From a strip of land projecting into the sea which was used to be a safe shelter for fishermen to avoid storms during their trips out to sea, Mui Ne in Phan Thiet, Binh Thuan province has become a “resort paradise” in the region, attracting a large numberof domestic and foreign tourists.

From a strip of land projecting into the sea which was used to be a safe shelter for fishermen to avoid storms during their trips out to sea, Mui Ne in Phan Thiet, Binh Thuan province has become a “resort paradise” in the region, attracting a large number of domestic and foreign tourists.

Sea Links City is a five-star resort complex located in Mui Ne, Phan Thiet. Photo: Hoang Ha/VNP

“Resort Capital” in Vietnam

During our stay in the “Resort Capital”, we met Le Cuong and his wife who moved from Hanoi to live in Mui Ne more than 30 years ago. The couple bought an apartment in the Sea Link City Resort area in Mui Ne ward, Phan Thiet, Binh Thuan province since it was still a new project just starting construction.

“Initially, my wife and I planned to buy the apartment for our family’s vacations during the summer. However, after living here for a short time, we like the mild weather, fresh air and year round sunshine, which is very good for our health and it is only 200km from Ho Chi Minh City,” said Le Cuong.

Romance abounds in the infinity pool at Centara Mui Ne. Photo: Le Minh/VNP

Visiting their two-story apartment which is modern and smart with a very airy design, we like the wonderful living space and environment in the coastal town in South Central Vietnam.

According to Le Cuong, air conditioners are not needed in this place because opening a windowthe sea breeze blows in. The apartments here were designed very carefully with each having a view of the sea.

Located on a high hill, Sea Links City is the largest and most exclusive resort complex in Mui Ne - Phan Thiet with 188 rooms of the fivestar Sea Links Beach hotel and 315 luxurious Sea Links villas nestled next to an 18 hole beautifully landscaped golf course. There are 338 luxury apartments with views of the East Sea and the majestic RD wine castle. It is one of the best  choices for vacations thanks to its full services, beautiful landscapes and views of Mui Ne bay.

Besides the Sea Links City Resort, Mui Ne currently has hundreds of resorts and other luxury hotels scattered along the coast, from the gateway of Phan Thiet city to Hon Rom - the end point of Mui Ne. It is impossible not to mention popular places to stay, such as the Cliff, Romana resort, Sailing Club, Centara Mirage, Anantara and Terracotta which provide tourists with impressive vacations and wonderful experiences. Therefore, Mui Ne is known as a “Resort Capital” in Vietnam.

Saying farewell to the family of Le Cuong and Nguyen Thiet, we selected Centara Mirage resort located on Hon Rom bay in Mui Ne ward as the next stop. The resort was built in a liberal Mediterranean-Spanish style on an area of up to 1,000ha. It opened at the end of 2021, contributing to the diversity of the “resort paradise” of Mui Ne.

To find out more about Mui Ne, we visited a series of high-class resorts and hotels with diverse Asian and European designs, from ancient to modern, running along the coast with beautiful white sand beaches where tourists can windsurf, swim or sunbathe.

Mui Ne also boasts fresh, delicious seafood prepared in the local style in restaurants along the beach. Tourists will never forget the taste of oysters and snails grilled with sliced onions and cooking oil and served with fresh vermicelli and pure Phan Thiet fish sauce.

Becoming the Top Destination in the Region

Mui Ne has been approved by the Vietnamese Government to develop into a national tourist area with a vision from 2040 to 2050 and become a leading destination in the region.

Mui Ne national tourist area is being planned on a total area of 14,760ha in three coastal localities of Phan Thiet, Bac Binh district and Tuy Phong district. In addition to a favorable climate, beautiful beaches and amazing landscapes, Mui Ne also has many well-known cultural and historical places which are imbued with features of the coastal area. They include the complex of Po Sah Inu ancient Cham towers (Phu Hai ward) with the traditional Kate festival of the indigenous Cham; Duc Thanh school on the Ca Ty river where President Ho Chi Minh lived and worked as a teacher in 1910; Van Thuy Tu communal house built in 1762 which displays the largest whale skeleton in Vietnam, Tien stream (Ham Tien ward) with a gentle stream of fresh water flowing between two red sand hills, wild and peaceful Rom Islet and Mui Ne fishing village.

Motorcycle racing on the white sand dunes of Bau Trang. Photo: Huu Thanh

The Cham community spiritual leaders (Binh Thuan) are preparing offerings at the Po Sah Inu tower in Phan Thiet during the Kate festival. Photo: Nguyen Thang/VNP

There is also a seven-color rock beach in Binh Thanh commune, Tuy Phong district which was recognized by the Vietnam Record Book Center as the “rock beach with the most shapes and colors in Vietnam” and the freshwater lake of Bau Trang in the middle of immense sand dunes (Hoa Thang commune, Bac Binh district). Mui Ne is also one of the 50 best beaches in the world and top beaches in Asia for windsurfing. Many wind-surfing and kite-surfing competitions have been organized there, attracting the participation of a large number of athletes from many countries around the world.

Mui Ne national tourist area is also easily connected with other tourist attractions in Binh Thuan as well as in the region to reach the target of optimizing its tourism potential, ensure socio-economic efficiency, improve the quality of the locals’ living standard and turn Mui Ne into an international tourist center and the leading destination in the Asia-Pacific region.

Currently, Binh Thuan is on the list of 10 outstanding tourist provinces of Vietnam and Mui Ne has become one of the six national tourist areas of the country. Going to Mui Ne national tourist area, visitors will have a chance to experience unique and impressive types of tourism such as sightseeing, sea sports and sea and island religious tourism.

Bui The Nhan, Director of Binh Thuan Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism said that the province's tourism industry has made great efforts to build a brand of tourism associated with the organization of international events. As a result, in the first half of 2022, when the COVID-19 epidemic was successfully controlled, the number of tourists

going to Phan Thiet reached more than 1.9 million, an increase of 30% over the same period last year. The number of foreign tourists was 20,640 foreign visitors, an increase of 20% and the revenue is estimated at 3,700 billion dong (155 million US dollars), up 3% over the same period in 2021.

After 30 years since of having separated from Thuan Hai province (1992), Binh Thuan has made a strong development in its tourism industry which not only affirms its brand, but also continues growing and has become a bright spot on the tourist map of Vietnam. Mui Ne alone has also seen spectacular developments and has become a popular beach destination, worthy of the title, "resort paradise". 

During the Northeast monsoon season, various water sports such as surfing, kitesurfing, and windsurfing attract many tourists. Photo:Huu Thanh

On October 24, 1995, Phan Thiet unexpectedly welcomed hundreds of thousands of tourists after being determined by scientists as the best place to observe the last total solar eclipse of the 20th century. since the event, the untapped tourism potential of Phan Thiet has been discovered, surveyed and then attracted a wave of large-scale investment in the building of resorts. With its rapid development, Mui Ne - Phan Thiet has become a “Resort Capital” in Vietnam”.

Story: Son Nghia/VNP - Photos: Nguyen Thang, Huu Thanh, Hoang Ha & Le Minh

 Translated by Hong Hanh