Mui Ne three-day tour

We meet on the morning of the tour for an early group breakfast at Café Zoom in District 1. Afterward, the group will board a hydrofoil ferry for the 90-minute trip down the Saigon River to scenic Vung Tau, a seaside town south of Saigon on the South China Sea.

This mountainous peninsula is a favorite among locals as a quick escape from the noise and rush of the city. With its warm blend of the old and the new, Vung Tau is a feast for the eyes. Its picturesque houses and pagodas cling precariously to steep hills. Surrounded by beach on three sides, Vung Tau boasts fantastic views in every direction, including beachfront views of both sunrise and sunset.

After an orientation on the Vespas, we'll start our ride along the tropical coast through Ho Coc, Long Hai Village and Binh Chau (160 km).

The fishing village of Long Hai, 30km northeast of Vung Tau, has a stunning white-sand beach; its natural beauty and dry climate are the main reasons why Bao Dai, the last emperor of Vietnam, built a holiday residence here (now the An-Oasis Beach Resort). We'll visit Dinh Co Temple and nearby grave site, see caves where where Viet Cong fighters hunkered down through months of shelling from South Vietnamese forces during the war, and drive into Long Hai hills for lunch and a spectacular panoramic view of the coastline. Afterward, we'll visit Long Hai Temple to the Martyrs and the unique Cao Dai Memorial. 

In the late afternoon, we'll drive on through Ho Tram and La Gi to Mui Ke Ga. Come evening, we'll decamp to Mom Da Chim Resort in Mui Ke Ga for dinner and a well-earned night of four-star slumber.

After breakfast at Mom Da Chim, we'll hit the pavement again for our second day of riding. The morning's journey takes us along the scenic coastal road from Mui Ke Ga to Phan Thiet (55 km) and its sister town to the north, Mui Ne. On the way in, we'll pay a visit to ancient Cham ruins just south of Mui Ne and stop for a fresh seafood lunch overlooking the crashing surf of the South China Sea.

Less than two hours up the coast from Mom Da Chim, the quaint sister towns of Phan Thiet and Mui Ne are largely unknown secrets outside of Vietnam. Well off the main tourist pathways, Mui Ne boasts kilometers of broad white sand beaches, a slew of local fresh seafood restaurants, and little else. We'll arrive shortly after midday and check into our beachside hotel, Bao Quyn Bungalow Resort, by midmorning, and guests are free to spend the rest of the day with their toes in the sand, or perhaps learning to kiteboard or paraglide at one of the many instruction sites along the beach.

We'll spend day three of the tour exploring Mui Ne and the surrounding region. Our first stop: an early morning visit to the nearby fishing village, where local fishermen can be seen bringing in the previous night's fresh catch from scores of colorful boats. A visit to the local market is followed by a cruise to the wind-softened sands of Mui Ne's famous Red Sand Dunes, afire with color in the morning sun. Further along the coastline, the White Sand Dunes are often compared to those of the Sahara, with their shifting tones from gold to white. The lakes surrounding the dunes are thick with lotus blooms and provide a perfect place for a midday picnic.

Mui Ne and Phan Thiet are widely known for their production of Nuoc Mam, the fish sauce served at every Vietnamese meal. In the shopping markets dragon fruit is plentiful and popular, as you'll see from the numerous dragon fruit orchards that border the road. Also in this area, one can visit the ruins of Cham towers, the last reminders of the former Champa Empire.

At noon, we'll return to Mui Ne town, where we will check out of the hotel and put the Vespas aboard a train for Saigon. We'll spend the remainder of the afternoon enjoying lunch and the waters of the South China Sea; guests can enjoy the rest of the evening on their own as we bid farewell to new friends at 3pm.

(Guests on the three-day Mui Ne tour are responsible for arranging airport pickup and hotel arrangements prior to the first morning of the tour.)