Top Phan Thiet Hotels

The attraction of Phan Thiet is the beaches. Although there are not too many to choose from, what are available are quite good, clean and tranquil. About 10 minutes from town is the longest and popular Mui Ne beach. It can be considered as the main tourist area as most of the resorts are located here. Mui Ne is a long, straight and narrow road with resorts by the beach and a handful of restaurants on the other side. The water is not crystal clear but the beach is broad and you can walk for miles on the fine sandy beach fringed by rows of palm trees. As most of the resorts are set apart from each other, peace and privacy are pretty much guaranteed.

A similarly attractive beach and a more exclusive choice can be found right in front of the Novotel Coralia Resort Ocean Dunes. Since it is the only hotel here, do not be surprised to have the beach to yourself. The other attraction of this resort is the 18-hole golf course designed by Nick Faldo which is so far the only one in town. The scenic course features some challenging holes with stunning ocean views and sand dunes. Green fees range from USD 45-70 but hotel guests enjoy lower rates.

For a nicer more idyllic beach, you need to venture further a field. A good 1½ hours drive away is Ca Na Beach which promises pristine turquoise water and white sandy beach.

The Red Sand Dunes in Mui Ne draws a steady stream of curious crowds. The climb up to the top is fairly steep but manageable - proper footwear helps. Once at the peak, the view is magnificent, the smooth velvety mounds cascade up and down like giant folds of silk fabric, leaving one to feel almost ashamed to leave footprints over the flawless formation. With the shift of winds, the dunes take on a different character at each visit. You can either slowly work your way down from the dunes or take the quick and fun way - slide down on a plastic sheet.

By day, Phan Thiet town is a vibrant commercial area for the fishing industry. The best time to capture the delights of this little fishing harbour is in the early morning when the entire place has a lively buzz - there are fishes of all shapes and sizes and the local housewives come to bargain for the day's catch. The place is a little messy, noisy and the air smells fishy but still it is about the most action you will get in town. There are some good pictures to be taken as well, the colorful traditional boats that dock in the river right in the center of town or the man with his cart piled high with ice rushing for a timely delivery.

While in town, be sure to hop over to the Thuy Tu Fishermen Association where fishermen come to pay their respect to the Gods of the Sea. This association looks like a Chinese temple and is quite an intriguing place to visit. Over a century ago, whales were frequently spotted in the surrounding coast of Phan Thiet and fishermen believed they were Gods of the Sea who guided and protected them. When a whale died, their remains were brought back and buried in the grounds of the association. After 3 years the bones were placed in a pagoda for worship. Inside the association, different rooms store tons of whale bones, some over 100 years old. On display is the preserved bone structure of an enormous fin whale that is over 120 years old, 22 meter long and weighs over 65 tons. This ritual is still practiced today and the last whale burial was in 2002.

Also in town is the Ho Chi Minh Museum, which has a rather neglected feel. The museum has mainly newspaper clippings and old photographs of the country during the revolution under the revered and affectionately known, Uncle Ho. If interested, bring along a guide for translation as most of the literature is in Vietnamese. Across from the museum is a small school and garden that is kept in memory of Ho Chi Minh who lived and taught there while he was in Phan Thiet. The locals are proud of this visit and even the trees in the garden that have lived longer than their "hero" earn a certain respect.

When it comes to eating out in Phan Thiet, the choices are quite limited but what is there is generally excellent. As a newly developing tourist town, one can expect the dining options to change quite rapidly, it is worth checking with the hotel what is current.

One highly recommended place is the Italian Restaurant, Luna D'autunno, located along Mui Ne near the Bamboo Village Resort and is run by a young and very laid-back Italian. The all wooden and thatch roof interior gives it a great rustic appeal. There are no closing regulations so do not be surprised if the salsa party goes on all night. Everything sounds good on the menu but go for the seafood. Try the Tagliatelle with crab and avocado sauce and end with a delightful Tiramisu and if the heat doesn't bother you, finish off with a citrus sweet lemon cello liqueur. Reasonably priced and a must for all visitors.

The Good Morning Vietnam Italian restaurant belongs to a chain of restaurants found throughout Vietnam. The food is not very refined but offers a cheap and decent place to eat. Some of the resorts have good restaurants and ambience as well. The Coco Beach Resort has a French chef who has been with the resort since it opened in 1995. The restaurant cum bar by the beach specializes in seafood while a new restaurant opened in September 2003 is dedicated to French cuisine.

Other resorts worth popping by are the Ngoc Suong Resort that has a good Vietnamese restaurant and the small Mediterranean style resort, the Sailing Club which has a contemporary jazzy bar that is perfect for evening drinks.

Along Mui Ne there are a few seafood restaurants right on the beach, the Cay Bang, Dung Su and Hiep Han are all popular choices. While in Phan Thiet town, the locals favour Toan Duong Quan and Kim Son Lau.

For a taste of something out of the ordinary, there is an eccentric restaurant in the residential part of town that serves exotic meats. No one speaks a word of English so your Pictionary skills will have to do. A big snake can be made into 7 different dishes, which is a whole meal on its own. Ever tried barbequed porcupine or lizard soup? How about a fox? If there is a little kitten hanging around the kitchen, it is the owner's pet or that is what they say. Not typical Vietnamese cuisine but one that is considered a luxury and is affordable though not by local standards. Definitely not for animal lovers.

When night falls, Phan Thiet becomes quite dead. Apart from hanging out at the bar in some of the more sophisticated resorts, Karaoke is the big hit. For fun, most young girls head over to Phan Thiet town and leisurely ride their motorcycles up and down the broad avenue, side by side and holding hands - quite a novel sight.

There are surprisingly quite a few discos in Phan Thiet town and though they are not fancy or ultra cool, they do provide a better place to hang out if belting karaoke tunes is not your cup of tea. The most talked about disco in town is MTV and Gossip and a new and improved one called Sunrise is purported to be better than the others and will open near the Novotel Resort sometime in October 2003.

The government run Binthuan Tourist is located on 15 Nguyen Du Street in Phan Thiet city and in Mui Ne Resort there is a Sincafe. Both operate more like travel agents than a tourist center. Hotels can provide useful information as well.

If the nightlife is backward, the shopping here is worse. Phan Thiet is not the place to shop, the main shopping area is the Central Market opened in the morning till late afternoon. It is a combination of food, garments and provision shops that sell useful everyday stuff. It takes a bit of browsing and hunting for the odd souvenirs.

The Victoria Phan Thiet and Novotel Coralia Resort both have small gift shops with quite a few items albeit overpriced. Shopping is best left for Ho Chi Minh City.

Most of the hotels have internet access and there are a few simple, hole-in-the-wall type places to be found in Phan Thiet town.

The main transport in Phan Thiet is the motorcycle. Most resorts offer motorcycles for rent at about 10 USD per day. Along Mui Ne there are a few makeshift shacks with bikes lined up. Some can be a little dodgy so make sure the vehicle is safe and thoroughly checked for scratches before renting to avoid any misunderstandings. A photocopy of your passport is often required for security.

Be really careful on the road, the left hand driving in Phan Thiet takes getting used to for some and as for overtaking, it can happen anytime and anywhere. Use of the horn is constant and the general rule of thumb is, if it is bigger than you, get out of the way. As such the bigger trucks and tour buses rule the road. If you cannot ride a bike, there are motor-taxis that can zip you around but this is recommended only for short trips. The traditional cyclos are widely used in Phan Thiet. These are sort of a bicycle driven trishaws with the rider behind and a fairly spacious seat compartment in front. It is no chariot but for the same price as a motorcycle rental, you get chauffeured around at a nice leisurely pace - a good way to take in the sights and sounds.

Taxis are available but can get expensive. Car rentals come with a driver for about 50 USD a day. Renting a car without a driver is unheard of.

From Ho Chi Minh, it takes about 3 hours by car and a little longer with the big coach buses to get to Phan Thiet. The well-known Sincafe Vietnam in Ho Chi Minh is one of the better travel agents and a roundtrip ticket costs only 13 USD. Alternatively the hotels in Phan Thiet can arrange car transfer for about 60-70 USD per way.

The serene and beautiful White Lake is about 65 km north east of Phan Thiet. The lake is aptly named because of the white sand dunes that border around it. However the landscape has changed over the years and the white sand is now mostly covered by greenery. But the lake has a stunning display of Lotus flowers that bloom along the water's edge, like pink icing on a cake.

Just 30 km south of Phan Thiet lies the graceful 49 meters long and 10 meters high reclining Buddha of Ta Cu Mountain. It takes a bit of effort to get a glimpse of this impressive statue so be prepared to hike up a series of winding steps guided by a forest of tall trees. After 1½ hours the spectacular view at the top is a big reward.

On the island of Khe Ga 45 km south east of Phan Thiet is the historical lighthouse built at the end of the 19th century by a French engineer. The lighthouse, prompted by the then increasing French army presence, was needed to ensure the safety of commercial and naval vessels. The solid 65 meter granite structure has stood the test of time and remains as the only prominent symbol of European influence in the region.

For an exciting and rugged way to explore the terrain of Phan Thiet, take a jeep. Fasten your seat belt and get ready for a bumpy ride from a trip to the Red Sand Dunes to a refreshing ride along the coastline.

Most events in Phan Thiet are religious in nature. The most celebrated event is the Lunar Tet Festival, the equivalent of the Western New Year. The dates are never fixed and change according to the lunar calendar. This 5-day event falls between the months of January or February. In Phan Thiet the river Ca Ty in the city comes alive with colorful boat races, traditional operas and plenty of song and dance.

The Mid-Autumn Festival held on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month or between August and September is a favourite event among kids. The full moon is celebrated with a parade of colourful lanterns and sweet moon cakes.

Typical to Phan Thiet and celebrated in a grand scale is the Mbang Kate festival, a religious event celebrated by the Cham people during 8th and 9th months of the lunar year. The day starts with worship and pilgrimage to the shrines and temple and ends with a thanksgiving of games and entertainment.

A non-religious event is the Phan Thiet Golf Open, which is held at the Novotel Coralia Resort Ocean Dunes. Throughout the year, many other tournaments are held there.