18. Simple pleasures in the tropical scenery of Mui Ne, Vietnam

By Filipe Morato Gomes	Where is Mui Ne?
I found a charming bungalow somewhere in the long beach of Mui Ne and let myself relax in the tropical beauty of this Vietnamese paradise. Mui Ne is the kind of place where time passes very slowly and pleasantly but, fortunately or not, many travellers prefer the livelier Nha Trang a few hours north of Mui Ne. As for me, I could have stayed for ages in this part of Vietnam but other surprises were waiting for me further south.

The charming little Mui Ne is not yet part of the route of most travellers that travel along the coast of Vietnam. Many prefer the bustle of Nha Trang, a four-hour journey northwards, a typical summer-holiday town, with countless and varied offers concerning accommodation, restaurants, bars, nightlife and a considerable number of thieves and prostitutes. And then most travellers head straight to Saigon (Ho Chi Min), an interesting big city far southwards.

A view from Mui Ne beach, between Nha Trang and Saigon (Ho Chi Minh), Vietnam

I stopped in Nha Trang just the time required to get a feeling of the village and swam for the first time in the ocean since I had left Portugal. But a few days latter I was on a bus heading to the quiet village of Mui Ne. I better hurry up before the mass tourism doesn't get there.

I foresee that Mui Ne will soon turn into a mega tourist resort area where countless groups of retired French tourists may spend days of absolute rest between a glass of Bordeaux red wine and the smoke of pipe whiffed by the sea. Fortunately it is not the case so far. But it doesn't take long. Lots of bigger and better quality hotels are already built in the area, which is not a good sign for those who prefer a sort of more basic tourism, contact with nature, quietness and lack of neon on the streets.

While the transformation does not become definitive in this part of Vietnam, Mui Ne is a beautiful twenty kilometres long stretch of sandy land, full of basic and cosy guesthouses, charming bungalows right on the beach and a handful of more luxurious hotels, not for independent travellers. And it still keeps the charm of those tropical paradises where times passes really slowly and where you don't feel like escaping from. I mean places where the most intense pleasures are such simple things as reading a book under the refreshing shade of a coconut-tree. Or just getting out of bed straight for a dive in the sea, twenty metres ahead. Or, even earlier, staring at the sunrise sitting on the sand, while dozens of boats come back from their fishing journey and local fishermen pull the nets ashore. Or, at night, feeling delighted with a tasty grilled fish having the moon as lamp and the endless sound of the waves as ambience music.

Enjoying a quiet afternoon at Hiep Hoa guesthouse, Mui Ne beach

Sure I have experienced all those things, but you should not think one can just relax in Mui Ne. For the most active travellers, moreover, Mui Ne is an excellent place to spend some days training hard the body's muscles. Mainly for those who love sea sports which depend on the quality of the winds, as kite-surf and windsurf. The winds are strong during almost all the day, perfect for those sports. And the simple fact that you can observe the kite-surfers take-off with their boards, making unbelievable pirouettes some metres above sea level is, by itself, a unique show. On the other hand, if you feel like be active and trying it, you surely pay for what you get. A one hour lesson with a qualified instructor costs 75 dollars, which, for the average backpacker, might be the daily budget for several days travelling in the Vietnam.

Just like some other foreigners that fell in love with Mui Ne and never left it, I myself felt that I could stay in Mui Ne much longer. However, more intense experiences were waiting for me in the southern end of the Vietnam. After the sweet perfume of the sea, I prepared myself for the terrible heritage the war has left the beautiful country of Vietnam.

(originally written in Portuguese)

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