From Greenwich Village, NYC.
I see hits for Phan Thiet & Mui Ne, so here's what I have to say:


Phan Thiet is to a Saigonnese as the Hamptons are to a New Yorker.
Just 200km and a few hours from the hot dusty city of Sai Gon is the South China Sea and the Pacific Coast Highway. We're not talking PCH in Santa Monica, either. Sure, it's paved, though there aren't any paint lines and you're sure to see great big trucks alongside flip-flopped six-year-olds on girl friday bicycles sans helmet while double riding another kid on the back all in the same lane. Part of the typical Vietnamese scenery envelops you along your journey to the beautiful cape of Mui Ne Bay and the small coastal fishing town of Phan Thiet. On the drive alone, I got my first photo of a huge ox, saw medusa-like crops of dragon fruit (a brilliant pink pod fruit with green leafy tentacles), was amused by the parks and people of small towns, and was tortured by the tacky Vietnamese architecture.

I returned to Phan Thiet & Mui Ne often for the peace and luxury it offered as well as the kind camaraderie and hospitality I received from the directors of two resorts in particular, as well as their staff. Phan Thiet is my true motherland -- mom was born and raised there where she and her nine siblings would bathe from a well in front of the home -- and I found a great love for the town and its people. A trip to Phan Thiet and Mui Ne's beaches can also include a few excursions, to the red sand dunes where kids offer you a plastic sheet from which to slide down the hilly dunes, or the 13th Century Cham Temples. Every visit to Vietnam should include at least a three day stay (I prefer five) in Phan Thiet for the breathtaking sunsets over the South China Sea.

Vietnam Photos of Halong Bay, Phan Thiet, and other Vietnam highlights.


The South China Sea, Mui Ne, VIETNAM.