Mũi Né

Mũi Né, on the coast of what was Binh Thuan province and is now part of Lam Dong, began as a fishing village and has grown into a long strip of beach resorts, but what sets it apart is the desert-like landscape just inland. Two sets of sand dunes rise near the town: the white dunes, a broad expanse of pale sand beside a lake that looks startlingly like the Sahara, and the red dunes, smaller ochre hills close to the beach where children rent plastic sledges to slide down. A shallow stream has cut a miniature canyon of soft, coloured sandstone called the Fairy Stream, which you wade up barefoot. Back on the coast, the town keeps its working fishing harbour, crowded with round basket boats, and the steady wind that funnels along this shore has made Mũi Né one of Asia's leading spots for kitesurfing and windsurfing. It is a relaxed, slightly quirky beach base within reach of Ho Chi Minh City.

Highlights

• The white dunes - the broad pale desert of sand beside a lake inland.
• The red dunes - the ochre hills by the coast, sledged down on plastic sheets.
• The Fairy Stream - the shallow stream cutting a small canyon of coloured sandstone.
• Kitesurfing and the fishing harbour - the windy bay and the basket-boat fleet.

When to go

November to April is the dry season and, with the strongest steady wind, the peak time for kite and windsurfing; the dunes are best visited at sunrise or sunset to avoid the fierce midday heat and glare. The wet season is greener but rainier. The coast is warm year-round.

Good to know

The resort strip is long and strung out along a busy road rather than a charming town, and some visitors find it lacks a centre or character beyond the dunes and the beach. The dune tours can be a hard sell, with quad bikes, sledge-hire touts and set sunrise-jeep circuits that feel commercial. The beach itself has suffered erosion in places. It works best as a two-night stop for the dunes, wind and relaxation rather than a long stay.

Nearby

The Cham towers of Po Shanu are near Phan Thiet; Da Lat is up in the highlands to the north.

Key facts