Yeah you read it right! It’s Desert not Dessert. Vietnam is famous for its exquisite landmark and savory dessert. But, This time I would share about that great time I had in the desert at Vietnam. There’s a place called Mui Ne, which has an unusual vast desert right alongside its coast. Yep, Mui Ne itself is a coastal strip, there’s fishing village in one side, and the desert in the other side.

Located about 4-5 hours apart from Ho Chi Minh City by bus, this area is quite convenient to reach. Thanks for a bunch of good bus selection! Oh by the way you could take the train to get here too. some people would say it’s more convenient. But I think it’s quite the same, because I took the bus from Ho Chi Minh City to Mui Ne (FuTa Bus—you could see their schedules and book it here) but I took the train (Vietnam Railway) on my way back. Both of them could be purchased online, so it’s easy-peasy! From the Train Station/Bus Stop to your resort, I would recommend to use the Taxi. You could arrange this kind of transport with your hotel but it’s more expensive than searching the taxi on your own. Well, I myself choose to be a little bit adventurous and try my own luck by searching for the taxi on my own haha—luckily I found it, and it’s metered Taxi!

There’re 2 major attractions that you should visit in Mui Ne: The Red Sand Dunes and The White Sand Dunes! The Red Sand Dunes is much closer to the center, while it would be quite an effort to reach White Sand Dunes. You could rent a car or a bike to reach White Sand Dunes, it took about 30 Minutes by car, though. There’re several activities that you could do in these dunes, whether it’s rent a quad-bike, sand-surfing, or even walking along the dunes while enjoying its sunset/sunrise, I bet it would be unforgettable!

Even though it’s further, I love White Sand Dunes rather than the Red one. The Red Sand Dunes is somehow quite messy, maybe because it’s closer to the center so there’re more people who visit the Red Sand Dunes, compare to White Sand Dunes. Both dunes have different characteristics though, but you could got a lovely scenic view of a huge amount of sands alongside the coast, it’s like a mixture of a desert and a beach!

I spent the sunset in Red Sand Dunes back then, it was lovely but there’s nothing extraordinary. The next morning, I enjoyed the sunrise at White Sand Dunes and it was incredible!! Afterwards, I experienced a ride with a jeep in the dunes. You have to pay 15000VND for the entrance ticket and additional 10 USD for the jeep ride (sometimes the jeep ride price is negotiable). It’s quite pricey, but it really is worth the price. By renting a jeep, you got a driver with it and you could explore the Dunes more, you could reach the greater part of the dunes with a greater view and less people.