Phan Thiet has super friendly locals and clean, quiet streets perfect for wandering and people watching.
This medium sized town is usually skipped by tourists but could be a logical and surprisingly nice stopover for cycle tourists travelling either north or south. I personally love hanging out in medium sized towns in Vietnam – this is where the best, most varied and interesting local food can be found.
- Coming from Da Lat, Phan Thiet is the end point for the epically scenic QL28.
- Heading north Phan Thiet is gateway to the ‘Sand Dunes’ highway and some little known but highly scenic coast roads.
- Travelling south it marks the start of a stretch of coastal highway via Ke Ga and ending in Vung Tau where there is a convenient ferry service through to Saigon.
- There’s also a train service to Saigon – one of the only ones which allow you to travel together with your bike.
Read more on travelling by train with your bicycle between Saigon and Phan Thiet.
A word on Mui Ne
Mui Ne is popular for its beach resorts. Not technically a town, Mui Ne is10-kilometre stretch of coastline named after a fishing village (now more like a town) perched on a peninsula at its eastern end.
Sadly, erosion and overdevelopment – thanks to some poorly-thought-out partnerships with Russian mass-tourism operators – have made the once beautiful area much less desirable than what it was.
(That said, if you just want to spend some time at an affordable guesthouse close to excellent, cheap restaurants I can highly recommend the Nhat Quang guesthouse. The family running this place are top notch.)
Phan Thiet Accomodation
Low-key family homestays have become very popular in Phan Thiet – check out Google Maps for new places popping up. I stayed in Co Tu’s Homestay at the eastern end of town in a walkable, quiet area around Hien Vuong Street. This is a cosy, artsy place with dorms and private rooms where the owner runs English lessons for local children on the terrace.
Around the corner, Nha Nghi Hung Hoa (a more traditional guesthouse) also has great views over the river. It’s a stone’s throw from the riverfront where its nice to take a stroll and take photos of colourful fishing boats in the late afternoon.
Eating
Food is definitely the main attraction in Phan Thiet!
The main drawcard is its famous Pham Van Dong ‘Food Street’ where you can sample the famous local seafood and take a waterfront stroll. At the eastern end of town its also nice to stroll along the Phu Hai river at Nguyen Huu Tien Street.
Despite my best intentions I never made it to Food Street. After taking way too many photos of fishing boats I wandered aimlessly about the quiet neighbourhood streets close to my guesthouse soaking up the early evening vibe.
First stop was Miss Bay’s Crispy Rice Paper stall, a bustling eatery where rice paper is folded, filled and barbecued to crispy perfection with a special mix of pick of pork, pickled carrots and eggs. Look out for a sign saying Banh Trang Nuong. It’s quite a scene but the wait is worth it.
I was further waylaid by a group of friends kicking back with food and beers on their front porch. Neighbours wandered back and forth visiting and gossiping, and everyone’s front door was open. This little street gathering summed up everything great about Vietnam. And these guys knew it. “We love our life,” one of them told me.
For lunch, I recommend trying bun bo xao (warm beef vermicelli noodle salad) at this eatery.
At breakfast time, a wonderful banh cuon place can be found outside a family home at 39 Hien Vuong.
Everything about this place is wonderful, with small plastic tables set into the family’s immaculate front courtyard, green and peaceful with pot plants.
Banh Cuon are delicate rolls of steamed rice flour batter, cooked as a thin sheet and then rolled up with a small amount of filling. I get the feeling this lady has been making them for a while.
Head massage
Phan Thiet is a good place to try goi dau, which is a highly addictive head massage experience. Literally translated as ‘wash head’, goi dau is in fact a very relaxing combination of neck massage, hair washing and facial all thrown into one. It took around 30 minutes and was just what I needed after hours on the bike. There are a couple of places on Hien Vuong including this one.
Christmas in Phan Thiet
If you happen to be around Phan Thiet at Christmas, it is well worth a visit just to see the decorations.
I arrived in peak decoration season just as the ENTIRE town was smothered in Christmas lights. Throughout the evening, families promenaded from display to display, taking photos with their kids in front of the nativity scenes. It was lovely, if a little strange at times (I spotted one shepherd boy dressed up in leopard skin).
