on the immense line of shifting sand dunes, just dune after dune, and so are the colors, from pale grey, burnt orange to brick red, radiating with the light and cloud shadows in a never-ending dance with the wind – a sight that outdoes both the art and the landscape.

A 5-hour bus ride from Ho Chi Minh City brought me to the laid-back coastal fishing town of Mui Ne. Not so long ago this was a secluded stretch of shoreline where avid travelers camped by the ocean. But today, it’s a string of seaside resorts, and the beach is almost invisible from the coastal road due to 10km of wall-to-wall strip of resorts.

I really couldn’t have found a better hostel in terms of value for money unless it was free. Mui Ne Hills Backpackers was clean, the staff were courteous, it had two swimming pools, a bar and a restaurant, but I had to slog up a long hill to get there. It was a Monday night and the hostel had pub quiz around the pool area, I was able to spare an hour or two for a couple of games and dinner before calling it a night. At 4.30am, I dragged my barely-animated corpse out of bed to catch the Mui Ne sunrise tour. I was supposed to be picked up from my hostel by the tour company that I booked the tour with, unfortunately, there was no sign from them even at 4.50am, and that’s when I decided to head off to the main road down hill through the dark, narrow streets hoping to catch a taxi to the tour company. From distance I saw a 4×4 jeep at the top of the road and a man stood by it, since it’s engine was on, I assumed he must be the driver. I showed him my tour booking voucher and politely asked him if he knew the tour company, he inspected my tour booking voucher and told me to get in the jeep. I assumed he should be the driver who initially was suppose to pick me, but I didn’t question him further and got on the jeep. There were already 4 others in the jeep, I sat at the back and waited for the driver to collect one more before we drove off into the night, it was still dark.

White Sand Dunes (Đồi Cát Trắng)

We drove 37-kilometers under 45 minutes and arrived at 5.37am at the White Sand Dunes at Bac Bình District, Bình Thuận Province. Being the most notable attraction of Mui Ne, it is just as how we imagine a desert to be, an immense stretch of barren land. As soon as we got down the jeep, our driver began screaming at us to go and quickly rent a quad bike to get over to the sand dunes before the sunrise. So, each of us had to pay an additional VND 200,000 to the quad bikers get us to the top of the sand dunes to capture the sunrise shots. The taller dunes were located quarter a mile away from where we enter the desert, and by the time we reached the desert, there wasn’t enough time to walk all the way to the top of the sand dunes before the sunrise. However, VND 200,000 also included transfer back to the entrance/exit in the quad bike, and it was quite an experience to speed through the hilly dunes in style like a modern version of Laurence of Arabia.

I began wandering through a desolate corner of the sandy desert, and took off my shoes and wriggled my toes into the sand, it felt fresh during the early morning hours over the soft and cool surface. It sent a sensual thrill from the soles of my feet up into my brain. I took the full advantage of the moment — walked around, snapping over a hundred photos, and enjoyed the several lakes that were found right at the center of the desert.

Red Sand Dunes (Đồi Hồng)

An hour’s drive from the White Sand Dunes and we arrived at our next attraction at the Red Sand Dunes of Phan Thiết, which is located directly next to the main coastal road exiting Mui Ne. Flurries threw the top layer of sand and created various and unique shapes, hour by hour, the color of the sand radiated constantly from amber to white, pink, brown and rusty red, depending on the sunlight in harmony, allowing visitors to capture dramatic moments on film.

I soon found a group of children surrounding me, none of them any older than 10 years, trying to rent me their sand boards for a couple of minutes so I could slide down a dune or two. It wasn’t a lot of money, but I was more interested in capturing photos of the amazing scenery that appeared before my eyes. The stunning beauty of sand hills attracts photographers, artists and artisans, in fact a lot of artworks are created from natural sand, which gives birth second-to-none masterpieces in Binh Thuan.

The Fishing Village

Our third attraction was the palm fringed coastal fishing village at the north end of Mui Ne bay, surrounded by a flotilla of colorful fishing boats where a small enclave of fishermen had their nets casted as they waited patiently in knee-deep waters to tangle the fish in the nets. Despite the smell I couldn’t help but appreciate the scenery, and in a couple of minutes I got used to it. In the market area on the shore, the husbands bring their fresh catch and their wives sort out and sell to local merchants, restaurant owners, street food vendors and other customers. Some of the stalls sold fish noodles, crab cakes, shrimp rolls, and nuoc mam – Vietnam’s most popular fish sauce which is virtually served with every dish around the country.

Fairy Stream

Our final attraction was a stream that passed through a dramatic setting of whites, amber, oranges, pinks and reds – a photography hotspot located northeast of Phan Thiet City. It was quite an experience wading through the stream barefoot instead of walking along the shore as it was very hot. The stream was ankle-deep for the most part and never past my knees at its deepest point. Visitors are also allowed to climb the top of the pitted rock formations to catch a glimpse of the surrounding views of the red-hued waters and intricate stalagmites. There were various eateries along the way while a few restaurants were located upstream. It is highly recommended to wear comfortable clothes and to bring an extra pair of shoes while visiting this unique attraction which is more closer to a walkway than a waterway.

That concluded our Mui Ne sunrise tour at 8am and I got dropped back to my hostel by 9am. If you’re searching for options to getaway from the hectic Vietnam, Mui Ne is an ideal destination and everyone’s dream for that matter!