Hardly a hardship posting: Mui Ne

Sometimes in the rough and ready world of lifestyle reporting, intrepid wordsmiths are sent on hectic postings of epic proportion. But this mission to the sandy shores of Mui Ne was anything but a hardship.


Trembling and hung over form another Hanoi farewell party and karaoke session, myself and my intrepid accomplice hopped aboard an early morning Vietnam Airlines flight to Ho Chi Minh City, the big city clutches of which we eagerly escaped in the direction of our destination, Mui Ne.

A stone’s throw from the quaint beachside town of Phan Thiet, Binh Thuan Province, Mui Ne make for a beautiful getaway, and for the citizens of HCMC and ideal weekend escape. We had decided to bivouac at the well-appointed Full Moon lodgings, as it more than offered the living standards to which we have become accustomed.

We met with Pascal Lefebvre, who with his wife Phuong has established the perfect beach side establishment. Drawn from a great reservoir of hotel experience, particularly with the renowned Victoria chain, which has established a presence throughout Vietnam, Full Moon is perfection to a T.

Formally greeted by a group bearing a large and freshly caught barracuda, one that would become our welcoming feast of delicious sashimi, we were being forewarned of the sumptuously absurd volume of fresh seafood delicacies we would chomp our way through during our stay.

When Pascal first arrived in 1995, power, water and other amenities were unavailable, and the access road was little more than some dusty wheel ruts cutting through the dirt. Now there are around 90 restaurants and forty odd self-proclaimed “resorts” along the beach.

While he expects the development to be as consistent as it has been for the last few years, you can still find some really out of the way places in the bays just north of Mui Ne town.

That Pascal also happens to be a keen windsurfer means that life beside a beach with, as he put it “the most wind in South East Asia”, was more than a happy coincidence.

As such Full Moon offers more than just standard accommodation, as a few steps down the golden sands is Jibes, from where all manner of water toys may be rented. But we will come to that in good time.

Now this thatch roofed gem proved to have in store every little thing this reporter demands of a beach. At first glance, it appears to be a restaurant and bar, although that was because we came at it from the beach side. Adorning the beach were loafers and small tables sporting extremely relaxed looking holidaymakers sipping away at (I know you are all consistent Good Life readers!) a few tasty Laure's.

On the road side of Jibes I thankfully found a store selling funky and functional beach attire, which given that I had recently scorched the skin from my back in Ha Long meant that I could acquire exactly the kind of skin protection I needed, in the form of a nice new rash vest.

Also, upon my first frolic along the beach, I discovered that all the self-denial that accompanies losing a few pounds hadn’t been in vain, as my board shorts failed to fit snugly – a terrifying thought once you encounter a few pants-stealing waves. A good thing Jibes was a conveniently located fitting pants replacing shop.

Ahh, yes the beach house packed to the gunnels with water sport equipment. Inside was a Mecca (well for us Hanoi urbanites anyway) of Windsurfers, surfboards, kites and kite boards, kayaks body boards, this that and the other board.

Now originally the intention of this trip had been to do a stunning expose on kite surfing, but as we were informed upon arrival, we had arrived at the wrong time of year for solid wind. I have come to believe that its more to do with the fact that I am simply jinxed and the water spirits are interested in offering me neither wind nor surf.

As it happened a typhoon was howling around way off shore and a gentle little surf swell picked up for several days, giving me if not kite borne airtime, some well-needed wave action. As we kicked back after a day of hardcore sport and feasting that Pascal confided in us.

“The biggest stress around here”, he said his eyes wandering off down the beach, “is waiting for the wind.”

Pascal also let it be known in quite plain language that won’t be repeated here, that he believes windsurfing to be the more technical of the water sports, and he far prefers it to kite surfing. Although he hasn’t been out with a kite in around 18 months, he provides a full and comprehensive service.

A dangerous sport is this kiting, what with a ten meter power plane strapped to you belt, and some teaching, particularly on safety measures, is well in order. As such, Jibes has two instructors on hand to make sure its all done in the right manner. So successful is his endeavour that other hotels have pretended they offer windsurfing and kite surfing in their brochures, without having any gear at all. No skin of Pascal’s nose though, as another batch of punters wander down the beach to rent surfboards from the beach house.

As we settle into the bar at Jibes to watch another in a long list of videos made of the extreme sports on offer in Mui Ne, we get a definite insight into life here at the beach. Play, relax and play some more.

Having talked to several local Vietnamese who professed that they hardly ever made it into the water (indeed a certain chef all the way from Hanoi admitted to swimming just twice in the last two years) I was impressed by the board skills the local employees had. Indeed just watching them hammer around on all manner of water toys was inspirational stuff. You can believe me that the decision to return to Hanoi was not determined of my own free will.

Life in Mui Ne has attracted around 15 expat’s, most of whom seem well into their extreme sports, aside from monkey maltreatment man, but we wont be getting into that at all.

Another expat, formerly a builder in England, Paul Clayton, 32, has made the obviously excruciating decision to stay for the long haul. As a kite instructor at Jibes, with plans to get into his own venture at a later date, he says that while the off season can have that small town feel to it, around December the place is hopping mad.

There is some respite if chilling on the beach is too much for you, as nearby Phan Thiet boasts a couple of accessible, if a little overly dodgy for this worldly journo, nightclubs.

There are several moderately priced seafood restaurants that have all manner of critters to tempt you taste buds. May I recommend the rock lobster, a fantastic idea – this creature is basically a box shaped shell of tasty goodness, cooked I do believe, by externally applied and burnt off alcohol rather than good ol’ boiling like mum used to.

We were there in the off-season, and a steady trickle of clientele was still making its way through. Around half the rooms at Full Moon were full for the week we stayed, and there was much talk of people booking rooms or six months at a time, so it’s advisable to book ahead. Getting there is easy; just pick up either a local minibus or an open tour type tourist bus from HCMC. The ride takes about three hours.