Nestled along the southeastern coast of Vietnam, Binh Thuan is a hidden gem that combines golden beaches, red sand dunes, vibrant fishing villages, and rich Cham cultural heritage. While not as popular as Da Nang or Nha Trang, Bình Thuận offers a more authentic and peaceful experience for travelers seeking both adventure and tranquility.
Home to the famed Mui Ne Beach, Bình Thuận is where the desert meets the sea, where kitesurfers dance on the waves and sunrises paint the sky in surreal hues. If you're looking for an off-the-beaten-path destination with diverse attractions, Bình Thuận is your next travel obsession.
Best Time to Visit Binh Thuan
Binh Thuan's terrain is mainly low hills and coastal plains. Located in the tropical monsoon climate zone near the equator, it is sunny, windy and arid, with two distinct rainy and dry seasons. The rainy season is usually from May to October, the dry season from November to April of the following year. However, in many years the rainy season is concentrated only from August to October.
Move
Binh Thuan does not have an airport, the most convenient way to travel is to fly to Ho Chi Minh City and then travel by road along the Dau Giay - Phan Thiet expressway, 99 km long, maximum speed 120 km/h, time about 2 and a half hours. Tourists can also land at Cam Ranh airport (Khanh Hoa), then travel by Vinh Hao - Phan Thiet expressway. However, the distance is longer and takes longer than from Ho Chi Minh City. Private vehicles also travel along these two routes.
Passenger buses departing from Ho Chi Minh City and the southern provinces include Kumho, Phuong Trang, Minh Nghia, Lien Hung, Manh Hung, Long Van or limousine companies such as Trong Thuy, Hoang Vu, Nam Hai. Ticket prices range from 180,000 VND to 250,000 VND one way.
Muong Man Station, Ham Thuan Nam District, is a stop for the North-South railway lines. Trains SE 1-2, SE 3-4, SE 5-6, SE 7-8, SPT, SNT... all stop at this station. Train fares range from 145,000 VND to 1,500,000 VND one way, depending on the type of train, seat/bed type and departure point.
In Mui Ne, coastal resorts are concentrated on Nguyen Dinh Chieu Street such as The Anam, Sailing Club Resort, Anantara Mui Ne Resort & Spa, Pandanus Resort, The Cliff Resort and Residences, Centara Mirage Resort. Double room rates range from nearly 1 million VND to 10 million VND per night. Smaller motels and hotels are located in alleys, mainly concentrated on Huynh Thuc Khang Street extending towards Hon Rom, with prices under 1 million VND.
Since Covid-19 in 2022, Phu Quy Island has invested in building many new accommodation locations, with diverse forms such as motels, hotels, homestays and small-scale resorts. Many resorts have beautiful designs, and at the same time create impressive photo angles for young people such as Queen Sea Resort, Roman Resort Phu Quy, Coco Villa, Villa Bien Xanh... Room rates range from about 300,000 VND to more than 1 million VND per night.
Top Places to Visit in Binh Thuan
Phan Thiet
The city of Binh Thuan province, divided into 4 main areas including the center, Mui Ne, Mui Ke Ga and Hon Rom. From one of these four points, visitors continue to explore other famous landmarks in Phan Thiet.
Phan Thiet is a beach and relaxation stopover in Mui Ne. Therefore, visitors only need to stay in the city for a maximum of 2 days, visiting famous places such as Doi Duong Sea Park, Phan Thiet water tower, Duc Thanh school relic site where President Ho Chi Minh taught, Van Thuy Tu palace where there is the largest whale skeleton in Southeast Asia, Ong Hoang tower, Po Sah Inu tower, Ong Dia rock beach...
Mui Ne
Mui Ne is a strip of land jutting out into the sea in Phan Thiet city, a famous tourist center of Binh Thuan province and the whole country. The name Mui Ne comes from fishermen, in which "mui" is a cape jutting out into the sea, "ne" is a place to avoid storms. In 2018, Mui Ne was recognized as a national tourist area.
This place is famous for its long blue beaches and beautiful sand dunes. Bau Trang is a destination not to be missed when coming to Mui Ne, with the experience of watching the sunrise, sand sliding, riding ATVs and sightseeing and taking photos. Mui Ne has many beautiful resorts located along Nguyen Dinh Chieu coastal road and neighboring routes. Services for tourists here are quite complete. Mui Ne is also a destination for many foreign visitors.
Phu Quy Island
Phu Quy island district, also known as Thu island, is located about 120 km southeast of Phan Thiet city. In addition to the main island, Phu Quy has many small islands. On the big island, there are many beautiful landscapes, most of which are still wild, for tourists to explore in a few days. Notable attractions: Bai Nho, Ganh Hang, Cao Cat peak, Trieu Duong bay, lighthouse...
The best time to visit Phu Quy Island is from December to June of the following year. This is the period when the sea is calm, the wind is light, and it is easy to travel on the sea. To get to Phu Quy Island, you have to take a boat, which takes about 2.5 to 3.5 hours, depending on the type of boat. Currently, the island has a full range of accommodation, dining, and entertainment services to meet the needs of tourists.
Co Thach Beach
Also known as the "seven-colored stone beach", Co Thach is located in Tuy Phong district. This beach is famous for its long stretch of uniquely colored and shaped stones, and its emerald green water. As one of the most beautiful landscapes in Binh Thuan, the stone beach also has large boulders covered with green moss. Usually, mid-March is when the moss is at its heaviest, combined with natural sunlight to create a picturesque landscape.
Ke Ga Cape and Ke Ga Lighthouse
Ke Ga is a collection of uniquely shaped rocks arranged in the shape of a chicken head, about 30 km from the center of Phan Thiet. Not only does it have a rock garden, Ke Ga also has pristine beaches with clear blue water and the oldest lighthouse in Southeast Asia. The best time to explore this place is around 5pm because this is the sunset time so the scenery is very beautiful. Canoes to pick up and drop off guests will also stop operating after this time. Visitors to Ke Ga cape only visit during the day, staying at hotels and budget motels in Thuan Quy commune.
Ta Cu Mountain
Located at an altitude of 649 m, Ta Cu Mountain is a suitable place for those who love mountain climbing. The mountain is located along National Highway 1A, in Thuan Nam town, with many pagodas such as Linh Son Truong Tho, Long Doan and To Pagoda. Ta Cu is also a natural national forest that preserves many rare animals listed in the Red Book and precious trees. To reach the top of this mountain, visitors have to climb for nearly 2 hours or take a cable car for about 10 minutes. When taking the cable car, you can enjoy the scenery of the mountains and forests and the surrounding green dragon fruit gardens.
Cu Lao Cau
Cu Lao Cau or Hon Cau belongs to Tuy Phong district, located about 10 km from the mainland. The island is not known to many people so it is still quite wild, has no residents and does not have many tourist services. Tourists can visit this place during the day or stay overnight but must register in advance or buy a tour. Means of transportation, daily necessities and fresh water here are limited. Cu Lao Cau is currently one of the natural marine life reserves, and is also an ideal place for diving enthusiasts.
Binh Thuan Cuisine: What to Eat
Hot pot
The main ingredient of the dish is fresh fish, usually anchovies, scad or mackerel. After being deboned, the fish is blanched in boiling water and washed with lemon juice to remove the fishy smell, then marinated with spices and arranged on a plate. In addition to fresh fish, other ingredients include fried eggs, boiled meat, raw vegetables, mango and cucumber. All are cut into strips and placed on banana flower petals, spread evenly around the fish plate, creating a flower shape. Next to the tray of ingredients are vermicelli and hot broth.
There are two ways to enjoy hot pot. First, diners eat the fish without dipping it in the broth, just pour in the peanut fish sauce, add grilled rice paper and mix well. The second way is for those who want to eat it cooked. Blanch the fish, scoop the boiling broth into a bowl, add other ingredients and enjoy.
Moon crab
This is a must-try dish on Phu Quy Island and the coastal areas of Tuy Phong District. The moon crab has many dark red circles on its back, mixed with bright pink. In the past, there were quite a lot of moon crabs, but wild crabs are becoming increasingly rare, so if you want to buy them, you have to order in advance. The crab meat is sweet, chewy and fragrant, the crab shell is crispy, soft, and can be bitten with your teeth. The crab is most delicious during the full moon. This is completely opposite to other types of crab, the meat is often spongy during this period.
Besides moon crab, king crab is also a specialty of Tuy Phong, Phu Quy.
Seafood salad
Mui Ne is famous for its fish salad and snail salad. Fish salad is made from fresh anchovies, sardines or mackerel, served with raw vegetables, vermicelli and a special dipping sauce. Snail salad is made from thinly sliced snail meat, pork, vegetables, roasted peanuts, fried onions mixed together and served with sweet and sour fish sauce.
Thunderstorm
A specialty of Mui Ne sand dunes, it is a reptile that looks like a lizard but is larger in size. Sand lizards live in caves and come out to the sand dunes in the morning to find food. Sand lizards can go without drinking water for a long time and grow well in hot environments, so they are also called the king of sand dunes. Sand lizard meat is white, sweet, fatty and soft. Some delicious dishes made from sand lizards: grilled, steamed, sausage, porridge...
Banh hoi
Banh hoi is made from rice flour, through many processing stages to create a cake made from small white strands, looking like vermicelli. Banh hoi Phan Thiet is eaten with boiled pork intestines. When enjoying, pork intestines are rolled with banh hoi, rice paper, and dipped in sweet and sour sauce.