Mui Ne, located in the south of Vietnam, is five hours by car from Ho Chi Minh City which I and some others still call Saigon. They say they are going to build an airport in Mui Ne but I haven’t seen any activity so we hired a car and driver to get us there but there are also buses. The ride, while long, is fairly interesting as it goes through towns past rubber plantations and dragon fruit farms. The Mui Ne area becomes quite windy most afternoons which makes it one of the best places for kite boarding. Watching kite boarding is like watching a campfire – mesmerizing.
Besides enjoying the beach there are other things to do such as visiting the sand dunes but the newest attraction is the Fishermen Show. I saw an advertisement saying that the new Fishermen Show was a two million dollar, multi-media cultural presentation. When I contacted them they said that would not open for several weeks. Then, a couple days later they emailed saying they would be having a presentation that night. So
we went. I think the reason for the impromptu presentation was because several tour buses wanted to take their clients but there were only a few others. For $20 we got VIP seats. The auditorium is huge but only about one-tenth full. The show started with cultural dances from several countries including Russia and Vietnam. The most amazing part was the colorful water fountain show that served as the backdrop for all the stage presentations. It made Bellagio’s look like child’s play. The
story was the legend of the fishing village and, of course, a classic love story with good guys and bad guys. On the side of the stage were electronic storyboards translating what was being said into English and Russian. The acting and costuming were excellent but the show still needs polishing. The acoustics were a bit harsh but the thing they need to fix first
are the steps which are an accident waiting to happen. It is not handicap accessible. I would like to return when it has been perfected. I was surprised to find such an expensive production in Mui Ne. Even though the area is famed for kite boarding there are many families with young children who will enjoy the show.
While in Mui Ne we checked out a couple of other hotels. There are accommodations for every pocketbook from backpackers to luxury-seekers. One of the hotels we visited was the high-end Victoria Phan Thiet. The hotel is lovely but it is located away from the city which didn’t appeal to us since we like to walk the streets in the evenings, listen to the singers, and
then find a little place to eat. (meals are usually about $3) Many places are losing their beach to erosion but Victoria is trying something new. They have put down Geotubes - long tubes made of a flexible plastic that are laid down close to the shoreline. The theory is that the waves will bring in the sand, deposit it on the shore side of the tube and eventually build up the beach. It is considered a better and more eco-friendly solution to beach erosion that what people have been using. The one at the Victoria has only been in place for one year but it looked like it might be working.
