Mui Ne is a coastal town in southern Vietnam, about four hours by road from Ho Chi Minh City. It sits on a long stretch of beach along the South China Sea and is best known for vast sand dunes rising straight out of the landscape just a few kilometres from the water. The Red Dunes and the larger White Dunes are the main attraction here, and visitors can explore them on foot, by quad bike, or on a plastic sledge. Nearby, the Fairy Stream - a shallow red-and-white sandstone creek you walk through barefoot - is a quieter but equally striking natural feature. The fishing village at the southern end of town is worth a morning visit when the colourful round basket boats come in with the catch, giving a genuine glimpse of local life.
The beach itself is long and relatively uncrowded compared to more famous resort towns in Southeast Asia. Because Mui Ne sits in one of Vietnam's driest, windiest spots, it has become one of the best kitesurfing and windsurfing destinations in the region, drawing people from across the world between November and April when the wind is strongest.
Mui Ne suits a range of travellers. Families will find the dunes and the stream easy and enjoyable. Water sports enthusiasts have dedicated schools and rental centres along the beach. Couples looking for a quiet beach escape will find it far more laid-back than the busier resort islands in Vietnam. It can be visited as a standalone destination or as a stop on a wider journey through southern Vietnam, and the climate is reliably warm and sunny for most of the year.