We left Saigon in the morning via the Open Sleeper Buses. The trip took approximately 5 hours. I really insisted the sleeper bus because it is so cute and comfy. It was my first time to see such bus. It looks like a mobile dormitory. FYI, You can travel from Saigon to Hanoi via these sleeper buses. You can do hop on hop off every place across Vietnam. ( this could have been a very exciting adventure If i did it when I went to Ho Chi Minh, but because of time constraints and yes i will be crossing borders to Cambodia and Thailand, I have to just do it next time. boohoo )
Take the Sleeper Bus going to Mui Ne.
the whole trip from Saigon to Muine is about 5 hours. We paid around 15 USD for the trip. They give out free water. You will be given a plastic to wrap your shoes. I do not know if it is because of a certain belief or just because they want the floor to be clean. The Size of the bed will fit a typical small sized asian. Imagine how relaxing it is for me? hahaha. 6 footers can just fit snugly into the bed. They have to do the fetus style sleeping position. supermassive lol =D
Since we did not have a hotel to stay coz we never planned to stay overnight in Mui Ne, We decided to just do the sand dunes tour. We asked around for the best price for the jeep tour which will take us to The yellow and red Sand Dunes, The Fairy Stream and the Fishing market.
THERE IS NO AVAILABLE CAR OR JEEP. oh no. It is New Year, there were no more slots to take us in for a tour. I was losing hope. Then it popped into us to just rent a motorbike and ask around for the directions. Time is running out. We have to see the sand dunes before Mr. Sun rests.
Rent a Motorbike and Drive around Mui Ne.
You can rent a motorbike for 6-8 USD and drive around Mui Ne. It was way better than getting the tour since it is cheaper, and we own our time. Tours will usually be on a tight schedule coz you will be sharing the jeep with other tourists.
The Great Sand Dunes Experience
My only reason why I went to Mui Ne instead of Na Thrang( i wanted to go to Vinpearl Diamond Bay and try their Cable car) or Dalat ( more like Baguio City, Philippines ) — the Sand Dunes.
I am so proud I took this photo with just my phone. =D This is not Dubai kids.
I have been wanting to see the Sahara. At least going to Mui Ne, made me feel like I am near the greatest desert in the cosmos.
Good thing I am not Eremikophobic. ❤
Sand Sledding
Rent a plastic sled for 1USD. the sand has a super fine texture, but according to my taste buds, they are not really delish. ( i swallowed a bit. hahaha. I was screaming on the way down the sand hill. lol )
- If you will be renting a motorbike going to the sand dunes, You can park them at some stores on the opposite side. Just buy drinks from them and you can park for free.
Sipping Fresh coconut juice on a hammock like a boss. This is the life =D
Get Lost and Stumble upon this Red Hill.
The Hill is being developed into a village of some sort. It is privately owned. Good thing we were lost and curious. We opened ourselves an amazing surprise.
After the Sand Dunes, we looked for the Red canyon. It is difficult to ask around the locals because most of them cannot speak English. What we only have is a small business card of a certain travel agency with a small map at the back. They cannot understand the map. sheesh. oh well. keep driving.
Along the road, we noticed bright brick red colored soil atop the hill so we went up. It is a construction site. A village on top of a hill overlooking the majestic sea = heavenly.
The Famous Fishing Market
The Mui Ne Fishing Village got popular when people flocked here during a Solar eclipse few years back. as it has a very good view of the Phenomenon.
The colorful boats ornate the blue sea and creates a very nice view. We watched the sunset ( i am crazy about sunset and sunrise btw )at the Fishing Village with lots of people — tourists and locals alike.
You can of course buy fresh fishes at the market and dine in some restos along the beach while sipping beer. wonderful.
Dip your feet into the Fairy Stream.
You can ride an ostrich on a stable along the stream. I wish I could have tried that! anyway I ate an ostrich for lunch, so somehow I have experienced ostrich in Mui Ne. ( i love animals. I only eat few species )
We did not have time that much to walk until the end of the stream because It is already dark. I am actually frightened of dipping my foot on unclear water. I always want to see my foot and the surface I am stepping on. Luckily, the water is just ankle high and cold enough to relax my tired foot. ( I am still nervous every time I make a step though. I imagine stepping on something that will bite me or a rock that can cut through my skin. seriously. )
I did not enjoy my Fairy stream visit mainly because I was not able to finish the whole of it. I can’t see much because It is already dark. Actually the place is beautiful by day. You can appreciate the rock formations and the surrounding floras. So, visit this place earlier.
Eat.
My First Ostrich, frog and Crocodile. Bon Appetit!
We arrived after lunch time. It was so hot and I was so hungry. Numerous Restaurants line up the NDC Street, so food will never be an issue here. We ate at Smoky House. It was the nearest and the ambiance is good. I ate exotic food for the first time. ( oh, Balut was the first. so These are secondsss. haha ) The taste was fine. But I still prefer my super cheap Pinoy street food. – Chicken intestines(ISAW) and chicken Blood (BETAMAX).
Chicken and Pesto and Tiramisu ( the best I ever had )
Mr. Tan’s look from the outside may not be as inviting as the other restaurants around and they do not have their own Wi-fi (sorry, I really prefer eating in a place where there is wifi, especially when I am traveling. =D ),but You will surely be surprised of how delicious their food are.
Swim and Kitesurf.
Kill me. I did not do these two amazing things which are actually two of the top activities in Mui Ne. Tagged as the resort capital of vietnam , This place is flocked by many kitesurfing enthusiasts.
I want to try Kitesurfing one day. watch this video clips. learn the best tricks. lol
Try Vietnamese Massage.
The bus which will be taking us back to Saigon will be arriving at 1 AM. So after dinner, we decided to have Massage first. The price range of an hour of Full body massage will be around 10USD. Luckily establishments were having their New Year Promotions, so all of them are having great discounts. we had our massage for about 7USD only. The reason we went for a massage actually is just to take a shower. We were itching already because of the sun exposure and sand sticking onto our skin.
Too Sleepy and Rushing to finish this post,
Fat Kid Van
Maria went to town 