Once you have travelled to Mũi Né through the range of options available, there are various activities and spots you can check out while there. One being the Red Sand Dunes found towards the east end and not to be confused with the White Sand Dunes to the west.
General Tips & Observations
If you are planning on making your way there, the best timing will be early morning between 7am to 10 am where the day is cooler. If you are looking for the perfect sunrise shot, the sun rises around 5.30am.
Cover up as much as possible due to the harsh sun rays. Any exposed skin surface should be lathered with sunblock to prevent yourself from getting a sunburn.
A general rule of thumb in Vietnam, or any South East Asian country to be fair. Remember to hydrate. Water, not beer. Drink regularly even when you are not thirsty. Stalls selling drinks can be found by the right before you ascend the mountain. Grab a chilled isotonic drink or water and drink up throughout your journey.
The initial climb will be hard and you will find piles of trash lying around. The sands do get cleaner and untouched further in so do not be deterred by your first glance.
How to get there
Walking there
If you happen to stay in the vicinity, you can choose to walk there. Having done a 5km trek on my trip to a seperate tourist site, I would not recommend this choice.
Take a Motorcycle Ride
You will find yourself hailed by a passing motorcyclist asking if you wish to go for a ride, there you can negotiate an amount after telling them your destination. Most likely independent operators, they will often ask for a higher than usual amount. You can attempt to book a Grab ride to the destination to get a gauge on how much the ride should cost. Strap on the helmet, grab onto the handles at the back of the seat and enjoy the seabreeze as you go about to your destination.
Flag a Cab
Green taxis are a common sight, and they charge by the meter – placed on the right of the dashboard. My most common form of transport there, a 10min ride goes for around 100,000VND (USD2).
Grab
Grab hailing services are available in Mui Ne, but cars are few and far between. Instead, go for the bike options and you’ll soon be on your way.
Activities
Besides hiking up the sand dunes and admiring the view, you can grab a bite from the local vendors as you take a breather under the grove of trees.
You will find vendors lugging bundles of hard plastic sheets that you can use for sand-sledding.
You can expect to spend around 15 minutes to half an hour here.