Phan Thiet
Location: in Binh Thuan Province, on the coast of South Central Vietnam, 200km north of Ho Chi Minh City, 247km from Dalat, 250km from Nha Trang and 1,518km from Hanoi.
Access: 4 hours by car from HCMC, the National Highway 1A passes through Phan Thiet. The express train between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City stops Muong Man station
Main attractions: white sandy beaches and Cape Ne sand dunes (22km from Phan Thiet), beach resorts, Cham vestiges, famous fish sauce factories.
A few kilometers East of Phan Thiet lie some of the most beautiful stretches of beaches in Vietnam, lined with tall coconut trees, leaning against vast red sand dunes. The combination of sun, sand and deep turquoise water of the Pacific Ocean create a breath taking and spectacular site to the visitors. Bai Rang or Rang Beach is probably the most beautiful beach in Phan Thiet.
Located 15km northeast of Phan Thiet, it is nestled in the middle of a coconut palm forest. Other landmarks in the area of Rang Beach are Boulders of the Earth God and Fairy Stream, meandering sand dunes and Mui Ne Beaches located 12 miles East of Phan Thiet.
Phan Thiet possesses a long coast side is convenient for sea economy such as fish catching, salt and fish sauce processing, frozen seafood. It is really worthy to observe the process where anchovy-like fishes are caught, cleaned and placed, in large vats of brine, watch the women and children mending nets and tending to shore related chores. During the period between July and October, the fishing season is at its pinnacle in Phan Thiet as fishermen go out to sea. These boats form a magnificent display of lights at night and can be seen from shore. In fact, the scene bears the image of a floating city.
As other coastal town in the Central of Vietnam, Phan Thiet has a diversified culture of 30 ethnic groups. The stamp of Sa Huynh and Cham ancient cultures have been preserved include clothes, musical instruments, dances, and singings. The ancient architecture, archaeological relics, historic vestiges, traditional festivals of Viet, Cham are together for making the special culture of Phan Thiet. The most famous Cham vestige is Po Sha Nu Tower, an ancient site now recognized as the crowning glory of Cham architecture.
