Dông (A kind of reptile species)Dong is a lizardlike reptile species. You can find them around sand dunes, especially in coastal provinces of Phu Yen, Khanh Hoa and Binh Thuan. The reptile runs away very quickly when faced with danger, so people call it dong, which in Vietnamese means “to sneak out.”
When walking along the coast in Nha Trang or the sand dunes in Phan Thiet, you can see the reptiles run after the steps of tourists and then creep into small caves on dunes. What a beautiful sight!Dong is a specialty there, featured in many different dishes ranging from baked dong, steamed dong, grilled chopped dong to dong porridge. Currently, there is an increasing number of small restaurants, especially in Tuy Hoa City, Phu Yen Province, and Phan Thiet City, Binh Thuan Province, that offer dong dishes.To meet increasing demand, many dong have been caught and sold at markets. In the near future, tourists may not be able to see the reptiles running on the sand dunes because of overhunting.Because of this, authorities must now create practical plans to protect these reptiles and their local habitat.
Jackie Tran (Source: SGT Weekly)
4/16/2008
Vietnam’s regions each prepare a unique banh xeo
Phan Thiet's Banh xeoBanh xeo, a Vietnamese-style crepe, is prepared differently throughout the country. Tourists traveling about in Vietnam are sure to encounter a different recipe, and sometimes even a different name, for banh xeo depending on which region and province they are visiting.
In the southern region, the banh xeo is the size of a large dish and yellow in color due to the employment of turmeric powder. The southern people always add coconut milk to the rice flour to make the crepe extra delicious. The crepe is stuffed with bean sprouts, mung beans, shrimp and pork. A sweet and sour fish sauce and fresh vegetables are used as accompaniments. In the central region of Quang Ngai, banh xeo cooks make a smaller crepe that is white in color. In Hue, the crepes are called banh khoai, which is similar to banh xeo, but smaller in size and stuffed with fennel, sour star fruit, green banana and a thick soy sauce.In Phan Thiet, the intersection between Tuyen Quang Street, Nguyen Tat Thanh Boulevard and Thu Khoa Huan Street is devoted to banh xeo. In addition to selling the crepes to patrons, vendors also prepare them en masse for birthday parties and festivals.Northern preparations of banh xeo are similar to the ones down south, but include special fillings like slices of Indian taro and manioc.In some regions, banh xeo is prepared thick, but southern crepes are characteristically thin, crispy and served fresh out of the frying pan. The secret to extra-thin crepes is a deep frying pan and a quick wrist to coat the frying pan with the batter before it starts to set.
Jackie Tran (Source: SGT)
In the southern region, the banh xeo is the size of a large dish and yellow in color due to the employment of turmeric powder. The southern people always add coconut milk to the rice flour to make the crepe extra delicious. The crepe is stuffed with bean sprouts, mung beans, shrimp and pork. A sweet and sour fish sauce and fresh vegetables are used as accompaniments. In the central region of Quang Ngai, banh xeo cooks make a smaller crepe that is white in color. In Hue, the crepes are called banh khoai, which is similar to banh xeo, but smaller in size and stuffed with fennel, sour star fruit, green banana and a thick soy sauce.In Phan Thiet, the intersection between Tuyen Quang Street, Nguyen Tat Thanh Boulevard and Thu Khoa Huan Street is devoted to banh xeo. In addition to selling the crepes to patrons, vendors also prepare them en masse for birthday parties and festivals.Northern preparations of banh xeo are similar to the ones down south, but include special fillings like slices of Indian taro and manioc.In some regions, banh xeo is prepared thick, but southern crepes are characteristically thin, crispy and served fresh out of the frying pan. The secret to extra-thin crepes is a deep frying pan and a quick wrist to coat the frying pan with the batter before it starts to set.
Jackie Tran (Source: SGT)
4/11/2008
The classic Vietnamese noodle soup has never been more popular locally -- or more available:PHO
Pho fever! The classic Vietnamese noodle soup has never been more popular locally -- or more available
15/01/2008
A bowl of beef phoThink you know pho? Maybe so. But pho doesn't rhyme with "toe." Oh no.The famed Vietnamese noodle soup, pronounced properly, sounds something like "fuh," rhymes with "duh," but with the vowel lengthened and lifted into a rising tone. "Fuh," said almost like a question, is a good approximation -- and the closest many of us will come to the correct Vietnamese.
But if pronouncing pho presents a challenge to Northern Nevada tongues, tasting pho does not.A decade ago, only Pho 777 and Golden Flower served the soup, which is built from rice stick noodles, stock simmered with spices, raw and cooked beef, and extravagant garnishes of fresh herbs and condiments. Today, at least eight pho restaurants are scattered throughout Reno and Sparks, with five of those opening in the last two years alone, and a ninth spot about to debut in the Northwest.Pho "is the new Indian food," said local pho-natic Ryan Jerz. In other words, like vindaloos, pad Thai and kung pao chicken before it, pho has emerged from ethnic enclaves to become America's ethnic comfort food of the moment.What's behind this rise in popularity?Increased American travel to Vietnam, for one, along with shifting patterns of Asian immigration and, of course, the appeal of pho itself, which seems to be enjoyed by many folks who wouldn't otherwise dream of ordering fermented fish, chilled meatballs, spicy curry or any other Vietnamese food."All over the world, pho is the most popular dish of Vietnamese cooking," said Caroline Ngoc Kimmel, an Asian cooking expert and instructor from Reno. "When it's introduced to other cultures, people respond because it has everything: vegetables, noodles, protein, fresh herbs, broth, citrus and the aroma from the broth that wakes up your senses. Pho is comfort and health in a bowl."By designThe Vietnamese eat pho morning, noon and night, often at low tables in and outside of humble pho joints. Numerous incarnations of pho, featuring different meats and other ingredients, are cooked across Vietnam, but when Vietnamese folks refer to pho, they typically mean beef pho, or pho bo.Nothing in pho is accidental, even though much of the garnishing and seasoning is left to individual taste.Flat rice stick noodles are used because they offer more surface area than round noodles for broth to adhere to and permeate. Squirts of fresh lime juice help cook raw slices of steak and cut the richness of beef fat. Beans sprouts and fresh herbs prevent pho from becoming too heavy with protein and carbohydrates. Crevices, fissures and furrows in tendon and tripe collect broth for imminent release in the mouth.Broth standardsBroth is the foundation of pho. Roasted oxtail and beef bones are simmered with roasted vegetables and toasted aromatics like black peppercorns, stick cinnamon and star anise; as they simmer, the bones surrender their flavorful cache of marrow.In some kitchens, according to cookbook author and Asian cooking expert Joyce Jue, "flavor comes from charring shallots and garlic on skewers over fire. It gives you smokiness without being too smoky."Ideal pho broth is laced with anise and beef aromas and flavors, but not overwhelmingly so, and is flecked with sparks of ginger, onion and shallots. The best broth should be rich and deep without sacrificing any of the essential delicacy of pho.The broth should also remain unclouded, a quality partly achieved by diligent skimming and straining. Timing also matters."You have to know when to adjust the temperature and when to pull the broth from the stove," said Lila Ly, whose family owns Saigon Pearl, a restaurant many aficionados say serves the best pho in town. "You want the broth to be clear enough so that with the beef, it doesn't darken too much and look old."Beef demographicsMenus around town number the pho according to the combination of steak, brisket, flank, tendon, tripe and beef ball the soup contains; the first combination listed is usually the all-in-one, or what Bryan Gregory, a dedicated Reno pho-boy, calls the "fully loaded."Restaurateurs report that pho newbies, perhaps not surprising, tend to choose simple pho made only with rare steak; chewy connective tissue and dense beef balls formed from beef paste are avoided. Asians, on the other hand, often opt for the fully loaded.Rules of slurpWhatever the pho specimen, the experts said that many of us were eating it incorrectly, at least by traditional standards.Take those bunches of basil that arrive with the pho. You're supposed to pick off the leaves before tossing them into the broth. The stems, if eaten, make some people ill.And forget squirting rivulets of chili and hoisin sauces (especially hoisin) into the pho, a hideously common infraction"When you add too many things, you disguise the flavor of the broth," Kimmel said. "It suggests you're not too sure about this broth."Instead, sauces and pastes should be combined in a small sauce dish. Beef cuts and parts can then be dipped in the sauce before being hoisted, via chopsticks, onto the soup spoon cradling some noodles, herbs and a bit of broth. Based on observation, very few non-Asians in Northern Nevada can tuck into their pho in this elegant but dexterously challenging manner. Gregory, however, is one.The admitted pho fiend -- he orders the “fully loaded” two or three times a week at Saigon Pearl -- learned authentic pho consumption while he was a college student in Seattle, where “on every corner there’s a pho restaurant.”Back in Reno, Gregory doesn’t event pause as he mixes sauces and chili paste like oils, cooks slices of raw steak one by one in hot broth, and submerges a sheaf of bean sprouts beneath broth and a snarl of noodles to soften and flavor the sprouts.“It’s automatic the way I eat pho,” Gregory said. “It’s muscle memory now.”"A bowl of beef pho, the classic Vietnamese noodle soup, is garnished here with sweet basil, purple basil, bean sprouts, circlets of raw onion and slivered red chilis. Squirts of juice from fresh limes, lower left, cut the richness of beef fat. Aficionados often spike spoonfuls of pho with red chili sauce, lower right."
From :binhthuantoday.com
15/01/2008
A bowl of beef phoThink you know pho? Maybe so. But pho doesn't rhyme with "toe." Oh no.The famed Vietnamese noodle soup, pronounced properly, sounds something like "fuh," rhymes with "duh," but with the vowel lengthened and lifted into a rising tone. "Fuh," said almost like a question, is a good approximation -- and the closest many of us will come to the correct Vietnamese.
But if pronouncing pho presents a challenge to Northern Nevada tongues, tasting pho does not.A decade ago, only Pho 777 and Golden Flower served the soup, which is built from rice stick noodles, stock simmered with spices, raw and cooked beef, and extravagant garnishes of fresh herbs and condiments. Today, at least eight pho restaurants are scattered throughout Reno and Sparks, with five of those opening in the last two years alone, and a ninth spot about to debut in the Northwest.Pho "is the new Indian food," said local pho-natic Ryan Jerz. In other words, like vindaloos, pad Thai and kung pao chicken before it, pho has emerged from ethnic enclaves to become America's ethnic comfort food of the moment.What's behind this rise in popularity?Increased American travel to Vietnam, for one, along with shifting patterns of Asian immigration and, of course, the appeal of pho itself, which seems to be enjoyed by many folks who wouldn't otherwise dream of ordering fermented fish, chilled meatballs, spicy curry or any other Vietnamese food."All over the world, pho is the most popular dish of Vietnamese cooking," said Caroline Ngoc Kimmel, an Asian cooking expert and instructor from Reno. "When it's introduced to other cultures, people respond because it has everything: vegetables, noodles, protein, fresh herbs, broth, citrus and the aroma from the broth that wakes up your senses. Pho is comfort and health in a bowl."By designThe Vietnamese eat pho morning, noon and night, often at low tables in and outside of humble pho joints. Numerous incarnations of pho, featuring different meats and other ingredients, are cooked across Vietnam, but when Vietnamese folks refer to pho, they typically mean beef pho, or pho bo.Nothing in pho is accidental, even though much of the garnishing and seasoning is left to individual taste.Flat rice stick noodles are used because they offer more surface area than round noodles for broth to adhere to and permeate. Squirts of fresh lime juice help cook raw slices of steak and cut the richness of beef fat. Beans sprouts and fresh herbs prevent pho from becoming too heavy with protein and carbohydrates. Crevices, fissures and furrows in tendon and tripe collect broth for imminent release in the mouth.Broth standardsBroth is the foundation of pho. Roasted oxtail and beef bones are simmered with roasted vegetables and toasted aromatics like black peppercorns, stick cinnamon and star anise; as they simmer, the bones surrender their flavorful cache of marrow.In some kitchens, according to cookbook author and Asian cooking expert Joyce Jue, "flavor comes from charring shallots and garlic on skewers over fire. It gives you smokiness without being too smoky."Ideal pho broth is laced with anise and beef aromas and flavors, but not overwhelmingly so, and is flecked with sparks of ginger, onion and shallots. The best broth should be rich and deep without sacrificing any of the essential delicacy of pho.The broth should also remain unclouded, a quality partly achieved by diligent skimming and straining. Timing also matters."You have to know when to adjust the temperature and when to pull the broth from the stove," said Lila Ly, whose family owns Saigon Pearl, a restaurant many aficionados say serves the best pho in town. "You want the broth to be clear enough so that with the beef, it doesn't darken too much and look old."Beef demographicsMenus around town number the pho according to the combination of steak, brisket, flank, tendon, tripe and beef ball the soup contains; the first combination listed is usually the all-in-one, or what Bryan Gregory, a dedicated Reno pho-boy, calls the "fully loaded."Restaurateurs report that pho newbies, perhaps not surprising, tend to choose simple pho made only with rare steak; chewy connective tissue and dense beef balls formed from beef paste are avoided. Asians, on the other hand, often opt for the fully loaded.Rules of slurpWhatever the pho specimen, the experts said that many of us were eating it incorrectly, at least by traditional standards.Take those bunches of basil that arrive with the pho. You're supposed to pick off the leaves before tossing them into the broth. The stems, if eaten, make some people ill.And forget squirting rivulets of chili and hoisin sauces (especially hoisin) into the pho, a hideously common infraction"When you add too many things, you disguise the flavor of the broth," Kimmel said. "It suggests you're not too sure about this broth."Instead, sauces and pastes should be combined in a small sauce dish. Beef cuts and parts can then be dipped in the sauce before being hoisted, via chopsticks, onto the soup spoon cradling some noodles, herbs and a bit of broth. Based on observation, very few non-Asians in Northern Nevada can tuck into their pho in this elegant but dexterously challenging manner. Gregory, however, is one.The admitted pho fiend -- he orders the “fully loaded” two or three times a week at Saigon Pearl -- learned authentic pho consumption while he was a college student in Seattle, where “on every corner there’s a pho restaurant.”Back in Reno, Gregory doesn’t event pause as he mixes sauces and chili paste like oils, cooks slices of raw steak one by one in hot broth, and submerges a sheaf of bean sprouts beneath broth and a snarl of noodles to soften and flavor the sprouts.“It’s automatic the way I eat pho,” Gregory said. “It’s muscle memory now.”"A bowl of beef pho, the classic Vietnamese noodle soup, is garnished here with sweet basil, purple basil, bean sprouts, circlets of raw onion and slivered red chilis. Squirts of juice from fresh limes, lower left, cut the richness of beef fat. Aficionados often spike spoonfuls of pho with red chili sauce, lower right."
From :binhthuantoday.com
Phan Thiet's fish sauceNuoc mam ( fish sauce),
Nuoc mam (fish sauce): Hold your nose and dive in
15/01/2008
Phan Thiet's fish sauceNuoc mam ( fish sauce), is the most essential ingredient for everyday meals and cooking in Viet Nam. It is a signature aspect of Vietnamese cuisine, and distinguishes it from Chinese cooking, which is marked by its prominent use of soy sauce. This inimitable, Vietnamese sauce is obtained through the maceration of saltwater fish and their fermentation under sunny, natural conditions. The ingredients and climate are readily available thanks to the country’s lengthy coastline and tropical forecasts.
The best nuoc mam comes from the islands of Phu Quoc and Cat Hai, respectively on the southwestern and northern coasts, and from the central province of Phan Thiet.There’s a Thai variation of nuoc mam, but it does not compare to the original Vietnamese product. Nuoc mam is rich in amino acids, sodium chloride, histamines and organic and mineral phosphors.Nuoc mam may have a strong smell for the uninitiated, but it is no more intense than a Roquefort cheese or a gamy meat. Plus, there are ways to lighten the odour, namely by not using it when cooking over an open fire.By flavouring it with a variety of condiments, nuoc mam can be used to enhance a number of different dishes. When ginger is added, it is perfect for boiled duck; vinegar, lemon, garlic and onion are added for fried fish; and a smashed, hard-boiled duck egg may be added for boiled cabbage.Nem, spring rolls, require a very light sauce seasoned simply with vinegar, sugar and pepper, while banh cuon, a plain or stuffed rice wrap, goes particularly well with a wee bit of natural belostomid essence.In Phan Thiet, home to one of the country’s most famous brands, nuoc mam is garnished with pineapple slices, while house wives in some other parts of the South boast a more exotic recipe: nuoc mam in boiled coconut milk.But the ingredient that tops all others is chilli, fresh or powdered the hotter the better and lots of it. In addition to nuoc mam, there are paste products, generically named mam, also made from macerated marine fish and crustaceans and believed to have been introduced by the Cham and other ethnic groups of Malayo-Polynesian origin.The most common of these other products is the shrimp-based mam tom, notorious for its strong smell but irreplaceable in regards to dog meat, pig organs, grilled tofu and fat pork. Mam tom, called mam ruoc in the central regions, is a must-have for certain Hue specialities, such as bun bo, beef noodles, and com hen, mussels with rice.Still, there’s nothing like mam tom chua, sour fermented shrimp, the crown jewel of Hue cooking. Farmers in the Hong (Red) River Delta have their own special brew, which they make from small, fresh-water shrimp and call mam tep. It’s unforgettable once you’ve tried it with a little fat pork, noodles and some aromatic herbs.
Huu Ngoc (Source: VNS)
15/01/2008
Phan Thiet's fish sauceNuoc mam ( fish sauce), is the most essential ingredient for everyday meals and cooking in Viet Nam. It is a signature aspect of Vietnamese cuisine, and distinguishes it from Chinese cooking, which is marked by its prominent use of soy sauce. This inimitable, Vietnamese sauce is obtained through the maceration of saltwater fish and their fermentation under sunny, natural conditions. The ingredients and climate are readily available thanks to the country’s lengthy coastline and tropical forecasts.
The best nuoc mam comes from the islands of Phu Quoc and Cat Hai, respectively on the southwestern and northern coasts, and from the central province of Phan Thiet.There’s a Thai variation of nuoc mam, but it does not compare to the original Vietnamese product. Nuoc mam is rich in amino acids, sodium chloride, histamines and organic and mineral phosphors.Nuoc mam may have a strong smell for the uninitiated, but it is no more intense than a Roquefort cheese or a gamy meat. Plus, there are ways to lighten the odour, namely by not using it when cooking over an open fire.By flavouring it with a variety of condiments, nuoc mam can be used to enhance a number of different dishes. When ginger is added, it is perfect for boiled duck; vinegar, lemon, garlic and onion are added for fried fish; and a smashed, hard-boiled duck egg may be added for boiled cabbage.Nem, spring rolls, require a very light sauce seasoned simply with vinegar, sugar and pepper, while banh cuon, a plain or stuffed rice wrap, goes particularly well with a wee bit of natural belostomid essence.In Phan Thiet, home to one of the country’s most famous brands, nuoc mam is garnished with pineapple slices, while house wives in some other parts of the South boast a more exotic recipe: nuoc mam in boiled coconut milk.But the ingredient that tops all others is chilli, fresh or powdered the hotter the better and lots of it. In addition to nuoc mam, there are paste products, generically named mam, also made from macerated marine fish and crustaceans and believed to have been introduced by the Cham and other ethnic groups of Malayo-Polynesian origin.The most common of these other products is the shrimp-based mam tom, notorious for its strong smell but irreplaceable in regards to dog meat, pig organs, grilled tofu and fat pork. Mam tom, called mam ruoc in the central regions, is a must-have for certain Hue specialities, such as bun bo, beef noodles, and com hen, mussels with rice.Still, there’s nothing like mam tom chua, sour fermented shrimp, the crown jewel of Hue cooking. Farmers in the Hong (Red) River Delta have their own special brew, which they make from small, fresh-water shrimp and call mam tep. It’s unforgettable once you’ve tried it with a little fat pork, noodles and some aromatic herbs.
Huu Ngoc (Source: VNS)
Prosperous Phu Quy looks to future
Prosperous Phu Quy looks to future
15/02/2008
Houses and buildings have emerged on the island district of Phu Quy in southern central Binh Thuan Province.An island paradise off the southern coast seeks economic development but not at the cost of its lifestyle. Phu Quy Island was liberated in the spring of 1975. The following March it was recognised as a commune of the former Thuan Hai Province’s Bac Binh District.
The ten-island archipelago, of which Phu Quy is the largest, became a district in 1977.Surrounded by dense coral up to 42m deep, Phu Quy is also called Cu Lao Thu or Hon Thu because from the north it looks like a giant mackerel leaping from the sea.It has an area of 32sq.km and a population of about 30,000 with monthly per capita income of VND470,000 (US$30). It is the southern coast’s major fishing centre and stands amid great natural beauty.The waters off the island abound with squid, snapper, grouper and tuna.The district’s revenue totalled more than VND26bil ($1.6mil), last year with 70% coming by fish."Seafood is the key industry," explains District People’s Committee Chairman Huynh Van Hung. "The buying and processing of seafood was worth $500mill last year."The building of 50 mother ships to collect the catch at sea will add to this figure."It allows fishermen to increase the productivity of their offshore catch and reduces production and fuel costs," says Hung who forecasts that the buying and processing capacity will increase to $600mil this year.The district hosts 16 seafood processing enterprises; 30 fisheries service centres and two boatyards.Power shortageDiesel-driven generators are the district’s major source of electricity and this is a handicap to both commerce and residents.Seafood-processing enterprise owner Nguyen Minh Phu complains that although residents have benefited from the fishing and services industries, the scarcity of electricity and infrastructure has stopped the islands from becoming more prosperous.Although each processor has a generator the high cost of diesel adds to the burden of production costs, the entrepreneur explains."Seafood processing needs round-the-clock power for its freezers so we have to plan for low-capacity processing," he says.The cost of electricity is a major reason why the island’s seafood produce is less competitive than that of the mainland, he says.Shipping vitalShipping provides the bridge between the island and the mainland with Phan Thiet a six-hour ferry journey away."The lack of transport deters investment in fishery and tourism," says District People’s Committee chairman Huynh Van Hung. "The district has only a single heliport and no hydrofoil."Among 12 projects planned for the district this year, only three will focus on eco-tourism," he says."Tourism, fishing services and seafood processing will be the future focus of our socio-economic development of the island."The island is close to an international sealane and we are confident that the economy will soar to its potential when we are able to tap this maritime route," he says.Natural dangersFrom September to April is the island’s off season.Then regular northerlies roughen the sea so that fishing is halted and the island is plagued by a temporary shortage of food and material from the mainland.Five cargo-passenger vessels deliver fuel, rice and consumer goods two days a week, but the services are suspended with the arrival of any tropical low.The lull in deliveries is accompanied by a surge in prices.Tropical Storm Mundian destroyed almost 800 out of slightly more than 1,000 boats – 80% of the offshore fleet – when it struck last year.Losses were put at more than VND200bil ($12.5mil)."Whenever you see crowds of boats docked, it means a storm is coming and every thing in the market will rise soon," says local resident Tran Phuc Thinh."We can store sufficient food and necessities for a few days, but the shortage of materials and transport can delay production and export shipments.TrademarkSquid is the island’s speciality and this year a major effort will be made to have its brand name recognised.Efforts will also be made to encourage businesses to invest in seafood processing for export, building fishing vessels and the provision of services for the fishing industry, as well as eco tourism, says district People’s Committee chairman Huynh Van Hung.Another attraction for potential investors is the island’s more than 500ha of forest that is ideal for eco-tourism – the island’s most labour-intensive industry for women.Investment will also be sought for hydrofoil service, airport and wind-driven power, says the chairman."We need at least VND50bil to make the sea transport project a reality," he says. "A hydrofoil will help to reduce travel time from HCM City to the island from five to two hours."I know wind power added to the current sources of electricity will allow local residents to use electricity around the clock."Tourism is an ideal form of sustainable, clean development of the island, which has 30km of beaches and dense coral reefs.A safe, secure environment is another attraction to investment."There are no thieves in the district. I promise you that," says naval officer Nguyen Van Phuong."You can leave everything and anything on the pavement, except of course, your wallet," he jokes.
From :binhthuantoday.com
15/02/2008
Houses and buildings have emerged on the island district of Phu Quy in southern central Binh Thuan Province.An island paradise off the southern coast seeks economic development but not at the cost of its lifestyle. Phu Quy Island was liberated in the spring of 1975. The following March it was recognised as a commune of the former Thuan Hai Province’s Bac Binh District.
The ten-island archipelago, of which Phu Quy is the largest, became a district in 1977.Surrounded by dense coral up to 42m deep, Phu Quy is also called Cu Lao Thu or Hon Thu because from the north it looks like a giant mackerel leaping from the sea.It has an area of 32sq.km and a population of about 30,000 with monthly per capita income of VND470,000 (US$30). It is the southern coast’s major fishing centre and stands amid great natural beauty.The waters off the island abound with squid, snapper, grouper and tuna.The district’s revenue totalled more than VND26bil ($1.6mil), last year with 70% coming by fish."Seafood is the key industry," explains District People’s Committee Chairman Huynh Van Hung. "The buying and processing of seafood was worth $500mill last year."The building of 50 mother ships to collect the catch at sea will add to this figure."It allows fishermen to increase the productivity of their offshore catch and reduces production and fuel costs," says Hung who forecasts that the buying and processing capacity will increase to $600mil this year.The district hosts 16 seafood processing enterprises; 30 fisheries service centres and two boatyards.Power shortageDiesel-driven generators are the district’s major source of electricity and this is a handicap to both commerce and residents.Seafood-processing enterprise owner Nguyen Minh Phu complains that although residents have benefited from the fishing and services industries, the scarcity of electricity and infrastructure has stopped the islands from becoming more prosperous.Although each processor has a generator the high cost of diesel adds to the burden of production costs, the entrepreneur explains."Seafood processing needs round-the-clock power for its freezers so we have to plan for low-capacity processing," he says.The cost of electricity is a major reason why the island’s seafood produce is less competitive than that of the mainland, he says.Shipping vitalShipping provides the bridge between the island and the mainland with Phan Thiet a six-hour ferry journey away."The lack of transport deters investment in fishery and tourism," says District People’s Committee chairman Huynh Van Hung. "The district has only a single heliport and no hydrofoil."Among 12 projects planned for the district this year, only three will focus on eco-tourism," he says."Tourism, fishing services and seafood processing will be the future focus of our socio-economic development of the island."The island is close to an international sealane and we are confident that the economy will soar to its potential when we are able to tap this maritime route," he says.Natural dangersFrom September to April is the island’s off season.Then regular northerlies roughen the sea so that fishing is halted and the island is plagued by a temporary shortage of food and material from the mainland.Five cargo-passenger vessels deliver fuel, rice and consumer goods two days a week, but the services are suspended with the arrival of any tropical low.The lull in deliveries is accompanied by a surge in prices.Tropical Storm Mundian destroyed almost 800 out of slightly more than 1,000 boats – 80% of the offshore fleet – when it struck last year.Losses were put at more than VND200bil ($12.5mil)."Whenever you see crowds of boats docked, it means a storm is coming and every thing in the market will rise soon," says local resident Tran Phuc Thinh."We can store sufficient food and necessities for a few days, but the shortage of materials and transport can delay production and export shipments.TrademarkSquid is the island’s speciality and this year a major effort will be made to have its brand name recognised.Efforts will also be made to encourage businesses to invest in seafood processing for export, building fishing vessels and the provision of services for the fishing industry, as well as eco tourism, says district People’s Committee chairman Huynh Van Hung.Another attraction for potential investors is the island’s more than 500ha of forest that is ideal for eco-tourism – the island’s most labour-intensive industry for women.Investment will also be sought for hydrofoil service, airport and wind-driven power, says the chairman."We need at least VND50bil to make the sea transport project a reality," he says. "A hydrofoil will help to reduce travel time from HCM City to the island from five to two hours."I know wind power added to the current sources of electricity will allow local residents to use electricity around the clock."Tourism is an ideal form of sustainable, clean development of the island, which has 30km of beaches and dense coral reefs.A safe, secure environment is another attraction to investment."There are no thieves in the district. I promise you that," says naval officer Nguyen Van Phuong."You can leave everything and anything on the pavement, except of course, your wallet," he jokes.
From :binhthuantoday.com
The charms of Binh Thuan
The charms of Binh Thuan
22/01/2008
The Cham tower of Poshanu on Ba Na Hill, some seven kilometers from Phan Thiet, the capital of Binh Thuan.Known for beautiful sandy beaches and resorts, Binh Thuan province on the central coast also impresses visitors with picturesque landscapes and other attractions like Poshanu towers and Lau Ong Hoang (Prince’s palace).Poshanu is the name of a group of three brick towers located on a hill, some seven kilometers northeast of Phan Thiet, the capital of Binh Thuan. Dating back to the 8th century the towers are considered as architectural masterpieces of the Cham people in the central region.
The towers are dedicated to Shiva, one of the principal Hindu deities and often conceived as a member of the triad, also including Brahma and Vishnu, and Poshanu, an empress of the Chams who had the merit to develop the Champa community.The Poshanu towers are of great significance to the province’s Cham architectural works of historical interest, from the architectural form to the construction techniques and art decoration on the body, the rolling domes, the main doors and imitation ones inside and up to the top. Only the construction techniques and art decoration on the tower can evoke a specific aesthetic feature of Hoa Lai - one of Champa’s ancient art architectural styles. They are the only Cham architectural works built with large bricks, which were ground and stuck to one another in a unique way. Inside the main tower there is an altar, on which a couple of Linga-Yoni, a symbol of the existence of the Shiva, is worshipped. The towers were worn and torn by weather and time. Work on a project to restore these towers, recognized as national heritage in 1991, started in the 1990s and has recently been completed.Every year, crowds of Cham people from the nearby areas come there to perform solemn rituals of appealing for rain. Another interesting thing is that fishermen in Binh Thuan and its vicinity also come here to appeal for safe journeys before sailing to the sea. Besides Poshanu towers, visitors to Binh Thuan can also take an excursion to the nearby Lau Ong Hoang, which consists of a community of hills, mountain, river, sea and pagoda creating an area of beautiful sights. This site was called Lau Ong Hoang as there was a palace used as a residence of a person belonging to a noble French family.In early 1911, French duke de Montpensier came here for traveling and hunting in the nearby hills. Captivated by the beautiful sights, he decided to buy land there to build a villa as a retreat. Work on the prince’s villa began in February 1911 and was completed a year later. The villa, around 100 meters south of the Poshanu towers, covered 536 square meters and consisted of 13 rooms and an underground tank to store rainwater enough for the people living in the villa in a year. The villa was considered the most modern in Binh Thuan at that time and it looked more beautiful at night under the lights of electric lamps. The local residents then used to call that whole area where the prince’s villa was located as “Lau Ong Hoang” hill.In July 1917, de Montpensier sold the villa to a French person named Prasetts, who later built a hotel on the nearby hill, turning this area into an attraction in the central region. However, the villa and hotel were destroyed in the war and visitors now can see just the foundation and the underground tank of the former villa. The Lau Ong Hoang area also includes old Buu Son Pagoda and Co Mountain where patriot poet Nguyen Thong was buried.Lau Ong Hoang was also a source of inspiration for Han Mac Tu, one of famous Vietnamese poets. Tu mentioned this place in his poem entitled “Phan Thiet, Phan Thiet” written after his broken romance with beauty Mong Cam, who used to come to Lau Ong Hoang with the poet to admire the scenery.Visitors can mark their trip to Lau Ong Hoang by purchasing some souvenir items sold at the foot of the towers. Among the choices include paper fans with Han Mac Tu’s “Phan Thiet, Phan Thiet” poem printed on.
Ngoc Buu (Source: Nhan Dan
22/01/2008
The Cham tower of Poshanu on Ba Na Hill, some seven kilometers from Phan Thiet, the capital of Binh Thuan.Known for beautiful sandy beaches and resorts, Binh Thuan province on the central coast also impresses visitors with picturesque landscapes and other attractions like Poshanu towers and Lau Ong Hoang (Prince’s palace).Poshanu is the name of a group of three brick towers located on a hill, some seven kilometers northeast of Phan Thiet, the capital of Binh Thuan. Dating back to the 8th century the towers are considered as architectural masterpieces of the Cham people in the central region.
The towers are dedicated to Shiva, one of the principal Hindu deities and often conceived as a member of the triad, also including Brahma and Vishnu, and Poshanu, an empress of the Chams who had the merit to develop the Champa community.The Poshanu towers are of great significance to the province’s Cham architectural works of historical interest, from the architectural form to the construction techniques and art decoration on the body, the rolling domes, the main doors and imitation ones inside and up to the top. Only the construction techniques and art decoration on the tower can evoke a specific aesthetic feature of Hoa Lai - one of Champa’s ancient art architectural styles. They are the only Cham architectural works built with large bricks, which were ground and stuck to one another in a unique way. Inside the main tower there is an altar, on which a couple of Linga-Yoni, a symbol of the existence of the Shiva, is worshipped. The towers were worn and torn by weather and time. Work on a project to restore these towers, recognized as national heritage in 1991, started in the 1990s and has recently been completed.Every year, crowds of Cham people from the nearby areas come there to perform solemn rituals of appealing for rain. Another interesting thing is that fishermen in Binh Thuan and its vicinity also come here to appeal for safe journeys before sailing to the sea. Besides Poshanu towers, visitors to Binh Thuan can also take an excursion to the nearby Lau Ong Hoang, which consists of a community of hills, mountain, river, sea and pagoda creating an area of beautiful sights. This site was called Lau Ong Hoang as there was a palace used as a residence of a person belonging to a noble French family.In early 1911, French duke de Montpensier came here for traveling and hunting in the nearby hills. Captivated by the beautiful sights, he decided to buy land there to build a villa as a retreat. Work on the prince’s villa began in February 1911 and was completed a year later. The villa, around 100 meters south of the Poshanu towers, covered 536 square meters and consisted of 13 rooms and an underground tank to store rainwater enough for the people living in the villa in a year. The villa was considered the most modern in Binh Thuan at that time and it looked more beautiful at night under the lights of electric lamps. The local residents then used to call that whole area where the prince’s villa was located as “Lau Ong Hoang” hill.In July 1917, de Montpensier sold the villa to a French person named Prasetts, who later built a hotel on the nearby hill, turning this area into an attraction in the central region. However, the villa and hotel were destroyed in the war and visitors now can see just the foundation and the underground tank of the former villa. The Lau Ong Hoang area also includes old Buu Son Pagoda and Co Mountain where patriot poet Nguyen Thong was buried.Lau Ong Hoang was also a source of inspiration for Han Mac Tu, one of famous Vietnamese poets. Tu mentioned this place in his poem entitled “Phan Thiet, Phan Thiet” written after his broken romance with beauty Mong Cam, who used to come to Lau Ong Hoang with the poet to admire the scenery.Visitors can mark their trip to Lau Ong Hoang by purchasing some souvenir items sold at the foot of the towers. Among the choices include paper fans with Han Mac Tu’s “Phan Thiet, Phan Thiet” poem printed on.
Ngoc Buu (Source: Nhan Dan
Welcome to Binh Thuan Province, an area like nowhere else in Vietnam.
1
© 2007 Adam Bray. info@muinebeach.net. See www.muinebeach.net for more information.
BINH THUAN PROVINCE Mui Ne Beach, Phan Thiet & the Binh Thuan Desert
Binh Thuan Province
Including Phan Thiet City & Mui Ne Beach
Welcome to Binh Thuan Province, an area like nowhere else in Vietnam.
Visitors often pass through Binh Thuan on Highway 1, as they travel between
Ho Chi Minh City and Nha Trang, stopping along the way in the beach resort
hotspot of Mui Ne. Mui Ne is known for its lazy groves of palm trees lining
long stretches of quiet beachfront. A reliable coastal breeze and equally
reliable sunny weather have also made Mui Ne the water sports capitol of
Vietnam.
There’s more to Binh Thuan than pleasant beaches however. The province
contains South East Asia’s only desert region, with vast Saharan dunes,
cactus and boulder-strewn mountains. Binh Thuan receives the lowest rainfall
in all of Vietnam. Still, the northern mountains of Binh Thuan support dense
tropical rainforests with diverse ecosystems. The local cultures are no less
varied, with numerous minorities living in the mountains and desert plains.
The ancient Champa kingdom made its southernmost outpost with towers
that still overlook Phan Thiet city, the provincial capital. The descendants of
this matriarchal culture with its mixture of Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam and
unique indigenous beliefs still live in villages along the coast. Binh Thuan
has been prominent in modern and French colonial history, with several
important military outposts located around Phan Thiet. Ho Chi Minh himself
made Phan Thiet his home for a brief time, while he taught at a local school
before his days as a revolutionary leader.
For those who are tired of the hectic tourist track through South East Asia,
it’s common to come to the area planning to spend just a few days, and end
up remaining for several weeks. If you are looking for a chance to just relax
and forget about the checklists of tourist sites, you are certain to enjoy your
time here, no matter how long you stay.
Phan Thiet City
PHAN THIET is known internationally for three things: the production of
nuoc mam (fi sh sauce), dragon fruit plantations, and tourism (centering
in Mui Ne Beach). The old quarter is nestled along the banks of the Ca
Ty River, but the new city has spread out for nearly 9 kilometers along the
beach, nestled in a valley between mountains to the north and sandy bluffs
to the east and west..
At the center of town, on the East bank of the river, stands the Phan Thiet
Water Tower. This elegant symbol of Binh Thuan province is incorporated
in numerous local emblems. It was designed in the 1930’s by Prince
Suphanouvong of Laos. Across the river is the city’s central market, which
is a great place to have breakfast and pick up fresh produce.
Near the market on Trung Noi Street is the Ho Chi Minh Museum and Duc
Thanh School (Tues-Sun, 7:30-11:30am & 1:30-4:30pm; small admission
fee). In 1910 Ho Chi Minh taught at the school for a year, before leaving
to pursue more revolutionary endeavors. The school was abandoned but
later rebuilt in his honor, along with a new museum on the site of his former
home. The museum contains some of his personal effects, dioramas from
the revolutionary period, and some local natural history displays and wildlife
specimens.
Along the riverfront you’ll fi nd numerous vendors selling candied fruits, dried
squid and peanut brittle. At Tran Hung Dao Bridge the Ca Ty River fl ows
into the Phan Thiet harbor, with
its brightly colored fi shing fl eet
and small lighthouse beyond.
This is the best place to watch
celebrations of the Cau Ngu/
Nghinh Ong Festival (dates
depend upon the lunar calendar
but may be altered by the local
government, though usually the
end of the summer) and Mid
Autumn Festival (September 14,
2008/October 9, 2009). Cau Ngu &
Nghinh Ong are a whale-worship
festival with elaborate costumed
parades, while the Mid Autumn
Festival is a traditional Chinese
festival known for evening lantern
displays and eating moon cakes.
Phan Thiet is nationally recognized
as the best place to observe both.
top: Khe Ga Lighthouse. right: Phan Thiet Water Tower.
2
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BINH THUAN PROVINCE Mui Ne Beach, Phan Thiet & the Binh Thuan Desert
The riverfront is especially beautiful during evening festivities when there are
elaborate fi reworks shows.
On the other side of Tran Hung Dao street, the road becomes Trung Trac
and leads to the seaport. This area is always crowded with restaurant
owners shoving each other to get to the best seafood right off the boat.
Other vessels also dock here to buy supplies for far off islands and oil rigs.
The nearby Van Thuy Thu Temple (7:30–11:30 a.m. and 2:00–5:00 pm;
3000VND) at 20A Ngu Ong Street is the oldest temple in Vietnam (built
in 1762) dedicated to whale worship. The temple contains more than 100
whale skeletons, including a specimen on display that is 22 meters long; the
largest in Vietnam.
Further up Tran Hung Dao Street and to the right, Nguyen Tat Thanh is
a grand boulevard divided by immaculately kept gardens and lined by
government buildings. At the end of Nguyen Tat Thanh street is Doi Duong
beach, lined by inexpensive cafés full of young Vietnamese lovers sitting in
the shade of wispy pine trees. East of the beach, you can play a round of
golf at the Ocean Dunes Golf Club. Designed by Nick Faldo, it’s ranked one
of the “Best 500 Holes in the World” by Golf Magazine.
Phan Thiet was once home to the LZ Betty, an American military base
situated on the bluffs Southwest of town. The landing zone was the scene of
a major battle during Tet of 1968 and another on May 3, 1970. Little remains
of the base other than the deteriorating airstrip and gateposts. Although of
interest to many war veterans, most visitors should not wonder at this site as
it contains patches of quicksand and likely has unexploded ordnances.
Practicalities
Foreigners do not normally utilize the northern bus station or the one
situated on 666 Tran Hung Dao, as the attendants and drivers don’t speak
English. However, the buses are just as nice as the regular tourist buses and
sometimes cheaper. Otherwise, you can arrive on any tourist bus from Ho
Chi Minh City or Nha Trang and request to be dropped off in downtown Phan
Thiet. Binh Thuan Tourist, 82 Trung Truc ( 062/816821, binhthuantourist@
hcm.vnn.vn) can also sell tickets and provide information about attractions
and accommodation. For the best maps and a locally-produced guidebook
(in both English and Vietnamese) try the Duc Thanh Bookstore near the Tran
Hung Dao Park and Bridge. Bookstores are Vietnam’s best kept shopping
secret, as they double as gift shops. You can fi nd Cham textiles, ceramics,
lanterns, chimes, maps, dictionaries, and more—all for rock-bottom prices.
No haggling is involved because the prices are set.
To Nha Trang
& N Bus Station
To Ho Chi Minh
Khe Ga, Takou
& LZ Betty
See Phu Hai
Ward
Ocean Dunes Golf Course
Doi Duong Beach, Cafes & Restaurants
PHAN THIET CITY
www.muinebeach.net
PHU HAI WARD
Ca Ty River & Harbor
Port
To Mui Ne
To Phan Thiet
Thu Khoa Huan
Nguyen Tat Thanh
Tran Hung Dao
Hai Thuong Lan Ong
Nguyen Hoi
Railroad
Vo Thi Sau
Tuyen Quang
Tran Phu
Le Hong Phong
Thu Khoa Huan
Duc Thang
Nguyen Thuong
Phu Thuy Ward
Binh Hung Ward
Hung Long Ward
Phu Thuy Ward
Trung Trac
Trung Noi
RESTAURANTS
Bo Bit Tet
Cafe 39
Nelly
Ngoc Chau
ACCOMMODATION
Ca Ty Hotel
Doi Duong Hotel
Novotel Ocean Dunes
CONVENIENCE
Bank
Gas Station
Hospital
Post Office
Protestant Church
Toll Booth
Train Station
SIGHTS
Central City Market
Ho Chi Minh Museum
Orphanage
Phan Thiet Water Tower
Tran Hung Dao Park
Victory Monument
For more info, please visit
www.muinebeach.net © 2007 Adam Bray
14
3
12
13
ABC
9
15
+
11
+
16
5
21
17
468
To Nha Trang
A
B
C
1
2
4
3
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
0 200m
N
3
© 2007 Adam Bray. info@muinebeach.net. See www.muinebeach.net for more information.
BINH THUAN PROVINCE Mui Ne Beach, Phan Thiet & the Binh Thuan Desert
Although largely unpublicized, private luxury trains now arrive at the Phan
Thiet Railway Station on Nguyen Dinh Chieu/Thu Khoa Huan Street, from
Ho Chi Minh City, several times a day. Check with the train station or a local
tour offi ce, as times and prices change periodically.
You can exchange currency, traveler’s cheques, send or receive Western
Union, or withdraw money from an ATM at the Incombank Bank on Nguyen
Tat Tanh, near the Victory Monument. A post offi ce is located further down
the street on the corner of Duc Thang Street. The best place for internet is
on Tuyen Quang Street, also off of Nguyen Tat Tanh.
Accommodations
There are a few places to stay that cater especially to foreign tourists.
Novotel Ocean Dunes & Golf Resort
( 062/822393, www.accorhotels-asia.com/2067, $75-$146) offers
wireless internet, golf, tennis, a swimming pool, restaurants, bar & cafe, and
is situated directly on the beach. They also have one of the few licensed
casinos in the country.
Doi Duong Hotel ( 062/822108, 062/825858, $40-$75), across the
street from the beach, is a high-rise offering tennis courts, a swimming pool,
2 restaurants and a lively nightclub.
Ca Ty Hotel ( 062/815900, 062/816619, www.
catyhotel.com.vn $20-$40) is a high-rise on the Ca
Ty River near the central market. It offers spectacular
views of the mountains, city center, river, harbor
and tower. There is a restaurant on the top fl oor and
internet is available on-site.
Dining
Phan Thiet is a foodie paradise, with its own local
style and delicacies, but it’s rare for a restaurant to
have English menus, let alone English speaking staff,
so invite a Vietnamese speaking friend to join you, or
you may have to use the “point and pray method.”
Phan Thiet cuisine is known for being uniquely sweet,
incorporating local sugar cane, coconut milk and
pineapple in many dishes. As Phan Thiet is the fi sh
sauce capital of Vietnam, you’ll fi nd it liberally added
to everything. Seafood also makes its way into most
dishes, including banh xeo (pancakes with shrimp,
squid and pork), cha gio (spring rolls), and lau (hot pot).
Doi Duong Beach is lined with a plethora of cafes on the east end, and
seafood restaurants on the west end. Tuyen Quang Street is famous for its
many banh xeo restaurants and other small eateries.
Nelly (10am-10pm), on the Corner of Duc Thang & Thu Khoa Huan St, was
opened by an American and serves quality American & Italian food, with
Italian ice cream. They are the only venue with English menus and Englishspeaking
staff.
Bo Bit Tet (7am–10am and 5pm – 10pm) on the corner of Duc Thang &
Thu Khoa Huan St. (Across from Nelly) has fried steak, pâté and eggs with
baguettes.
Café 39 (7am – 10am) on Nguyen Van Troi Near the market, offers the best
pho bo (beef & rice noodle soup) in town.
Ngoc Chau (5pm – 10pm) on Nguyen Tuong St. (next to the billiards hall)
offers a diverse menu of fi ne Vietnamese cuisine.
Phu Hai Orphanage
At capacity, the Phu Hai orphanage ( (062/811788)
has approximately 30-35 children, most of whom are
under 6 years of age. To visit this orphanage, travel
West from Mui Ne, heading towards Phan Thiet. After
you pass the toll at the bottom of the hill below the
Cham towers, take an immediate right before the
Phu Hai bridge. You will pass a school on your right,
and then a large new pagoda (temple). The river will
be on your left all the while. The very next building
on your right will be the orphanage. It is gated and
sits inconspicuously on the hill next to the pagoda.
Visitors will need to bring an interpreter as no one
on site speaks English. The staff is friendly and
welcomes visitors.
The orphanage is clean and well-staffed with caring
individuals, but there are a lot of children for the small
size of the facility. It can always use donations, and
visits are enjoyed by the children and staff alike. If
you wish to bring gifts, the following can always be
used: milk, fruit, cakes and candies; cloths toys; and
school supplies. Please consider supporting the staff
with gifts as well.
4
© 2007 Adam Bray. info@muinebeach.net. See www.muinebeach.net for more information.
BINH THUAN PROVINCE Mui Ne Beach, Phan Thiet & the Binh Thuan Desert
Takou Mountain
Takou is a nature reserve located 30 km southeast of Phan Thiet. Visitors
may hike up the mountain for free or take the gondola (5-minute trip/55,000
VND) through a beautiful tropical rainforest to the pagoda at the top. The
current pagoda was built in 1879 and is surrounded by a series of 3-door
gates, temples, Buddha statues, tomb towers and a cave. Legend says that
a boy once followed the cave all the way to the sea, 20 km away. The main
attraction is Vietnam’s largest reclining Buddha, at 49 meters long.
There is a tourist restaurant at the gondola station, as well as a vegetarian
restaurant at the pagoda. There is a new guesthouse on the mountain (
062/867484, 200,000 VND) that is open to foreigners. The entrance to the
reserve is just of Hwy 1A, west of Phan Thiet.
Khe Ga
The island lighthouse of Khe Ga is the tallest in Vietnam and was built
by the French in 1897. The island is located off Tien Thanh, the longest
continuous beach in the province. It’s a beautiful spot, where large boulders
jut out of enormous, wind-swept dunes. Visitors must be sure to bring proper
sun protection, as this is one of the hottest and most desolate areas of South
East Asia.
Princess D’Annam Resort
( (84.8) 840 9646 (84.8) 840 9647, www.princessannam.com, $40-
$75) offering numerous water sports, horseback riding, swimming pools,
mountain biking, private villas with internet and widescreen tv. Several
restaurants and cafes are on site. $75-$150
Khe Ga is about 45 minutes southwest of Phan Thiet, on a coastal road
leading to Ham Tan. On the way, visitors will drive through the remains of
the American Landing Zone Betty and glimpse a spectacular beachside
canyon.
Mui Ne Beach
MUI NE is Vietnam’s largest and fastest-growing resort community. Until
the solar eclipse of 1995 when thousands fl ocked to the area for the best
glimpse, Mui Ne remained a relatively unknown fi shing community hidden
in the palm groves along the beach, reachable only by a primitive dirt road.
Since then it has become one of the top beach get-a-ways in Vietnam, as
well as the water sports capital of the country. November through March is
windy season, and during this period the bay is crowded with kite boarders
and wind surfers from around the globe.
Jibes (90 D Nguyen Dinh Chieu, 062/847405, www.windsurf-vietnam.
com) is sports central and hosts the popular Vietnam Fun Cup each
February (9th annual is Feb 22-23, 2008). Other established centers include
Airwaves at the Sailing Club (24 D. Nguyen Dinh Chieu, 062/847-440,
www.airwaveskitesurfi ng.com), and Windchimes at Saigon Mui Ne (56 D
Nguyen Dinh Chieu, 0909-720 017, www.windsurfi ng-vietnam.com). All
three rent equipment for varying rates and offer hourly instruction for $10-
$30.
The drawback to the kite boarding trend is that it can make swimming
dangerous during late morning and afternoons when enthusiasts are on the
water. The beach also tends to erode on the West end during windy season,
although it is replenished later in the year. Mui Ne sits in the heart of the
Binh Thuan Desert. As such, it is one of the driest spots in South East Asia.
During the dry season there is typically no rain at all from November through
April, and even during rainy season there is signifi cantly less precipitation
than nearby Phan Thiet.
Current regulations prevent resorts from building higher than the palm trees,
so despite the onslaught of recent development, Mui Ne still maintains an
out-of-the way, tropical atmosphere. A small but active fi shing community
remains at the center of the beach in Ham Tien and Mui Ne Village at the
5
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BINH THUAN PROVINCE Mui Ne Beach, Phan Thiet & the Binh Thuan Desert
Practicalities
Open busses arrive and depart from Ho Chi Minh City ($5/3 hours) and Nha
Trang ($5/5 hours) around noon and midnight. Night busses to and from Mui
Ne should be avoided as they are extremely unreliable and at times unsafe.
Hanh Café (km13, 062/847347) and TM Brothers (across the street,
062/847359) sell bus and train tickets (see Phan Thiet Practicalities for more
info), tours, rent motorbikes ($5-$7/day) and bicycles ($2/day) and provide
a variety of other travel-related services.
There is a single highway in Mui Ne, running the length of the 10 km beach,
with most resorts on the beach side, and most restaurants on the dunes
side. Because everything is so spread out, the best option for getting around
is via motorbike or bicycle.
Many resorts offer unreliable internet, but only Coco Café (121 Nguyen
Dinh Chieu, open 8am till 10pm or later, 7000VND/hr) offers a professional,
high-speed internet café. The biggest inconvenience which plagues Mui Ne
and the surrounding areas are frequent power outages (usually Monday and
Tuesday during daylight hours). Larger resorts and guesthouses have their
own generator to compensate, but never trust your laptop to them, even with
the addition of a surge protector.
east end. Fishermen can be seen hauling their nets to shore early in the
morning along with women gathering shellfi sh.
Mui Ne is a place to simply come and relax, but there are a few sights of
interest renowned for their natural beauty. The white sand dunes are the
most popular spot, about a 45 minute trip by jeep, usually stopping in the
market at Mui Ne Village to pick up refreshments. The red sand dunes (if
you are in a hurry, skip these), red canyons (really more of an eroded bluff,
but it still makes for nice photos), and Fairy Stream (Soui Tien) are all along
the way. Sunrise and sunset are the best times to go for photos and to avoid
the heat, but drivers have a tendency to cut the trip short, so be prepared to
hold your ground. Custom jeep tours range $20-$25 and last a few hours.
Fairy Stream cuts across layers of blood-red, gold, and silver sand dunes
undulating through the countryside. Freshwater crabs and tasty mudfi sh
make their home in the stream, while dollar birds and kingfi shers perch
in the branches above. The walk is about 30 minutes return. Leave your
shoes at the shop near the road for a few VND. You’ll be wading in ankledeep
water all the way to the small waterfall at the other end. A guide is not
necessary.
Mui Ne Village proper is well worth exploring on foot or bicycle. With its
winding roads swept with sand, rows of white-washed shops shaded by
palms, and dooryards lined with cactus fences, it invokes comparisons to
coastal towns in northwestern Mexico, if not for crumbing French-colonial
architecture in the back alleys. The harbor below with it’s brightly painted
wooden fi shing boats make a great photo opportunity.
Bau Trang, or the White Sand Dunes, are an immense Saharan range of
golden and snow-white dunes, 45 minutes drive from Mui Ne. Nestled in
the dunes are two large reservoirs and a series of smaller lakes, which offer
excellent opportunities to see native bird species, including four species of
heron, the red-wattled lapwing and several species of bee-eaters. There
are always village kids standing by, waiting to rent sleds to visitors for “dune
surfi ng.” Bring plenty of water, sunscreen and a hat.
The nearby Thap Poshanu Towers (km5, admission is 2000VND if an
attendant is present, but free much of the time) are a complex of three Cham
towers (the southernmost in Vietnam) that were originally built as a temple to
Shiva in the 8th century. The site offers the best view of Phan Thiet city, the
Ca Ty river, and the surrounding mountains. A pagoda, abandoned French
military outpost, and an excellent shop selling inexpensive Cham crafts are
all located on site.
top: Tap Poshanu Cham Towers
6
© 2007 Adam Bray. info@muinebeach.net. See www.muinebeach.net for more information.
BINH THUAN PROVINCE Mui Ne Beach, Phan Thiet & the Binh Thuan Desert
A number of resorts now have 24-
hr ATM’s or full-fl edged banks (M-F,
7.30am-noon & 1.30-4.30pm) on
site to change currency, and cash
travellers’ checques; including
Tropico, Saigon-Mui Ne, and Swiss
Village.
For more information about Mui Ne
and Binh Thuan province, visit
www.muinebeach.net.
Accommodation
There is a wide range of resorts
and guest houses along the beach
to match every budget, but they
are diffi cult to research on foot
because all the venues are so
spread out. Few places use street
numbers—most still use kilometer
markers (based on the distance
from Phan Thiet. There’s only a little
leeway for room rate negotiation
Keng Resort 72 Nguyen Dinh Chieu,
062/847015, 0909106672, 12 Rooms
& 9 Bungalows with a/c or fans, private
bathrooms with hot water. Tidy and
pleasant, with 2 restaurants. $15-$20
Hai Yen Resort 132 Nguyen Dinh
Chieu, 062/847243. Tidy rooms
with a/c and private bath. Pool tables,
wholesale beverages and jeep rentals.
Located mid-beach. $10
Anh Em (Coco Café) 121 Nguyen
Dinh Chieu, 062/847729. Basic but
tidy rooms with fan and private a/c.
High-speed internet and motorbike
rental. $5
Austria-Vietnam House (Kim
Hong) km 13.5, 062/847047 Nice
rooms with a/c and private bath, or
fan and shared bath. Small swimming
pool. Next to Hanh Café & TM Brothers.
$8-$25
in Mui Ne, and prices are often fi xed
during high season. Booking online
can be problematic because many of
the venues do not check their email
regularly and their websites tend to
come and go. Be very careful about
supplying your credit card info online,
as most of the local resort websites do
not use secure connections.
Budget
Hiep-Hoa
80 Nguyen Dinh Chieu 062/847262,
hiephoatourism@yahoo.com. Clean
and simple with just 12 rooms, offers
friendly service around a small garden.
Rooms with fans or a/c. $12
Saigon Café 168-170D Nguyen Dinh
Chieu, 062/847091, 062/168170.
Offering basic but tidy rooms on the
quieter east side. Includes a restaurant,
ticket offi ce and internet café. $5
Moderate
The Beach 18 Nguyen Dinh
Chieu
062/847626, www.
thebeachresort.com.vn. Cozy
rooms include a/c, satellite TV,
fridge, & sauna on site. $30-$75
Lucy Resort km 18, 062/847017,
www.lucyresort.net. Thatchedroof
bungalows on the east end.
Swimming pool and breakfast
included. $18-45
Blue Ocean 54 Nguyen Dinh
Chieu, 062/847322, www.
blueoceanresort.com. Rooms
include a/c and satellite TV,
surrounding a large swimming
pool, and a Sheridan’s Irish Pub
and Restaurant on site. $30-$150
Huynh Thuc Khang
A
B
1
CD
E F G H
J K L M N O P 9
2 3 4
Q R
S T
5
6
8
10
77
I
Anh Em (see Coco Cafe)
Austria-Vietnam (Kim Hong)
Blue Ocean
Coco Beach Resort
Four Oceans
Full Moon Resort
Hai Yen Resort
Hiep Hoa
Indochina Dreams
Keng Resort
Little Mui Ne Cottages
Lucy Resort
Mai Khanh & Chez Nina
Palmira Resort
Phu Hai Resort
Saigon Cafe
Sailing Club
Seahorse Resort
The Beach
Victoria Phan Thiet Resort
.
P
HJ
GN
Q
MKL
ST
OCARF
DE
B
RESTAURANTS, CAFES & BARS
Forest Restaurant (Rung)
Gecko
Good Morning Vietnam
Hot Rock
Hoang Vu
Jibes
Lam Tong
Luna d'Atunno
Mello
Pho Ba
Pogo
Sailing Club
5246797381
10
F
7
ACCOMMODATION
Dunes Gas Station
Red Sand Dunes
Red Canyon
Fairy Stream
to Bau Me Village
MUI NE VILLAGE
Protestant Church
Gas Station
Market
Market
Tap Poshanu Cham Tower
Coco Internet Cafe
Hanh Cafe
TM Brothers
Overlook
Harbor
Cemetary
to Phan Thiet
& Highway 1A
to open country
to Hon Rom,
White Sand Dune & Bau Trang (16 km),
Nha Trang
Bank
MUI NE / RANG BEACH
GANH BEACH
0 2km
MUI NE BEACH
www.muinebeach.net
HAM TIEN WARD
Nguyen Dinh Chieu
WATER SPORTS
Airwaves (Sailing Club)
Jibes
Windchimes (Saigon-Mui Ne)
R9I
For more information, please visit www.muinebeach.net.
© 2007 Adam Bray
N
7
© 2007 Adam Bray. info@muinebeach.net. See www.muinebeach.net for more information.
BINH THUAN PROVINCE Mui Ne Beach, Phan Thiet & the Binh Thuan Desert
Indochina Dreams 74 Nguyen
Dinh Chieu, 062/847271. Small
and quiet but well managed resort
on the eastern beach. $20-$25
Full Moon Resort, 84 Nguyen
Dinh Chieu, 062/847008, www.
windsurf-vietnam.com. Rooms
include a/c and wireless internet.
One of the top resorts for wind
surfi ng and kite boarding lessons.
$35-$80
Little Mui Ne Cottages 10b Huynh
Thuc Kang, 062/847550-1,
www.littlemuine.com. Tidy rooms
and large bungalows around a
sizable pool in the quiet east end of
the beach. Free wireless internet in
the bar and restaurant. $50-$85
Sailing Club 24 Nguyen Dinh
Chieu, 062/847440, www.
sailingclubvietnam.com. Popular
with water sports enthusiasts &
expats from HCMC, with a large
open bar & restaurant facing the
beach. Beautifully landscaped
with complete privacy for each
bungalow. Suffers from periodic
beach erosion. $55-$100
Mai Khanh & Chez Nina 86
Nguyen Dinh Chieu, T062/847177.
Small but cute bungalows surround
a beautiful garden. Near several
tour companies and Coco Internet
Café. $15-$75
Palmira Resort 14 Nguyen Dinh
Chieu, 062/847373, www.
palmiraresort.com. The domed
main building, art deco styles and
large swimming pool make the look
and feel of this resort distinct. $30-$75
Expensive
Four Oceans 30 Nguyen Dinh Chieu,
(84-62) 741081, 82, 83, www.
bonbienresort.com. Luxurious rooms
surrounding a large pool and beachside
restaurant. Offers water sports with or
without instruction. $75-$150
Seahorse Resort km 11, 062/847547,
www.seahorseresortvn.com, By far
the most luxurious resort in Mui Ne,
with large solitary bungalows lavishly
furnished and spread across a sizable,
well manicured estate. Large pool and
beachside restaurant. $110-$253
Victoria Phan Thiet Resort
km 9, 062/813000, phanthiet@
victoriaresorts-asia.com, Luxuriously
furnished rooms and cottages on a
secluded stretch of beach, the resort
offers a long list of activities including
tennis and horseback riding. $150+
Phu Hai Resort km 8, 062/812799,
www.phuhairesort.com, 80 rooms &
villas nestled in a dense tropical jungle
around a multi-tiered swimming pool
with waterfall, tennis court & full spa.
$75-$150+
Coco Beach Resort 58 Nguyen
Dinh Chieu, 062/847111, www.
cocobeach.net, The fi rst resort to
open in Mui Ne has large villas and
28 thatched-roof wooden bungalows,
all with modern conveniences. The
friendly staff and multiple bars and
restaurants ensure everything you’ll
need for a perfect getaway is right on
site. $85-$210
Restaurants, Bars & Cafes
All the local resorts have at least one restaurant on the premises, but if
you’d like some variety, check across the street, where the restaurants are
often cheaper. Most of the smaller venues offer the standard mix of pseudowestern
backpacker food and popularized Vietnamese dishes, but a few
stand out.
Forest Restaurant (Rung) offers traditional gourmet Vietnamese cuisine, in
an elegant jungle setting. Many of the staff are ethnic Cham from Phan Rang,
some of whom put on nightly shows of live music and dance. A traditional
loom sits in the back where artisans weave Cham textiles. An enormous
contraption at the front of the restaurant produces one of the last remaining
examples of authentic Vietnamese bamboo water music.
Luna d’Atunno and Good Morning Vietnam are the resident Italian
restaurants offering fi ne wine and a large selection of wood-fi red pizzas
(70,000-80,000VND). Good Morning Vietnam is a cut above its sister outlets
throughout Vietnam and takes special orders for home-made breads and
other delights.
Lam Tong next to Jibes, and Huong Vu across from Blue Ocean offer
local Vietnamese, Thai and Chinese dishes in a modest atmosphere.
Typical western favorites are also available. Most dishes range 25,000VND-
35,000VND.
If you’d like to dine with the locals, try Pho Ba (8am-10am and 5pm-9pm),
a roadside hut offering beef and rice noodle soup (7,000VND) on the right,
just as you come to Mui Ne Beach from Phan Thiet. Ham Tien Market in the
center of the beach is a great place to catch breakfast up to 11 am, and the
Mui Ne Village market is a great place to get a cheap dinner or late snacks
(5pm-10pm).
Nightlife in Mui Ne still doesn’t compare to Saigon or Nha Trang, but it
has been picking up in recent years. Jibes, 90 Nguyen Dinh Chieu, with its
loud dance beats and lively bar is the favorite spot for backpackers and the
kite boarding crowd, while the more subdued Hot Rock, 12.5km, and the
Sailing Club, 24 D Nguyen Dinh Chieu, are especially favored by expats.
Newcomers to the scene include Mellow, Pogo and Gecko, where pool
tables and loud music are also to be found.
8
© 2007 Adam Bray. info@muinebeach.net. See www.muinebeach.net for more information.
BINH THUAN PROVINCE Mui Ne Beach, Phan Thiet & the Binh Thuan Desert
Ca Na & Vinh Hao
The road North to VINH HAO and CA NA leads past Whiskey Mountain,
a solitary peak that once supported a small American military outpost and
helicopter pad. Plantations of enormous green dragon cactus line Highway
1, with long white fl owers and fl orescent pink fruit the size of ostrich eggs,
decorating their octopus-like arms. Soon the dragons and rice pattie gives
way to the Binh Thuan Desert where vast dunes sweep across the parched
countryside. The area is prone to drought and sand storms during dry season.
Passing through the town of Cho Lau and the quaint fi shing port of Phan Ri
Cua, you may notice ethnic Cham residents wearing traditional clothing. The
men wear long white robes and turbans with red accents. As you venture
closer to Phan Rang, you will
travel deeper into the heart
of the Champa kingdom and
see ancient red temples on
the hillsides.
At Vinh Hao and Ca Na the
rocky mountains tumble into
the sea in one of the most
rugged landscapes in the
country. This is a seismically
active area. Water at the Vinh
Hao mineral hot springs
is bottled and sold across
the nation. Upwelling in the
bay contributes to some of
the best coral reefs in the
country, which are the main attraction. In the reefs surrounding Cu Lao Hon
Island there are 147 known species of coral, 46 crustacean species and
211 recorded species of fi sh. To explore this underwater paradise, you’ll
want to stay at Vietnam Scuba, 062/853917, 062/853918, www.
vietnamscuba.com, in Vinh Hao, 100 km NorthEast of Phan Thiet. The
comfortable resort offers convenient bungalows overlooking the bay. Room,
3 meals and a day of diving costs $130. Night diving is also available.
Three kilometers away, Ca Na is an active fi shing village on the border of
Ninh Thuan Province, and offers some great hiking in the mountains or a
chance to explore the village. A steep climb up to Lac Son Pagoda provides
a spectacular view of the bay. Although there are a few hotels in Ca Na,
unless you are looking for complete isolation from other foreign tourists, and
don’t mind the sounds of traffi c from the highway, there’s little reason to stay
in Ca Na overnight.
About the Author & This Edition
Adam Bray is a travel writer, location scout and translator closely tied to the
tourism and entertainment industries in Vietnam. He’s written for a number
of publications, including Transitions Abroad, Things Asian Press, eChip and
Entertainment Vietnam. He has lived in Vietnam for more than two years, with
further adventures across Thailand, Cambodia, China, New Zealand, the UK
and even archeology in Israel. Previously Adam worked with orangutans
and bonobos (including the infamous Kanzi) in a world-renowned anguage
research program, as well as 80 chimpanzees at the Primate Foundation
of Arizona. His work brought him in touch with the likes of Jane Goodall,
Francine Patterson and Sue Savage-Rumbaugh. Adam also has music
interests with a new album
available on iTunes titled
“Under a Tamarind Tree.”
Meanwhile, he has recently
worked on promotional
projects for companies such
as Coke, Microsoft, Disney,
Visa and Dell.
This guide is the fi rst in a series
of free guidebooks written and
produced by Adam Bray in
conjunction with MuiNeBeach.
net. Keep an eye out for future
free guides to other popular
locations within South East
Asia in the coming months.
All prices given are in US dollars or Vietnam Dong. While we have made
an effort to be as accurate as possible, prices change frequents and some
errors are inevitable. We welcome feedback and corrections from readers.
This guide is provided free for personal, non-commercial use only. It
may not be posted online at any website other than MuiNeBeach.net.
This guide may not be resold, incorporated within another publication
or redistributed by another business or organization without written
permission.
Mui Ne Harbor
© 2007 Adam Bray. info@muinebeach.net. See www.muinebeach.net for more information.
BINH THUAN PROVINCE Mui Ne Beach, Phan Thiet & the Binh Thuan Desert
Binh Thuan Province
Including Phan Thiet City & Mui Ne Beach
Welcome to Binh Thuan Province, an area like nowhere else in Vietnam.
Visitors often pass through Binh Thuan on Highway 1, as they travel between
Ho Chi Minh City and Nha Trang, stopping along the way in the beach resort
hotspot of Mui Ne. Mui Ne is known for its lazy groves of palm trees lining
long stretches of quiet beachfront. A reliable coastal breeze and equally
reliable sunny weather have also made Mui Ne the water sports capitol of
Vietnam.
There’s more to Binh Thuan than pleasant beaches however. The province
contains South East Asia’s only desert region, with vast Saharan dunes,
cactus and boulder-strewn mountains. Binh Thuan receives the lowest rainfall
in all of Vietnam. Still, the northern mountains of Binh Thuan support dense
tropical rainforests with diverse ecosystems. The local cultures are no less
varied, with numerous minorities living in the mountains and desert plains.
The ancient Champa kingdom made its southernmost outpost with towers
that still overlook Phan Thiet city, the provincial capital. The descendants of
this matriarchal culture with its mixture of Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam and
unique indigenous beliefs still live in villages along the coast. Binh Thuan
has been prominent in modern and French colonial history, with several
important military outposts located around Phan Thiet. Ho Chi Minh himself
made Phan Thiet his home for a brief time, while he taught at a local school
before his days as a revolutionary leader.
For those who are tired of the hectic tourist track through South East Asia,
it’s common to come to the area planning to spend just a few days, and end
up remaining for several weeks. If you are looking for a chance to just relax
and forget about the checklists of tourist sites, you are certain to enjoy your
time here, no matter how long you stay.
Phan Thiet City
PHAN THIET is known internationally for three things: the production of
nuoc mam (fi sh sauce), dragon fruit plantations, and tourism (centering
in Mui Ne Beach). The old quarter is nestled along the banks of the Ca
Ty River, but the new city has spread out for nearly 9 kilometers along the
beach, nestled in a valley between mountains to the north and sandy bluffs
to the east and west..
At the center of town, on the East bank of the river, stands the Phan Thiet
Water Tower. This elegant symbol of Binh Thuan province is incorporated
in numerous local emblems. It was designed in the 1930’s by Prince
Suphanouvong of Laos. Across the river is the city’s central market, which
is a great place to have breakfast and pick up fresh produce.
Near the market on Trung Noi Street is the Ho Chi Minh Museum and Duc
Thanh School (Tues-Sun, 7:30-11:30am & 1:30-4:30pm; small admission
fee). In 1910 Ho Chi Minh taught at the school for a year, before leaving
to pursue more revolutionary endeavors. The school was abandoned but
later rebuilt in his honor, along with a new museum on the site of his former
home. The museum contains some of his personal effects, dioramas from
the revolutionary period, and some local natural history displays and wildlife
specimens.
Along the riverfront you’ll fi nd numerous vendors selling candied fruits, dried
squid and peanut brittle. At Tran Hung Dao Bridge the Ca Ty River fl ows
into the Phan Thiet harbor, with
its brightly colored fi shing fl eet
and small lighthouse beyond.
This is the best place to watch
celebrations of the Cau Ngu/
Nghinh Ong Festival (dates
depend upon the lunar calendar
but may be altered by the local
government, though usually the
end of the summer) and Mid
Autumn Festival (September 14,
2008/October 9, 2009). Cau Ngu &
Nghinh Ong are a whale-worship
festival with elaborate costumed
parades, while the Mid Autumn
Festival is a traditional Chinese
festival known for evening lantern
displays and eating moon cakes.
Phan Thiet is nationally recognized
as the best place to observe both.
top: Khe Ga Lighthouse. right: Phan Thiet Water Tower.
2
© 2007 Adam Bray. info@muinebeach.net. See www.muinebeach.net for more information.
BINH THUAN PROVINCE Mui Ne Beach, Phan Thiet & the Binh Thuan Desert
The riverfront is especially beautiful during evening festivities when there are
elaborate fi reworks shows.
On the other side of Tran Hung Dao street, the road becomes Trung Trac
and leads to the seaport. This area is always crowded with restaurant
owners shoving each other to get to the best seafood right off the boat.
Other vessels also dock here to buy supplies for far off islands and oil rigs.
The nearby Van Thuy Thu Temple (7:30–11:30 a.m. and 2:00–5:00 pm;
3000VND) at 20A Ngu Ong Street is the oldest temple in Vietnam (built
in 1762) dedicated to whale worship. The temple contains more than 100
whale skeletons, including a specimen on display that is 22 meters long; the
largest in Vietnam.
Further up Tran Hung Dao Street and to the right, Nguyen Tat Thanh is
a grand boulevard divided by immaculately kept gardens and lined by
government buildings. At the end of Nguyen Tat Thanh street is Doi Duong
beach, lined by inexpensive cafés full of young Vietnamese lovers sitting in
the shade of wispy pine trees. East of the beach, you can play a round of
golf at the Ocean Dunes Golf Club. Designed by Nick Faldo, it’s ranked one
of the “Best 500 Holes in the World” by Golf Magazine.
Phan Thiet was once home to the LZ Betty, an American military base
situated on the bluffs Southwest of town. The landing zone was the scene of
a major battle during Tet of 1968 and another on May 3, 1970. Little remains
of the base other than the deteriorating airstrip and gateposts. Although of
interest to many war veterans, most visitors should not wonder at this site as
it contains patches of quicksand and likely has unexploded ordnances.
Practicalities
Foreigners do not normally utilize the northern bus station or the one
situated on 666 Tran Hung Dao, as the attendants and drivers don’t speak
English. However, the buses are just as nice as the regular tourist buses and
sometimes cheaper. Otherwise, you can arrive on any tourist bus from Ho
Chi Minh City or Nha Trang and request to be dropped off in downtown Phan
Thiet. Binh Thuan Tourist, 82 Trung Truc ( 062/816821, binhthuantourist@
hcm.vnn.vn) can also sell tickets and provide information about attractions
and accommodation. For the best maps and a locally-produced guidebook
(in both English and Vietnamese) try the Duc Thanh Bookstore near the Tran
Hung Dao Park and Bridge. Bookstores are Vietnam’s best kept shopping
secret, as they double as gift shops. You can fi nd Cham textiles, ceramics,
lanterns, chimes, maps, dictionaries, and more—all for rock-bottom prices.
No haggling is involved because the prices are set.
To Nha Trang
& N Bus Station
To Ho Chi Minh
Khe Ga, Takou
& LZ Betty
See Phu Hai
Ward
Ocean Dunes Golf Course
Doi Duong Beach, Cafes & Restaurants
PHAN THIET CITY
www.muinebeach.net
PHU HAI WARD
Ca Ty River & Harbor
Port
To Mui Ne
To Phan Thiet
Thu Khoa Huan
Nguyen Tat Thanh
Tran Hung Dao
Hai Thuong Lan Ong
Nguyen Hoi
Railroad
Vo Thi Sau
Tuyen Quang
Tran Phu
Le Hong Phong
Thu Khoa Huan
Duc Thang
Nguyen Thuong
Phu Thuy Ward
Binh Hung Ward
Hung Long Ward
Phu Thuy Ward
Trung Trac
Trung Noi
RESTAURANTS
Bo Bit Tet
Cafe 39
Nelly
Ngoc Chau
ACCOMMODATION
Ca Ty Hotel
Doi Duong Hotel
Novotel Ocean Dunes
CONVENIENCE
Bank
Gas Station
Hospital
Post Office
Protestant Church
Toll Booth
Train Station
SIGHTS
Central City Market
Ho Chi Minh Museum
Orphanage
Phan Thiet Water Tower
Tran Hung Dao Park
Victory Monument
For more info, please visit
www.muinebeach.net © 2007 Adam Bray
14
3
12
13
ABC
9
15
+
11
+
16
5
21
17
468
To Nha Trang
A
B
C
1
2
4
3
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
0 200m
N
3
© 2007 Adam Bray. info@muinebeach.net. See www.muinebeach.net for more information.
BINH THUAN PROVINCE Mui Ne Beach, Phan Thiet & the Binh Thuan Desert
Although largely unpublicized, private luxury trains now arrive at the Phan
Thiet Railway Station on Nguyen Dinh Chieu/Thu Khoa Huan Street, from
Ho Chi Minh City, several times a day. Check with the train station or a local
tour offi ce, as times and prices change periodically.
You can exchange currency, traveler’s cheques, send or receive Western
Union, or withdraw money from an ATM at the Incombank Bank on Nguyen
Tat Tanh, near the Victory Monument. A post offi ce is located further down
the street on the corner of Duc Thang Street. The best place for internet is
on Tuyen Quang Street, also off of Nguyen Tat Tanh.
Accommodations
There are a few places to stay that cater especially to foreign tourists.
Novotel Ocean Dunes & Golf Resort
( 062/822393, www.accorhotels-asia.com/2067, $75-$146) offers
wireless internet, golf, tennis, a swimming pool, restaurants, bar & cafe, and
is situated directly on the beach. They also have one of the few licensed
casinos in the country.
Doi Duong Hotel ( 062/822108, 062/825858, $40-$75), across the
street from the beach, is a high-rise offering tennis courts, a swimming pool,
2 restaurants and a lively nightclub.
Ca Ty Hotel ( 062/815900, 062/816619, www.
catyhotel.com.vn $20-$40) is a high-rise on the Ca
Ty River near the central market. It offers spectacular
views of the mountains, city center, river, harbor
and tower. There is a restaurant on the top fl oor and
internet is available on-site.
Dining
Phan Thiet is a foodie paradise, with its own local
style and delicacies, but it’s rare for a restaurant to
have English menus, let alone English speaking staff,
so invite a Vietnamese speaking friend to join you, or
you may have to use the “point and pray method.”
Phan Thiet cuisine is known for being uniquely sweet,
incorporating local sugar cane, coconut milk and
pineapple in many dishes. As Phan Thiet is the fi sh
sauce capital of Vietnam, you’ll fi nd it liberally added
to everything. Seafood also makes its way into most
dishes, including banh xeo (pancakes with shrimp,
squid and pork), cha gio (spring rolls), and lau (hot pot).
Doi Duong Beach is lined with a plethora of cafes on the east end, and
seafood restaurants on the west end. Tuyen Quang Street is famous for its
many banh xeo restaurants and other small eateries.
Nelly (10am-10pm), on the Corner of Duc Thang & Thu Khoa Huan St, was
opened by an American and serves quality American & Italian food, with
Italian ice cream. They are the only venue with English menus and Englishspeaking
staff.
Bo Bit Tet (7am–10am and 5pm – 10pm) on the corner of Duc Thang &
Thu Khoa Huan St. (Across from Nelly) has fried steak, pâté and eggs with
baguettes.
Café 39 (7am – 10am) on Nguyen Van Troi Near the market, offers the best
pho bo (beef & rice noodle soup) in town.
Ngoc Chau (5pm – 10pm) on Nguyen Tuong St. (next to the billiards hall)
offers a diverse menu of fi ne Vietnamese cuisine.
Phu Hai Orphanage
At capacity, the Phu Hai orphanage ( (062/811788)
has approximately 30-35 children, most of whom are
under 6 years of age. To visit this orphanage, travel
West from Mui Ne, heading towards Phan Thiet. After
you pass the toll at the bottom of the hill below the
Cham towers, take an immediate right before the
Phu Hai bridge. You will pass a school on your right,
and then a large new pagoda (temple). The river will
be on your left all the while. The very next building
on your right will be the orphanage. It is gated and
sits inconspicuously on the hill next to the pagoda.
Visitors will need to bring an interpreter as no one
on site speaks English. The staff is friendly and
welcomes visitors.
The orphanage is clean and well-staffed with caring
individuals, but there are a lot of children for the small
size of the facility. It can always use donations, and
visits are enjoyed by the children and staff alike. If
you wish to bring gifts, the following can always be
used: milk, fruit, cakes and candies; cloths toys; and
school supplies. Please consider supporting the staff
with gifts as well.
4
© 2007 Adam Bray. info@muinebeach.net. See www.muinebeach.net for more information.
BINH THUAN PROVINCE Mui Ne Beach, Phan Thiet & the Binh Thuan Desert
Takou Mountain
Takou is a nature reserve located 30 km southeast of Phan Thiet. Visitors
may hike up the mountain for free or take the gondola (5-minute trip/55,000
VND) through a beautiful tropical rainforest to the pagoda at the top. The
current pagoda was built in 1879 and is surrounded by a series of 3-door
gates, temples, Buddha statues, tomb towers and a cave. Legend says that
a boy once followed the cave all the way to the sea, 20 km away. The main
attraction is Vietnam’s largest reclining Buddha, at 49 meters long.
There is a tourist restaurant at the gondola station, as well as a vegetarian
restaurant at the pagoda. There is a new guesthouse on the mountain (
062/867484, 200,000 VND) that is open to foreigners. The entrance to the
reserve is just of Hwy 1A, west of Phan Thiet.
Khe Ga
The island lighthouse of Khe Ga is the tallest in Vietnam and was built
by the French in 1897. The island is located off Tien Thanh, the longest
continuous beach in the province. It’s a beautiful spot, where large boulders
jut out of enormous, wind-swept dunes. Visitors must be sure to bring proper
sun protection, as this is one of the hottest and most desolate areas of South
East Asia.
Princess D’Annam Resort
( (84.8) 840 9646 (84.8) 840 9647, www.princessannam.com, $40-
$75) offering numerous water sports, horseback riding, swimming pools,
mountain biking, private villas with internet and widescreen tv. Several
restaurants and cafes are on site. $75-$150
Khe Ga is about 45 minutes southwest of Phan Thiet, on a coastal road
leading to Ham Tan. On the way, visitors will drive through the remains of
the American Landing Zone Betty and glimpse a spectacular beachside
canyon.
Mui Ne Beach
MUI NE is Vietnam’s largest and fastest-growing resort community. Until
the solar eclipse of 1995 when thousands fl ocked to the area for the best
glimpse, Mui Ne remained a relatively unknown fi shing community hidden
in the palm groves along the beach, reachable only by a primitive dirt road.
Since then it has become one of the top beach get-a-ways in Vietnam, as
well as the water sports capital of the country. November through March is
windy season, and during this period the bay is crowded with kite boarders
and wind surfers from around the globe.
Jibes (90 D Nguyen Dinh Chieu, 062/847405, www.windsurf-vietnam.
com) is sports central and hosts the popular Vietnam Fun Cup each
February (9th annual is Feb 22-23, 2008). Other established centers include
Airwaves at the Sailing Club (24 D. Nguyen Dinh Chieu, 062/847-440,
www.airwaveskitesurfi ng.com), and Windchimes at Saigon Mui Ne (56 D
Nguyen Dinh Chieu, 0909-720 017, www.windsurfi ng-vietnam.com). All
three rent equipment for varying rates and offer hourly instruction for $10-
$30.
The drawback to the kite boarding trend is that it can make swimming
dangerous during late morning and afternoons when enthusiasts are on the
water. The beach also tends to erode on the West end during windy season,
although it is replenished later in the year. Mui Ne sits in the heart of the
Binh Thuan Desert. As such, it is one of the driest spots in South East Asia.
During the dry season there is typically no rain at all from November through
April, and even during rainy season there is signifi cantly less precipitation
than nearby Phan Thiet.
Current regulations prevent resorts from building higher than the palm trees,
so despite the onslaught of recent development, Mui Ne still maintains an
out-of-the way, tropical atmosphere. A small but active fi shing community
remains at the center of the beach in Ham Tien and Mui Ne Village at the
5
© 2007 Adam Bray. info@muinebeach.net. See www.muinebeach.net for more information.
BINH THUAN PROVINCE Mui Ne Beach, Phan Thiet & the Binh Thuan Desert
Practicalities
Open busses arrive and depart from Ho Chi Minh City ($5/3 hours) and Nha
Trang ($5/5 hours) around noon and midnight. Night busses to and from Mui
Ne should be avoided as they are extremely unreliable and at times unsafe.
Hanh Café (km13, 062/847347) and TM Brothers (across the street,
062/847359) sell bus and train tickets (see Phan Thiet Practicalities for more
info), tours, rent motorbikes ($5-$7/day) and bicycles ($2/day) and provide
a variety of other travel-related services.
There is a single highway in Mui Ne, running the length of the 10 km beach,
with most resorts on the beach side, and most restaurants on the dunes
side. Because everything is so spread out, the best option for getting around
is via motorbike or bicycle.
Many resorts offer unreliable internet, but only Coco Café (121 Nguyen
Dinh Chieu, open 8am till 10pm or later, 7000VND/hr) offers a professional,
high-speed internet café. The biggest inconvenience which plagues Mui Ne
and the surrounding areas are frequent power outages (usually Monday and
Tuesday during daylight hours). Larger resorts and guesthouses have their
own generator to compensate, but never trust your laptop to them, even with
the addition of a surge protector.
east end. Fishermen can be seen hauling their nets to shore early in the
morning along with women gathering shellfi sh.
Mui Ne is a place to simply come and relax, but there are a few sights of
interest renowned for their natural beauty. The white sand dunes are the
most popular spot, about a 45 minute trip by jeep, usually stopping in the
market at Mui Ne Village to pick up refreshments. The red sand dunes (if
you are in a hurry, skip these), red canyons (really more of an eroded bluff,
but it still makes for nice photos), and Fairy Stream (Soui Tien) are all along
the way. Sunrise and sunset are the best times to go for photos and to avoid
the heat, but drivers have a tendency to cut the trip short, so be prepared to
hold your ground. Custom jeep tours range $20-$25 and last a few hours.
Fairy Stream cuts across layers of blood-red, gold, and silver sand dunes
undulating through the countryside. Freshwater crabs and tasty mudfi sh
make their home in the stream, while dollar birds and kingfi shers perch
in the branches above. The walk is about 30 minutes return. Leave your
shoes at the shop near the road for a few VND. You’ll be wading in ankledeep
water all the way to the small waterfall at the other end. A guide is not
necessary.
Mui Ne Village proper is well worth exploring on foot or bicycle. With its
winding roads swept with sand, rows of white-washed shops shaded by
palms, and dooryards lined with cactus fences, it invokes comparisons to
coastal towns in northwestern Mexico, if not for crumbing French-colonial
architecture in the back alleys. The harbor below with it’s brightly painted
wooden fi shing boats make a great photo opportunity.
Bau Trang, or the White Sand Dunes, are an immense Saharan range of
golden and snow-white dunes, 45 minutes drive from Mui Ne. Nestled in
the dunes are two large reservoirs and a series of smaller lakes, which offer
excellent opportunities to see native bird species, including four species of
heron, the red-wattled lapwing and several species of bee-eaters. There
are always village kids standing by, waiting to rent sleds to visitors for “dune
surfi ng.” Bring plenty of water, sunscreen and a hat.
The nearby Thap Poshanu Towers (km5, admission is 2000VND if an
attendant is present, but free much of the time) are a complex of three Cham
towers (the southernmost in Vietnam) that were originally built as a temple to
Shiva in the 8th century. The site offers the best view of Phan Thiet city, the
Ca Ty river, and the surrounding mountains. A pagoda, abandoned French
military outpost, and an excellent shop selling inexpensive Cham crafts are
all located on site.
top: Tap Poshanu Cham Towers
6
© 2007 Adam Bray. info@muinebeach.net. See www.muinebeach.net for more information.
BINH THUAN PROVINCE Mui Ne Beach, Phan Thiet & the Binh Thuan Desert
A number of resorts now have 24-
hr ATM’s or full-fl edged banks (M-F,
7.30am-noon & 1.30-4.30pm) on
site to change currency, and cash
travellers’ checques; including
Tropico, Saigon-Mui Ne, and Swiss
Village.
For more information about Mui Ne
and Binh Thuan province, visit
www.muinebeach.net.
Accommodation
There is a wide range of resorts
and guest houses along the beach
to match every budget, but they
are diffi cult to research on foot
because all the venues are so
spread out. Few places use street
numbers—most still use kilometer
markers (based on the distance
from Phan Thiet. There’s only a little
leeway for room rate negotiation
Keng Resort 72 Nguyen Dinh Chieu,
062/847015, 0909106672, 12 Rooms
& 9 Bungalows with a/c or fans, private
bathrooms with hot water. Tidy and
pleasant, with 2 restaurants. $15-$20
Hai Yen Resort 132 Nguyen Dinh
Chieu, 062/847243. Tidy rooms
with a/c and private bath. Pool tables,
wholesale beverages and jeep rentals.
Located mid-beach. $10
Anh Em (Coco Café) 121 Nguyen
Dinh Chieu, 062/847729. Basic but
tidy rooms with fan and private a/c.
High-speed internet and motorbike
rental. $5
Austria-Vietnam House (Kim
Hong) km 13.5, 062/847047 Nice
rooms with a/c and private bath, or
fan and shared bath. Small swimming
pool. Next to Hanh Café & TM Brothers.
$8-$25
in Mui Ne, and prices are often fi xed
during high season. Booking online
can be problematic because many of
the venues do not check their email
regularly and their websites tend to
come and go. Be very careful about
supplying your credit card info online,
as most of the local resort websites do
not use secure connections.
Budget
Hiep-Hoa
80 Nguyen Dinh Chieu 062/847262,
hiephoatourism@yahoo.com. Clean
and simple with just 12 rooms, offers
friendly service around a small garden.
Rooms with fans or a/c. $12
Saigon Café 168-170D Nguyen Dinh
Chieu, 062/847091, 062/168170.
Offering basic but tidy rooms on the
quieter east side. Includes a restaurant,
ticket offi ce and internet café. $5
Moderate
The Beach 18 Nguyen Dinh
Chieu
062/847626, www.
thebeachresort.com.vn. Cozy
rooms include a/c, satellite TV,
fridge, & sauna on site. $30-$75
Lucy Resort km 18, 062/847017,
www.lucyresort.net. Thatchedroof
bungalows on the east end.
Swimming pool and breakfast
included. $18-45
Blue Ocean 54 Nguyen Dinh
Chieu, 062/847322, www.
blueoceanresort.com. Rooms
include a/c and satellite TV,
surrounding a large swimming
pool, and a Sheridan’s Irish Pub
and Restaurant on site. $30-$150
Huynh Thuc Khang
A
B
1
CD
E F G H
J K L M N O P 9
2 3 4
Q R
S T
5
6
8
10
77
I
Anh Em (see Coco Cafe)
Austria-Vietnam (Kim Hong)
Blue Ocean
Coco Beach Resort
Four Oceans
Full Moon Resort
Hai Yen Resort
Hiep Hoa
Indochina Dreams
Keng Resort
Little Mui Ne Cottages
Lucy Resort
Mai Khanh & Chez Nina
Palmira Resort
Phu Hai Resort
Saigon Cafe
Sailing Club
Seahorse Resort
The Beach
Victoria Phan Thiet Resort
.
P
HJ
GN
Q
MKL
ST
OCARF
DE
B
RESTAURANTS, CAFES & BARS
Forest Restaurant (Rung)
Gecko
Good Morning Vietnam
Hot Rock
Hoang Vu
Jibes
Lam Tong
Luna d'Atunno
Mello
Pho Ba
Pogo
Sailing Club
5246797381
10
F
7
ACCOMMODATION
Dunes Gas Station
Red Sand Dunes
Red Canyon
Fairy Stream
to Bau Me Village
MUI NE VILLAGE
Protestant Church
Gas Station
Market
Market
Tap Poshanu Cham Tower
Coco Internet Cafe
Hanh Cafe
TM Brothers
Overlook
Harbor
Cemetary
to Phan Thiet
& Highway 1A
to open country
to Hon Rom,
White Sand Dune & Bau Trang (16 km),
Nha Trang
Bank
MUI NE / RANG BEACH
GANH BEACH
0 2km
MUI NE BEACH
www.muinebeach.net
HAM TIEN WARD
Nguyen Dinh Chieu
WATER SPORTS
Airwaves (Sailing Club)
Jibes
Windchimes (Saigon-Mui Ne)
R9I
For more information, please visit www.muinebeach.net.
© 2007 Adam Bray
N
7
© 2007 Adam Bray. info@muinebeach.net. See www.muinebeach.net for more information.
BINH THUAN PROVINCE Mui Ne Beach, Phan Thiet & the Binh Thuan Desert
Indochina Dreams 74 Nguyen
Dinh Chieu, 062/847271. Small
and quiet but well managed resort
on the eastern beach. $20-$25
Full Moon Resort, 84 Nguyen
Dinh Chieu, 062/847008, www.
windsurf-vietnam.com. Rooms
include a/c and wireless internet.
One of the top resorts for wind
surfi ng and kite boarding lessons.
$35-$80
Little Mui Ne Cottages 10b Huynh
Thuc Kang, 062/847550-1,
www.littlemuine.com. Tidy rooms
and large bungalows around a
sizable pool in the quiet east end of
the beach. Free wireless internet in
the bar and restaurant. $50-$85
Sailing Club 24 Nguyen Dinh
Chieu, 062/847440, www.
sailingclubvietnam.com. Popular
with water sports enthusiasts &
expats from HCMC, with a large
open bar & restaurant facing the
beach. Beautifully landscaped
with complete privacy for each
bungalow. Suffers from periodic
beach erosion. $55-$100
Mai Khanh & Chez Nina 86
Nguyen Dinh Chieu, T062/847177.
Small but cute bungalows surround
a beautiful garden. Near several
tour companies and Coco Internet
Café. $15-$75
Palmira Resort 14 Nguyen Dinh
Chieu, 062/847373, www.
palmiraresort.com. The domed
main building, art deco styles and
large swimming pool make the look
and feel of this resort distinct. $30-$75
Expensive
Four Oceans 30 Nguyen Dinh Chieu,
(84-62) 741081, 82, 83, www.
bonbienresort.com. Luxurious rooms
surrounding a large pool and beachside
restaurant. Offers water sports with or
without instruction. $75-$150
Seahorse Resort km 11, 062/847547,
www.seahorseresortvn.com, By far
the most luxurious resort in Mui Ne,
with large solitary bungalows lavishly
furnished and spread across a sizable,
well manicured estate. Large pool and
beachside restaurant. $110-$253
Victoria Phan Thiet Resort
km 9, 062/813000, phanthiet@
victoriaresorts-asia.com, Luxuriously
furnished rooms and cottages on a
secluded stretch of beach, the resort
offers a long list of activities including
tennis and horseback riding. $150+
Phu Hai Resort km 8, 062/812799,
www.phuhairesort.com, 80 rooms &
villas nestled in a dense tropical jungle
around a multi-tiered swimming pool
with waterfall, tennis court & full spa.
$75-$150+
Coco Beach Resort 58 Nguyen
Dinh Chieu, 062/847111, www.
cocobeach.net, The fi rst resort to
open in Mui Ne has large villas and
28 thatched-roof wooden bungalows,
all with modern conveniences. The
friendly staff and multiple bars and
restaurants ensure everything you’ll
need for a perfect getaway is right on
site. $85-$210
Restaurants, Bars & Cafes
All the local resorts have at least one restaurant on the premises, but if
you’d like some variety, check across the street, where the restaurants are
often cheaper. Most of the smaller venues offer the standard mix of pseudowestern
backpacker food and popularized Vietnamese dishes, but a few
stand out.
Forest Restaurant (Rung) offers traditional gourmet Vietnamese cuisine, in
an elegant jungle setting. Many of the staff are ethnic Cham from Phan Rang,
some of whom put on nightly shows of live music and dance. A traditional
loom sits in the back where artisans weave Cham textiles. An enormous
contraption at the front of the restaurant produces one of the last remaining
examples of authentic Vietnamese bamboo water music.
Luna d’Atunno and Good Morning Vietnam are the resident Italian
restaurants offering fi ne wine and a large selection of wood-fi red pizzas
(70,000-80,000VND). Good Morning Vietnam is a cut above its sister outlets
throughout Vietnam and takes special orders for home-made breads and
other delights.
Lam Tong next to Jibes, and Huong Vu across from Blue Ocean offer
local Vietnamese, Thai and Chinese dishes in a modest atmosphere.
Typical western favorites are also available. Most dishes range 25,000VND-
35,000VND.
If you’d like to dine with the locals, try Pho Ba (8am-10am and 5pm-9pm),
a roadside hut offering beef and rice noodle soup (7,000VND) on the right,
just as you come to Mui Ne Beach from Phan Thiet. Ham Tien Market in the
center of the beach is a great place to catch breakfast up to 11 am, and the
Mui Ne Village market is a great place to get a cheap dinner or late snacks
(5pm-10pm).
Nightlife in Mui Ne still doesn’t compare to Saigon or Nha Trang, but it
has been picking up in recent years. Jibes, 90 Nguyen Dinh Chieu, with its
loud dance beats and lively bar is the favorite spot for backpackers and the
kite boarding crowd, while the more subdued Hot Rock, 12.5km, and the
Sailing Club, 24 D Nguyen Dinh Chieu, are especially favored by expats.
Newcomers to the scene include Mellow, Pogo and Gecko, where pool
tables and loud music are also to be found.
8
© 2007 Adam Bray. info@muinebeach.net. See www.muinebeach.net for more information.
BINH THUAN PROVINCE Mui Ne Beach, Phan Thiet & the Binh Thuan Desert
Ca Na & Vinh Hao
The road North to VINH HAO and CA NA leads past Whiskey Mountain,
a solitary peak that once supported a small American military outpost and
helicopter pad. Plantations of enormous green dragon cactus line Highway
1, with long white fl owers and fl orescent pink fruit the size of ostrich eggs,
decorating their octopus-like arms. Soon the dragons and rice pattie gives
way to the Binh Thuan Desert where vast dunes sweep across the parched
countryside. The area is prone to drought and sand storms during dry season.
Passing through the town of Cho Lau and the quaint fi shing port of Phan Ri
Cua, you may notice ethnic Cham residents wearing traditional clothing. The
men wear long white robes and turbans with red accents. As you venture
closer to Phan Rang, you will
travel deeper into the heart
of the Champa kingdom and
see ancient red temples on
the hillsides.
At Vinh Hao and Ca Na the
rocky mountains tumble into
the sea in one of the most
rugged landscapes in the
country. This is a seismically
active area. Water at the Vinh
Hao mineral hot springs
is bottled and sold across
the nation. Upwelling in the
bay contributes to some of
the best coral reefs in the
country, which are the main attraction. In the reefs surrounding Cu Lao Hon
Island there are 147 known species of coral, 46 crustacean species and
211 recorded species of fi sh. To explore this underwater paradise, you’ll
want to stay at Vietnam Scuba, 062/853917, 062/853918, www.
vietnamscuba.com, in Vinh Hao, 100 km NorthEast of Phan Thiet. The
comfortable resort offers convenient bungalows overlooking the bay. Room,
3 meals and a day of diving costs $130. Night diving is also available.
Three kilometers away, Ca Na is an active fi shing village on the border of
Ninh Thuan Province, and offers some great hiking in the mountains or a
chance to explore the village. A steep climb up to Lac Son Pagoda provides
a spectacular view of the bay. Although there are a few hotels in Ca Na,
unless you are looking for complete isolation from other foreign tourists, and
don’t mind the sounds of traffi c from the highway, there’s little reason to stay
in Ca Na overnight.
About the Author & This Edition
Adam Bray is a travel writer, location scout and translator closely tied to the
tourism and entertainment industries in Vietnam. He’s written for a number
of publications, including Transitions Abroad, Things Asian Press, eChip and
Entertainment Vietnam. He has lived in Vietnam for more than two years, with
further adventures across Thailand, Cambodia, China, New Zealand, the UK
and even archeology in Israel. Previously Adam worked with orangutans
and bonobos (including the infamous Kanzi) in a world-renowned anguage
research program, as well as 80 chimpanzees at the Primate Foundation
of Arizona. His work brought him in touch with the likes of Jane Goodall,
Francine Patterson and Sue Savage-Rumbaugh. Adam also has music
interests with a new album
available on iTunes titled
“Under a Tamarind Tree.”
Meanwhile, he has recently
worked on promotional
projects for companies such
as Coke, Microsoft, Disney,
Visa and Dell.
This guide is the fi rst in a series
of free guidebooks written and
produced by Adam Bray in
conjunction with MuiNeBeach.
net. Keep an eye out for future
free guides to other popular
locations within South East
Asia in the coming months.
All prices given are in US dollars or Vietnam Dong. While we have made
an effort to be as accurate as possible, prices change frequents and some
errors are inevitable. We welcome feedback and corrections from readers.
This guide is provided free for personal, non-commercial use only. It
may not be posted online at any website other than MuiNeBeach.net.
This guide may not be resold, incorporated within another publication
or redistributed by another business or organization without written
permission.
Mui Ne Harbor
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