Tet – when all of Vietnam is on the road to visit family. Tet – when most of the places close down. Tet – when the price for a ticket goes up a few hundred percent. Tet – when you want to be somewhere close to a tourist spot to find some easy food options and lots of open restaurants. The first 3 days of Tet 2017 I went to Hàm Tiến to visit a friend and his family. He gave me the master bed room – thank you Jake!

The house is a minute away from the water and close to me new favourite place for a sundowner in all of Mũi Né: The beach bar of the Venus Hotel right at the beach.

I have to confess – I was too lazy to drive down to the city and stayed in suburbia for the 3 days I was here.

There is The Food Court Dong Vui and a few local soup joints, bakeries and coffees. Even with Tet in full swing still plenty of fresh fruit sellers along the main drag. And there is the beach as well. Now for that beach – I am not a beach bum but if I where – this is not the beach I would go. To much trash and shit here. But let’s have a look and decide for yourself!

The traditional Fishing Boats of Mui Ne

Fishing boat at the beach in Hàm Tiến.

The traditional fishing boats are double enders unusually build symmetrical from wood. Easy to spot with their pronounced overhangs fore and aft. Usually powered by a single cylinder Chinese engine and the cooling water supply is the typical pipe bent around to look straight into the prop wash. You see that at the left of this boat.

They all have ornate nga, usually painted red with yellow accents. At the front you see where they store the anchor.
There are not to many of those left and it is not easy to get them into the water.

Putting the fishing boat into the water at the Beach in Hàm Tiến

They swivel it towards the water

Finally ready to go. Works but takes time. Safety helmet is not required but I guess he knows why he put his one on his head!

Woven Bamboo Basket Boats

A simple round bamboo basket coated with tar or varnish to make it waterproof. I only found two of them at the beach here.

Not really a happy camper this one…

And this one must have seen better days as well…

The Modern Version of the Bamboo Basket Boats

Fishing Boat at the Beach in Hàm Tiến”

Some even have an engine as well

Glass fibre has replaced the bamboo boat

The Fisherman at Hàm Tiến Beach

So far there are still plenty of beach front properties without hotel or “Resort” buildings. This is where the local fisherman parks his boat and has his little hut. Here he works on the boat and gear – here he has his BBQ and beer with his friends.

Fisherman working on his boat

Fisherman Hut at the Beach in Hàm Tiến

This one does not come with air-condition but you are never to far away from the water!

There are Tourists as well

Most of them where Russians when I was there. The next biggest group where the Chinese the third biggest I can not tell you since I really did not meet bigger groups of one nationality.

Russians in Hàm Tiến

There where two guys renting the hut behind the tubes. Why do you want to do that? If you have a concrete factory at home and miss it!!

The best part of the day – a cold beer at the Venus Hotel right at the beach. And some nice Russian girls doing their fitness routine make the sun set even better. An ice-cold Saigon was only 15.000! At the beach!!

Later I found a little local place and they made me a good vegetarian meal with another cold brew. Perfect!

At the Morning at the Beach

Jake told me the best time to hit the beach is the morning when the fisherman come back from sea. I can imagine and on day 3 I finally had the courage to get out of bed at 5 in the morning. Only – it is Tet and the fisherman do not work for a week…

Morning at the beach in Hàm Tiến

Still sleeping – might be their only holiday in the whole year??

Public toilet in morning at the beach in Hàm Tiến. The good thing is – they have plenty of this ones. I walked about 20 minutes down the beach and found at last 15 of them!