Another 4 hours

Another 4 hours, Silas & I will be on our way to the airport on flight back Home Sweet Home, Singapore.

Darling has already fallen asleep after working for nearly 30 hrs... poor dear. *Good nitez and sweet dreams*

Me? I'm still surfing the net coz I'm very excited over my new buys that I found online. Done 3/4 of my packing...not much to bring back coz I didn't buy any checked-in baggage...so limited to 7kg for each of us.

I am tired... Darling is going to wake up for the Liverpool game at 3am. Can I make it till then? Or should I catch so beauty sleep first? Hahaha... I think I'll take a quick bath first then pack my luggage then decide le... guess I'm just too excited to sleep now....

Laksa, Hokkien Mee, Popiah, Nasi Lemak, Mee Rebus, Mee Goreng.... mum's cooked food....singapore brewed coffee and tea....Wait for me...I'm coming!!!! (",)

Counting down....3 more days! (",)

Silas & I are looking forward to this coming Thursday...HOME SWEET HOME!

We are going back to Singapore, though a short trip. But defintely a much awaited one. Miss our families and friends...

Counting down....3 more days! (",)

Mui Ne Beach Escapade 8-9 Aug 2009 ~ Day 2

We woke up at 8am and headed for our buffet breakfast at the Hippocampe restaurant. Nice buffet spread, definitely made me feel better after the disappointing BBQ dinner.

Asked for a sunny side-up... got a heart-shaped one...haha (",)

Vietnamese Mini Pancake (a bit burned)

Whahaha...James or Jam? :p

The Sun, The Sea and The Sand…something that one cannot miss! We spent the whole morning at the beach before our check-out. I ordered a coconut that never came... and was told they ran out of it! :( So, I went to the pool bar and ordered a ‘Tropical Sunset’ – a mix of 3 fruit juices. Aiya! I think I’m just not fated to enjoy a drink then. I only took 3 sips, darling once before I toppled the glass of mocktail!!! (#@*!%^&) Not only that, I lost 100,000D (the money I have prepared to pay for the coconut)…haiz…. So I actually paid S$15 for the mocktail! Luckily, not a big price still.

Darling had a good sun bath while I enjoyed the breeze under the bamboo-coconut ‘umbrella.’ The waves were magnificent. Being mild hydrophobic, I’m glad I took up the challenge to get into the water and got ‘crashed’ by the jumping wild waves. It can be painful sometimes. Enjoyed these moments with my darling definitely!

Roaring Waves...

Dear in Action!

We didn’t have enough time to go for a swim at the pool. We bathed, packed our barang barang and checked out at 1pm. Went to the pool bar for our welcome ice-cream – had soursop and passion fruit sorbet.

Checking Out...

Pool Bar...

Last stopover before we headed back to Vung Tau was a very cheap seafood Vietnamese Restaurant, Lam Tong. Also one of the recommend restaurants in my list. I’m very happy that we didn’t miss this. A plate of kangkong is only about $1.20. We ordered Squid, Prawns, steamed fish, kangkong, a beer and a lime juice, all for only 167,000D (~S$14).

Will definitely come back again if I revisit Mui Ne. It would have been better if we could stay for at least 2 nights. And I would make sure I bring my camera battery charger along, given the number of pics I snapped. I was too naïve to believe that the battery would last me for this short trip. The battery went on strike after the Jeep Tour, only lasted less than a day.

On our way back, our driver actually lost his way! Puzzled! Hee… How did he get to Mui Ne then? Anyway, he asked a few people we met along the way for directions. We reached Seaview Residence safely, our home away from home, at 630pm :p

A look at our expenditure:
Transport: 2,200,000D (120USD)
Seahorse Resort and Spa (Deluxe Garden View): 84USD (inclusive of buffet breakfast)
Korean Lunch: 180, 000D
Jeep Tour: 470,000D
Tips & Drink for tour: 160,000D
BBQ Dinner: 470,000D
Ice Cream: 20,000D
Luna d’Autunno (Italian Restaurant): 330,000D
Pool Bar & Room Service: 100,000D
Lam Tong Lunch: 167,000D
Sunglasses: 250,000D
Lost: 100,000D
TOTAL: 4,447,000D + 84USD (Hotel) -> About S$500 for 2 pax!

Mui Ne – an oasis of calm! a tranquil and personal paradise for anyone seeking a relaxing and enjoyable escape, especially away from the hustle and bustle of city living. Highly recommended! Love the undisturbed beach, less crowded and commercialized as the ones in Phuket and Bali. I begin to miss the place already… (“,) The next time I go, I must wake up early for the sunrise! :)

Darling, thanks for this memorable and fun-filled Mui Ne Escapade. I really enjoyed myself very very much. I’m sure you did too! =)

Happy 1st Anniversary!

Mui Ne Beach Escapade 8-9 Aug 2009 ~ Day 1 Part 3

After the tour, we went back to our room and took a quick bath before proceeding for our BBQ dinner at our resort to celebrate our 1 year anniversary.

Seahorse Resort & Spa in the evening Guess which floor we stayed at? Hahaha... =) Getting ready to party...

It’s in a lush garden setting! Nice and romantic feel… but the food and service is only 5.5 out of 10! On the voucher, it was stated that the dinner starts from 630pm to 930pm. We reached there at 715pm. Guess what? By 820pm, the chefs and servers started clearing the food and buffet tables! Wakaoz…just because MOST people had taken their share. One of the servers still countered us (he came to get some feedback from us during our breakfast the next day) that we came late and most of the Vietnamese guests came at 6pm! Hmm…Singaporeans are not that kiasu after all!

Overall, I would still recommend this hotel for its stylish beachfront resort, good-sized room with a balcony and open-style bathroom, picturesque beach, nice swimming pool and pool bar, where refreshing array of cocktails and tasty snacks are served. Nice spread of buffet breakfast. Service at restaurants can be improved though. Front desk service is good.

Our Room...Deluxe Garden View

Pool in the day...

Nice Beach
Pool Bar
Pool at night...
The Lush Garden
Well Well Well...
US! (",)

We went for a stroll along the streets. Mainly only restaurants and massage parlours operating. Saw some hotels along the way. Other hotels that I may want to try next will be Terracotta, L' Anmien Mui Ne Resort & Spa (expensive) and Coco Beach (good reviews on this but it's staying in a hut).

Darling and I, not very satisfied with the dinner, went for another round of gastronomy experience. Bought an ice cream for 20,000D at the Gecko. Then we proceeded to one of the recommend restaurants in my list, the Luna d’Autunno is an Italian restaurant. The menu includes fresh pasta, great salads and fine pizzas from a wood-fired oven. There is also an extensive wine list. We had a pizza Salame, a Tiger beer and a set meal that included a pasta Vongole, a tiramisu and a soft drink. Pizza wasn’t as nice as the one we had in Phuket. The Italian Restaurant David in Vung Tau taste better. Or maybe we were already not that hungry...

Haha...my camera's battery ran dry...no pictures of Luna. Here are some recommended restaurants:
Jibes: Italian
90 Nguyen Dinh Chieu, Ham Tien, Mui Ne.
Tel: +84 (0) 62 847 405.
07:00-late

Luna d’Autunno: Italian
51A Nguyen Dinh Chieu, Ham Tien, Phan Thiet.
Tel: +84 (0) 62 847 591.
Daily 09:00-22:00

Good Morning Vietnam: Italian
57, Km11, Nguyen Dinh Chieu, Ham Tien, Phan Thiet.
Tel: +84 (0) 62 847 585.
Daily 10:00-22:00.

Lam Tong
92 Nguyen Dinh Chieu, Ham Tien, Phan Thiet.
Tel: +84 (0) 62 847 598.
Daily: 07:00-23:00

The Golden Sand Saloon Resort: Seafood
81BIS Nguyen Dinh Chieu, Ham Tien, Phan Thiet.
Tel: +84 (0) 62 741 277.
Daily 06:00-24:00

Cay Bang restaurant
2-4 Nguyen Dinh Chieu, Ham Thien, Phan Thiet.
Tel: (84-62) 847-009.)
Daily 10:00-22:00.


We had a long day, decided to call it a day and stroll back to our resort. It was a tiring but fun-filled day. Day 2 coming up… =p

Mui Ne Beach Escapade 8-9 Aug 2009 ~ Day 1 Part 2

Our Tour Itinerary

First Stop: Fairy Stream This unusual stream wanders down from the nearby mountains, where red sand dunes slide down towards the gurgling stream, with interesting sand and rock formations. Nothing much, at least not for me. We waded barefooted (have to) through the water in the stream. The last part of the stream is nicer, with the sand and rock formations.

Second Stop: Fishing Village The major industry in Phan Thiet is fishing. From July to October is the peak fishing season of the region. During this season the boats in the sea form a spectacular sight. Famous for production of fish sauce.

We merely saw some colourful fishing boats, not very spectacular though. We stopped over for about 10 min only and headed for the next attraction.

Third Stop: Red Canyon This is a canyon with eroded red sand forming strangely shaped angles. The driver made a stopover for us to take some pictures at this Red Canyon. We were told that it was closed for renovation, so we merely took some pictures from the landing point.

Me with our Rented Jeep and Driver

Fourth Stop: White Sand Dunes (WOW! WOW! WOW!) This had to be the HIGHLIGHT of the tour. The view was breathtaking. It gave me a feel as if I’m not in Vietnam, the Vietnam I never knew. The elements of wind have given it a shape worth viewing. Besides the awe-inspiring view, we tried sand sledding on plastic mats.

Our little tour guide, Ngan

Before I reached the White Sand Dunes, I was already very determined to try sledding. Darling, on the other hand, didn’t want to coz it’s kinda cheap thrill for him. In the end, I managed to persuade him to try it out. I was the one who was getting cold feet initially. Felt so ashamed of myself. The little girl, Ngan, who was our guide did it so naturally. I can’t even be compared to a 10-year old…. :(

Silas & Ngan having fun with shadows

For a fainted-hearted person like me, I finally took up the courage. The first attempt failed. Looking back at my video, it was so comical. Eventually, Ngan gave up and sled down on her own. Hahaha. Was I too heavy? :s

Second attempt, I sat upright. Succeeded! Hah…no kick. It was pretty slow. Then I tried with my chest facing down, off I went, this was much more thrilling…flying down the super-silky-soft fine sand.

I tried a few more times after that. It was much tiring than I expected. The sand was super fine and and it wasn’t easy to climb back to the top especially when we were going against the wind. Also, it was super breezy, were extra careful not to let the sand get into our eyes.

Ngan has good service and PR skills. She looks like one of my pupils, Valerie. She showed me how to sled and encouraged me to do it! She even volunteered to take pictures for me and for us. Ironically, I gave her a tip of 100,000D (~S$8) when I was still complaining about the initial 50,000D quoted to me. Anyway, I think she deserved the credit, having spent quite some time with us, sledding and be our photographer! (Hehe…. Silas and I ended up right smack in the centre of the photos taken by her… can’t blame her la…so young… I should have reviewed the pic and taught her one photography tip :p)

Overall, it was a wonderful experience. I really had great fun, feel like a young gal full of energy (for a short while nia) and enjoying myself to the fullest. I haven’t felt so free and boundless for a long time. :) On top of sledding, one can try out horse ridding too. We didn’t try though. It’s about 80,000D.

Last Stop: Red/Yellow Sand Dunes Our last stop was the Red Dunes, another popular tourist attraction. The best times to visit the dunes are at sunrise and sunset. We reached at about 530pm, hoping to catch glimpse of the sunset. The view was nice too, though not as spectacular as the White Sand Dunes. But it started to rain shortly after we arrived. What a pity. The good thing is the rain didn’t last long but of course, the sky wasn’t very nice for photography. Anyway, there was something wrong with Darling’s camera…time to send for repair! :(

What a sight! Sunset giving way to menacing dark clouds...


Road beside the Red Sand Dune
Way back to Seahorse Resort & Spa

On the whole, I’m very satisfied with the tour itinerary. We tipped the driver, 50,000D. If you were to visit Mui Ne, don’t miss out The White Sand Dunes! Be sure to try the sand-sledding' :)

Can check out my facebook for more pics. =)

After the tour...in next blog post! (",)