Mũi Né
Coastal resort featuring sweeping beaches and stark desert dunes
The sweeping golden sands of Rang Beach that stretch between Mui Ne and Phan Thiet are only around three hours’ drive from Ho Chi Minh City, and are a world apart from the hustle and bustle of the big smoke. Several miles of ramshackle hotels line the beach, and at the time of our visit there didn’t appear to be any international resorts, which added to the charm. Besides the beach life and kite surfing, the area also boasts an expansive set of white sand dunes inland.
We stayed for two nights in December 2006 at Coco Beach Resort, about halfway between the two nearby towns, a German-run property with thatched huts on the beachfront, and a delicious tasting menu in the restaurant. As far as I can tell at the time of writing in 2026, sadly the resort closed down during COVID and has since been partly demolished. We also visited the nearby sand dunes for some ill-advised attempts at sandboarding, but for me it was the other-worldly scenery of pure sand dunes in an otherwise lush tropical country that were the most interesting.
I approach across the burning sands of the Vietnamese Sahara. Although at the standard temperature of around 30 Celsius, it was very windy and we got quite well sandblasted.
Traipsing across the endless dunes, mile after mile.
The dunes sit by a small lake, which although it looks inviting in this picture, I was uncertain of the wisdom of going for a dip.
First attempt at sand sledging, a bit of a risk when you could end up head-first in the green lake.
More sand sledging, as aided by a local young sledge-wala.
Local farmers drive their herd across the road back into town.
Mui Ne harbour is a cacophony of fishing boats.
Our accommodations at Coco Beach Resort, with a local prawn seller on the beach.
We had a very comfortable thatched cottage for our stay, complete with veranda overlooking the South China Sea.
The view from our hut – it was a very relaxing stay indeed.
Looking east along Rang Beach towards Mui Ne town and the sand dunes.
For those not content to loll on the beach, or slide down the sand, the constant strong wind and warm water makes Mui Ne and Phan Thiet an excellent destination for kitesurfing.
Created 2026
SnapHappyRoss 
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