Travel
Flight
There are numerous international carriers with daily departures and arrivals to and from Vietnam. It should not be difficult to find a flight. Air Asia, Tiger Airways, Jet Star and other budget carriers also serve Vietnam daily.
Fly into Ho Chi Minh City (a.k.a. Saigon). Aiport code is SGN. Name of airport is Tan Son Nhat International Airport.
Getting To and From the Airport
Taxi is the way to go. It`s cheap and easy. There are no shuttles, trains or subways.
Trustworthy taxi companies include VinaSun and Mai Linh (both green and white) , SGA (white and blue), VinaTaxi (yellow) and Taxi Future (black).
If you are arriving prior to the VLX, you can take a cab to either your host’s or your hotel. If you are arriving on Friday, you may want to take a cab directly to the location of the VLX bus to Mui Ne, Sun Wah Tower, 115 Nguyen Hue, District 1.
The price should be approximately 100,000 Vietnam Dong (VND) ~ 6.5 USD to the city centre. Insist on using the meter! This shouldn`t be a problem anyway. The number on the meter is in Vietnam Dong, although it may not show all the zeros. This is normal. It is NOT in dollars.
It is about 25 minutes in light traffic to the city center, or district 1. Most hotels are located in that area.
VLX Bus to Mui Ne
The official VLX buses, complete with shiny happy VLX staff, will leave Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) to Mui Ne on Friday 19th at 10am and 2pm. We will then return back on Monday 22nd morning at 7am and 10am.
The Saigon meeting point for the bus is outside the Sun Wah Tower, 115 Nguyen Hue, District 1, and you should arrive at least 30 minutes before departure- the party waits for no one!
Confirmation and any further details will be sent to registered VLXers a few weeks prior to VLX.
Getting to Mui Ne Yourself
From Ho Chi Minh City to Mui Ne is 180km long and it takes from 4-5 hours by road or by train. If you have chosen to find your own way either to or from Mui Ne you have a few options:
1. Getting to Mui Ne by Private Taxi
Taxis can be up to an hour faster than tour buses, and can be ordered direct from the airport, or from any of the travel agents either downtown and in Pham Ngu Lao St, District 1, or in Mui Ne. They are a comfortable and relaxed way to make your way to the coast, and cost up to $70. (The Mai Linh taxi is a popular service provider: http://mailinh.vn/ )
2. Getting to Mui Ne by Tourist Bus:
Pham Ngu Lao St, District 1 has an array of travel agencies- some of the most popular are Sinh cafe, Hanh cafe and Tam Hanh travel. They arrange bookings for tourist buses to and from Mui Ne and they offer sleeper bus, and standard bus options. You can also book in Mui Ne.
3. Getting to Mui Ne by train:
From Saigon you also can book a train ticket to Mui Ne at a booking office or at a train station. But when you arrive at the Muong Man station in Phan Thiet city (the main city of Mui Ne), you still need to get a taxi for about 22km to get to Mui Ne. See www.vr.com.vn for schedule and prices.
For more information, visit http://www.muinehotel-link.com/transportation
Money
Buy some Vietnam Dong in the airport before getting out as you will need this to pay the taxi. It is better to pay for virtually everything in Vietnam Dong (VND) than in USD. ATMs are common, both in Saigon and Mui Ne. Credit cards are accepted at upmarket hotels and restaurants only. For current exchange rates, visit: http://www.exchange-rates.org/currentRates/A/VND