This is my final post for the four short blogs to fill the two week gap between Kampot, Cambodia and Dalat, Vietnam; and our first taste of vietnamese beach life. 'Supposedly'one of Vietnam's most popular beach destinations -- I think we've been a bit spoiled by Cambodia's hideaway, desert-island beaches -- Mui Ne is home to 20km of beachfront (although, 'seafront' is a better description), with an array of guest houses and resorts that line the shores of the South China Sea.

But putting our slightly derisive attitude aside, Mui Ne (or the more touristy section know as Ham Tien) has some quite dramatic waves, which come crashing in during this time of year. Perfect for kitesurfing, which we were desperate to do but were just not lucky enough with the wind. Next time. And for those of you who prefer dry land, and less of the high-adrenaline activities, you can try sand boarding or mini golf.

Where to stay

I think we were just unlucky with the weather while we were here. Well, apart from the dramatic 360 view we had of it -- the stormy seas and, inland, the wind buffeted palm trees -- from our three-roomed penthouse. Let me explain... As well as growing in size, Mui Ne is do some serious regeneration work during the low session, which means that a lot of guesthouses look like building sites and there are bargains to be had. We stumbled across a small resort -- where I am pretty sure we were the only guests -- which, although only doing some final touches, like paintwork, still didn't look very inviting. But appearances can be deceiving. Behind the rubble-strewn facade was a little oasis: we paid next-to-nothing for our forth-storey pad, with a private balcony and stairs down to a palm-skirted pool area overlooking the sea. Our living room had triple aspect: up and down the coast and out to sea. While our bedroom and giantic bathroom, complete with jacuzzi bath, had no less of a view. It really does pay to leave your bags with a local cafe, so you can go in search of a bargain.

While I loved our little oasis, this was low season so I know we got a bargain. If I was making a recommendation to anyone else I'd suggest either staying at, or basing yourself around, Joe's Cafe. A backpacker haven, yet with a rather sedate atmosphere. A frequent haunt of ours during our stay.