Mui Ne Tour: Fairy Stream + The Famous White & Red Sand Dunes
When I looked at our itinerary and checked Mui Ne online, Google presented me with photos of red sand dunes and a fairy stream.
I didn’t know Vietnam has sand dunes!?
And here I am, contributing to the thousands of Google Results for Mui Ne. Mui Ne is a beach resort town along the South China Sea in Southeast Vietnam. It is one of the popular weekend destinations from Ho Chi Minh. You can get to Mui Ne via a 4-hour bus ride from Ho Chi Minh.
DIY Vietnam Travel Itinerary
Sleeper Bus from Ho Chi Minh to Mui Ne
Mui Ne Red Sand Dunes and Fairy Stream
Crazy House in Da Lat, Vietnam
We joined the half-day tour around Mui Ne which we purchased in our hostel for roughly $5.25. We boarded a tour bus together with the other backpackers/tourists staying in the hostel.
Fairy Stream
Our first stop was the Fairy Stream. I have seen a vlog about this whimsically named attraction in Mui Ne and I honestly did not expect fairies to live here.
We paid 5,000 VND (around Php 11 or .22 cents) to enter the Fairy Stream. We left our slippers in the entrance and started walking down the ankle-deep stream. I have to be honest, the sight was not very pleasing in the first few steps with locals sitting on the trunks in front of makeshift stores. As we went further, the place opened up to rock formations, bamboo forests, and red and white sand dunes.
Karla and I took our sweet time, while the rest of our “tour mates” went ahead. It started drizzling and we decided to go back (because we were clueless what time we need to go back to the bus).
We asked some tourists who were walking back to check what was at the end of the road/stream, and they just said that they all decided to go back because it was raining.
I am normally not comfortable to walk barefoot through a flooded road but this place is quite decent and clean. It was a challenge to use the camera and phone though.
I would say, it is still worth a visit to go to Fairy Stream because I haven’t seen or been to such a place.
Mui Ne Fishing Village
Our next stop was the Fishing Village. We stopped at the main road, but I decided not to go down. It was already raining, and I thought, it was not the kind of beach view that I wanted to see. But I get it, it is a fishing village and not a beach. From where I was sitting in the bus, I saw the popular boat baskets parked on the shore. It would have been nice to take a photo if only it wasn’t raining.
White Sand Dunes
The truth is, I didn’t know there are sand dunes in Vietnam!
The White Sand Dunes is the biggest and more scenic dune and is known as Bau Trang or White Lake by the locals.
I haven’t been to a real desert and I can only compare it to Paoay, Ilocos’ sand dunes. [edit: I have also been to Guam’s!] But what can I say, Vietnam’s Sand Dunes are still a sight to behold.
But seriously, how did they get there?! Sand Dunes are formed when wind blows sand into a sheltered area.
At the entrance, there are 4×4 ATV Rides that tourists can rent (for $20 USD – no thank you). But we decided to just walk since I have already experienced riding 4×4 Ride in Ilocos. It was a bit challenging to walk because the sand is loose and fine. I felt like the dune would swallow me alive.
Vietnam’s Sand Dunes is massive and vast, and gives a nice background of good landscape. They say that Vietnam’s White Sand Dunes change in shape and landscape as the wind blows.
The Famous Red Sand Dunes in Vietnam
The Red Sand Dunes is a smaller dunes in Mui Ne, Vietnam and it is RED!! It is not because of the rays of the sun (or my filter), but it is really RED! It is a popular destination for sand-boarding or they call it sand-sledging.
We skipped the sand-boarding activity (already tried it in Paoay, Ilocos) but for those who haven’t tried it, I would recommend that you go and join the kids. It is a great activity to stretch some muscles (as if walking around the sand dunes is not enough exercise). For those who are curious, I hit 20,000 steps on that day.
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The following day, we checked out early and headed to Da Lat.
If you guys want to check out the photos of where we stayed in Mui Ne, you can view more photos Mui Nei Hills Backpackers
Budget and Expenses for Vietnam Day 2:
Sleeper Bus from Ho Chi Minh: Php 230
Food (Lunch and Dinner) Php 631
Mui Ne Tour: Php237.20
Hotel Room Share: Php 852
(you can get a bed space for as low as Php 500)
Bottled Water: Php 22.50 x 2
Fairy Stream Entrance: Php 11
Total: Php 2,006.20
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