Rough Guide to Vietnam - Jan Dodd [162]
There’s no doubt that its laidback atmosphere is one of its best features, but Mui Ne is also something of a tourist enclave, separated as it is from any Vietnamese community. If you’re just here to chill out on the beach, that probably won’t bother you, but if you crave interaction with locals or dancing at night, you’d be better off heading on up to Nha Trang. Another potential problem at Mui Ne is that the strong winds and surf tend to erode parts of the beach from August to December, so you might just find the waves lapping onto the garden of your chosen resort. However, there are always good stretches of soft sand along most of this enormous bay.
Sunset on Mui Ne beach
The south–central coast | The coastal road to Nha Trang | Mui Ne |
Eating, drinking and nightlife
Whilst budget restaurants are thin on the ground in Mui Ne, gourmets will find plenty of variety. As well as the resorts and hotels, all of which have their own restaurants, there’s no shortage of independent eating joints and bars along the strip, so what Mui Ne lacks in terms of cultural attractions, it makes up for with gastronomic diversity. Nightlife is also improving in direct proportion to the number of visitors looking for action, with a surfing crowd at Jibes, 90 Nguyen Dinh Chieu, where spontaneous parties have been known to happen. Gecko and Guava, located almost next to each other at 53b and 53 Nguyen Dinh Chieu, are also cool places to hang out: both offer food and have super-comfortable lounging areas and a huge menu of cocktails. Another popular spot is Pogo, at 138 Nguyen Dinh Chieu, an atmospheric bar with seats on the sand, a pool table and cool sounds. DJ Station, at 120c Nguyen Dinh Chieu, provides food, drink and dancing under one roof, while a more sedate yachting crowd gathers round the bar at the Mui Ne Sailing Club.
The south–central coast | The coastal road to Nha Trang | Mui Ne | Eating, drinking and nightlife |
Restaurants
Champa Coco Beach Resort 58 Nguyen Dinh Chieu. On a delightful terrace, Champa serves up top-class French cuisine (dinner only) with impeccable service and prices from about 200,000đ for a main dish.
Hoang Vu 121 Nguyen Dinh Chieu. The dark-panelled room is more enticing than the bright, new place next door, but both turn out delicious Vietnamese cuisine – try the red snapper in pepper sauce (57,000đ).
Lam Tong 92 Nguyen Dinh Chieu. This no-frills place is right on the beach and has some of the lowest prices on the strip for decent Vietnamese and international food, plus cheap wine.
Luna d’Autunno 51A Nguyen Dinh Chieu. Beautiful bamboo decor sets the scene for devouring a wood-fired pizza (around 110,000đ) and washing it down with a bottle of wine from the extensive list.
Ngoc Suong 94 Nguyen Dinh Chieu. Part of a nationwide chain that specializes in seafood and has a solid reputation. It is in a good seaside location, with an extensive menu at reasonable prices.
Rung 65B Nguyen Dinh Chieu. “Rung” means forest, which is exactly what it feels like inside this cavernous eatery which is decorated to look like a forest. A grilled fish will set you back 100,000đ, while a dish of snake or crocodile costs about 150,000đ.
Smoky House 125 Nguyen Dinh Chieu. Order one of their barbecue specials (70,000–100,000đ), and when it’s grilled by the table you’ll realise why it’s called Smoky House. They also serve breakfasts and international dishes, and the owner Is a mine of knowledge about the local area.
The south–central coast | The coastal road to Nha Trang |
Ca Na
Highway 1 ducks inland above Phan Thiet, which is how Mui Ne remained a secret so long. Now, however, a new road cuts up the coast from Mui Ne, rejoining Highway 1 near Phan Ri. By the time you coast down into CA NA, a little over 100km northeast of Phan Thiet as the crow flies, you’re tightly sandwiched