Phan Thiet is one of the most-visited destinations in Vietnam. Phan Thiet is a place for exploration, recreation and relaxation with un-spoilt beaches, quaint fishing villages, stunning sand dunes and idyllic seaside resorts. Visitors can spend the days lazing on the endless white sands, frolicking about in azure waters, playing aqua sports, golfing and enjoying delicious seafood. Next to Phan Thiet is Mui Ne, a palm shaded bay boasting a booming hub of beach resorts in Vietnam. A little further south is Ke Ga, famous for deserted beaches, crystal clear seas, rock formations and an ancient light house. Phan Thiet is 200km from Ho Chi Minh City, 247km from Dalat, 250km from Nha Trang and 1,518km from Hanoi. The National Highway 1A passes through Phan Thiet. The express train between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City stops Muong Man station.
CLIMATE
Climate here is so ideal to travel at any time of a year. Weather in Phan Thiet is naturally dry all year round. The average temperature is about 29 °C. However, the best time to visit Phan Thiet is considered from November to April. During this time, you will have a chance to enjoy the most beautiful scenery in Phan Thiet with wonderful seascapes and landscapes. If you adore exploring and experiencing adventurous tours, months from November to April are suitable to you. The early months of a year (from January to March) are also the festive time in Phan Thiet. Coming here, you will be lured into colorful and exciting atmosphere in traditional festivals. For those who are fans of dynamic sea sports and games on the beach, months from May to October are the best time to travel Phan Thiet. During this time, wind and wave speeds are ideal for several types of sports like wind-surfing and sailing. Overall, Phan Thiet is suitable to travel at any time of a year.
RESTAURANTS/DINING
Fish salad
Phan Thiet people can made salad from different kinds of fish, for example, “mai” fish, “duc” fish, “suot” fish. Although the ingredients for these dishes are slightly different, they’re quite simple and easy to find in most of markets in the city.
Phan Thiet Quang noodles
Mì Quảng (Quảng style noodles) is a very popular dish in Vietnam, especially in thecountry’s central coast region. As a dish with a lot of local characteristics, Mì Quảng appears differently in different places.
In its original places (Quang Nam province, Quang Ngai province and Da Nang city), a bowl of Mì Quảng often consists of fresh rice noodles, which are mainly made from rice flour, seasoned cooked meat, little of the broth and grilled rice paper. In Nha Trang city (Khanh Hoa province), it seems “lighter” with boiled pork, a lot of broth from bones, vegetables and fried or steamed Vietnamese fish cake. In Phan Thiet, they have “Mì Quảng Vịt” (“Quảng” style noodles with duck meat), which is one of the pride of local residents. There is also Mì Quảng with pork chop or pork pie in Phan Thiet, but Mì Quảng Vịt is the locals’ favourite choice.
The noodles, after being drowned to a pot of boiling water to become softer, will be put in the bowl first. Duck meat, a lot of broth and some roasted peanuts (whole grain) will be added shortly afterwards. And last but not least, sellers often add a some chili, explaining that it should be pungent to be Mì Quảng. They often eat Mì Quảng with lettuces, herbs, bean sprouts, etc.
The recipe seems to be simple, but after trying once, you will realize how fantastic and sophisticated it is. The moderatelty fat and slightly acrid broth together with soft but a bit chewy noodles create the amazing palatability for each bowl of Mì Quảng Vịt. And finally, the buttery taste of roasted peanuts will contribute its part in making a very delectable flavour. Many people may worry that Mì Quảng Vịt in Phan Thiet is kind of too sweet for travellers, but owners of stalls there know how to serve guests in different tastes. In weekend and holidays, they will reduce the sweetness of Mì Quảng so that it is more appropriate to serve tourists. If you come to Phan Thiet, don’t forget to enjoy a bowl of Mì Quảng Vịt to experience its unique flavour and unforgettable taste.
Banh can (Vietnamese mini-pancake)
“Banh can” is made of rice. It is served with a bowl of meatball, boiled egg, boiled pork skin, broth of braised fish, greaves, chopped scallion and julienned green mango.“Banh can” can be found in many places in the city, from local markets to street stalls. The dish has even been recognized as a local specialty by Vietnam Book of Records. “Banh can” is not only delicious but also very cheap. It is sold in pairs. And 10 pairs of “banh can” can fill any empty stomach.
“Lau tha” (“Drop” hot-pot)
Like “banh can”, “lau tha” is recognized to be a specialty of Binh Thuan province by Vietnam Book of Records. The broth of “lau tha” is made by stewing pork bones, shrimp and tomatoes. “Lau tha” is eated with rice vermicelli, the popular element in most kinds of hot-pot in Vietnam. Along with rice vermicelli and the broth, a bowl of “lau tha” includes of boiled pork, jullienned fried egg, herbs, julienned green mango, cucumber, “mai fish” (with all bones removed) seasoned with lime, garlic and chill.
“Banh trang nuong mam ruoc” (Rolls of rice paper grilled with shrimp paste)
This dish is extrmely popular among local residents, especially young people. A roll of “banh trang nuong mam ruoc” consists of quail egg, carrot and daikon radish pickles, chopped green onion, and “mam ruoc” – a kind of shrimp paste. All of these ingredients will be rolled with a piece of rice paper. It’s really interesting to see how the roll is cleverly grilled while it is on the making process.
Dishes of squid teeth
In Phan Thiet city, squid teeth are used to make a lot of dishes. Local people steam, stew, grill, fry squid teeth with different spices and recipes. A dish of squid teeth, although having the same name, can taste completely different in different stall. If you can make it to Phan Thiet, don’t forget to add these dishes to your must-try list.
DUC THANH SCHOOL
It was built in at 1907 by the patriotic Vietnamese in Phan Thiet. This school related with Vietnamese history as Duy Tan movement and Ho Chi Minh who was a great leader of Viet Nam has been teaching here. Duc Thanh school nowadays became a tourist site as its historical witnesses.
It is situated right in the heart of Phan Thiet City, next to Ca Ty River and Phan Thiet market.
VAN THUY TU TEMPLE
Van Thuy Tu Temple is the largest and oldest whale temple in Phan Thiet, displaying skeletal remains of whales, fishing boats, conical hats, and authentic artefacts from the Nguyen Dynasty. Built in 1762 to commemorate Ca Ong (Lord Whale), locals believe that whales are benevolent creatures that protect fisherman from bad weather and the dangers at sea.
THE PRINCE’S CASTLE
The Prince’s Castle, set atop Ong Hoang Hill, offers breathtaking views of Mui Ne’s historical structures, surrounding hills, coastline and countryside. Its name was given by the locals after French Duke De Montpensier had taken a liking to the hilltop and built a massive estate house in 1911.
POSHANU CHAM TOWERS
That small complex of Cham towers were from the Kingdom of Champa in long time ago. Located on Ba Nai Hill, Phu Hai Ward, just 7km from Phan Thiet City to the Northwest. The remains of those towers are not completed but still in good condition. Was built around 8th -9 th century and worship Shiva God. In 15 th century, some simple towers were built worship Poshanu Princess. In 1992-1995, after many archaeological excavations, this complex Cham Towers was named Poshanu since then until now.
RANG BEACH
Rang Beach today has become an attractive tourist attractions alluring tourists with immense white sand dunes and towering coconut groves. Immersed in the peaceful scenery with romantic nature, tourists surely get the extremely enjoyable experiences.
Located 15 km from Phan Thiet city to the northeast, Rang Beach is gradually becoming one of the most famous tourist attractions in Mui Ne. Running along National Highway 706 from Phan Thiet city to Mui Ne is a gentle sand hills and spacious sandy shores along with wonderful coconut groves. It is home to the great number of reefs dead, petrified or submerged in waters. Mingling with the coral reefs and reefs is the splendid golden sandy beach. This is one of the most unique features of Bai Rang Beach compared to other beaches in Mui Ne.
HON ROM BEACH MUI NE
Hon Rom beach is one of the most stunning attractions in Mui Ne. Hon Rom is not an offshore island in Mui Ne with turquoise water, smooth sandy beaches and azure sky. Coming to this island, tourists will have unforgettable experiences.
Hon Rom island is a name of an untouched small mountain located in Mui Ne Ward, Phan Thiet City. This is seen as an island as it connects to the mainland by a narrow strip of sand. It is about 28 km from Phan Thiet City. The area features with towering mountains surrounding over 17-km beach, yellow sand and green lush coconut trees. Beach in Hon Rom Island is one of the most crowded ones in Mui Ne, contributing to the development of Phan Thiet tourism.
The name of Hon Rom originates from the image of this island seen from afar. In dry season, a special grass in mountains turns into yellow. Local people from offshore area see the mountains like a giant pile of dry yellow straw, thus, this island is called Hon Rom. Owing to not being untapped much, landscapes in this island retain pristine and liberal beauty of the nature. Every day, boulders in different shapes are patted by waves smoothly. In further distance, in deserts, there are low bushes and thorny cactus appearing on yellow and as smooth as velvet sand dunes.
FLYING SAND DUNES
Flying sand dunes in Mui ne has amazing attraction for all domestic and foreign tourists due to its unique beauty. Flying sand dunes is one of the most exciting destinations in Viet Nam that stretches a several kilometers from with the great area of 50 hectares from Binh Thuan province to Ninh Thuan province. But perhaps, the most beautiful flying sand dunes are in Mui Ne itself that tourists shouldn’t miss to visit. This is considered not only the most unique but also the number one sand dunes in Vietnam originating from a hundreds of year ancient iron mine.
And the reason why it is also called “Flying Sand Dune” is the constant changes of its shape in each hour and each day. Sand here spreads like primitive desert of Africa with several dozens of colors such as white, yellow, brown, red, and especially multiform due to the power of wind. Thus, tourists will have exciting exploration about the beauty, the shape, the color and the contrast when visiting flying sand dunes in different location and time. This beauty of flying sand dunes in Mui ne is the source of not only inspiration for poets, artists, photographers but also material for sand-painting artirts. In addition, it brings the powerful attraction especially for the youth due to interesting games such as sliding on sand, conquering sand dune…
THE WHITE DUNES OF MUI NE
Bau Trang (means White Lake), also called Bau Sen (means Lotus Lake) is freshwater lake situated in immense white sand dunes of Mui Ne. In a vast area of white sand “desert”, Bau Trang appears like a wonderful oasis with sparkling water under the sunshine and fresh green color of lotus’s leaves. Bau Sen is divided into 2 small lakes by a white sand hill: Bau Ong and Bau Ba. Bau Ba is larger than Bau Ong and has beautiful flowering lotus in pink. This flower blossom all year round, but summer is the best time for them to bloom. Seeing lovely pinky lotuses in green big leaves, covered by endless pure white sand area is really spectacular scenery.
Coming to Bau Trang, you will have a great and relaxing time. You can hire small boat from local fishermen to row to the lake and get lotus blossoms. You can also go fishing, lie in hammocks hung under casuarinas trees, swim in fresh and clean water or just enjoy the beautiful scenery in sunset. Moreover, you can try well-known activities on the sand dunes such as sand-surfing or drive jeep around the sand dunes. A lot of Vietnamese young couples choose Bau Trang and Mui Ne Sand Dunes as a place to make wedding album and spend romantic honeymoon. Especially, from here, you can easily go to other attractions in Mui Ne and Phan Thiet such as Hon Rom, Fairy Stream and stunning beaches.
FAIRY STREAM
Fairy Stream is a photography hotspot in Phan Thiet and Mui Ne due to its dramatic landscape of reds, whites, oranges and pinks. Located 18 km northeast of Phan Thiet City, this geological formation is actually a water fissure nearby Rom Island that’s flanked by a mix of white and red sand dunes on one side while the other is an expansive field of verdant trees, blossoming flowers, and coconut palms.
MUI NE FISHING VILLAGE
Mui Ne Fishing Village is a great place to witness local life and enjoy fresh seafood during your holiday in Mui Ne. Set at the northern end of Mui Ne Bay, this quaint village also offers a splendid view of an expansive coastline lined with swaying palm trees and colourful fishing boats moored on the water.
KE GA LIGHTHOUSE
Built in 1899 to warn shipping of nearby reefs, this structure 30km south of Phan Thiet stands just off the beach on a small rocky promontory, which can be reached on foot at low tide. Visitors can explore the lighthouse and climb to a viewing platform near the top for great views of the coastline.
TA CU MOUNTAIN
Ta Cu is around 30km from Phan Thiet to Ho Chi Minh City, on the highway 1 A. Ta Cu Pagoda situated on Ta Cu Mountain, around 400m height. It was listed as one of National history & culture relics of Viet Nam. This pagoda was built in 19th century. Abbot Nguyen Huu Duc , who was set up this pagoda, was a monk and also was a very famous healer.
There is a big statue of Buddha lying down on the stage with 49meters long and 7 meters height and many other Buddha Statues in this pagoda.
A lot of local people came here for praying and they had to step up for hundreds stairs to this pagoda. Travelers prefer to go up by cable car but step down.
