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has a small desert region along the southern
coastline, in Binh Thuan province. The
relatively few tourists who make it to this area
find endless miles of empty beaches, ruins of
ancient Cham towers and immense Saharan sand
dunes.
Phan Thiet represents the southern arm of the
Matriarchal Cham kingdom. Thap Poshanu is a
group of ancient Cham towers from the 8th
century. Together with a larger group of
structures including an old French fort, the
ruins of a French duke's villa, a modern pagoda
and a poet's tomb, they form what the locals
refer to as "The Prince's Castle."
Atop nearby Takou Mountain is a beautiful
rainforest. Visitors can ride the gondola for a
small fee or walk the mountain trail for free
and discover the mountain-top temple and the
largest reclining Buddha in Vietnam.
The White Sand Dunes to the north hide a
beautiful sea of lotus. The dunes are so
pristine that sea birds lay their eggs right on
the sand. An ancient Cham tower once stood at
the base of the dunes, offering glimpses of the
sea.
The crown jewel of Binh Thuan is Mui Ne
Beach; a new resort area developed after a rush
of tourists came to see the full solar eclipse
on October 24, 1995. Mui Ne has quickly becoming
a kite boarding Mecca. The perfect weather and
constant breeze makes it an ideal year-round
vacation spot and water sports destination.
Mui Ne is one of the best kept secrets in
Vietnam's tourism industry. It has all of the
beauty and charm of the best beach destinations
in the country. |
