TRAVELOGUE  »  Sledding Down Red Sand Dunes in Mui Ne

Our first open ticket bus ride left us in the beach town of Mui Ne, though due to the rainy season it was pretty deserted. Our first night was a wash, but we woke up early the next day to rent a motorcycle and head out for the red sand dunes nearby.

Probably a few hundred feet from the shore with a road in the middle, the dunes are filled with kids holding sheets of plastic used for sleds. Whether wanted or not, they follow tourists around offering their services as sand-sledding experts.

Very much wanting to use their services, we quickly had a group of ten or so kids following us around and showing us the best dunes to sled down. I made sure to let them know that we only needed the help of one and would only be paying one, as I heard horror stories that they all take turns helping tourists then all demand money. Anyway, in addition to showing us the places and providing the sled, the kids help toss loose sand on the hill (it makes you go faster) and gave a strong shove to get the fun going.

While I can’t say that sand dune sledding is better than snow sledding, it was pretty fun. Carrie and I were even able to go together a couple of times and got our speed way up there. The funniest part was when the local girl pushed me off to the side and I went over a bump, fell off the plastic sheet and went tumbling down the hill. Well, funny except for sand on every inch of my body.

It’s a good thing that there wasn’t that much else to do in Mui Ne, as right when we finished sledding the skies opened up and the rest of the day was spent with non-stop rain. I drove us around on the moto for a while, but we quickly got cold and decided to call it quits and just relax at our hotel.