Activities & Tours
Soak up the Sights
White Sand Dunes
Price:
VND 800.000
Price of excursion (transportation only)
(one or two people)
VND 200.000
Supplement per additional person
Period:
3-hour tour. Confirm tour times at the front desk, reservations are required
Location:
Departs from and returns to Pandanus
First stop (60 minutes): Explore the White Sand Dunes which stretch out in a desert area about 24 km northeast of the Pandanus Resort. These dunes are one of the most photographed attractions in the Phan Thiet area because of the contrasting colours of the “flying” white dunes, the deep blue lake below the dunes and the bright green plants and lotus flowers along the lakeshore. The most popular times to visit the White Sand Dunes are either during sunrise or at sunset. You can choose to use the Pandanus Resort van or, for a more adventurous experience, a jeep for this tour.
Those participating in this excursion will be given the option of visiting either The Red Sand Dunes or the Fairy Stream after the stop at the White Sand Dunes.
• Visit the Red Sand Dunes. This attraction usually is the final stop of the day because the best time to enjoy its stunning beauty is the sunset. Tourists can try to slide down the dunes by hiring a sled from the local kids.
• Or a visit to the Fairy Stream (Suoi Tien). This is a small stream whose walls are made up of red, white, orange, and pink stalagmites that have been shaped by the wind and rain into surreal forms. You take your shoes off and wade upstream to view the canyon walls and take pictures.
Ta Cu Mountain Excursion/Tour
Price:
VND 2.700.000
Tour Price
(one or two people, including tour guide)
VND 600.000
Supplement per additional person
VND 2.000.000
Price of excursion (transportation only)
(for one or two people)
Period:
5-hour tour. Confirm tour times at the front desk, reservations are required
Location:
Departs from and returns to Pandanus
First stop (2 hours): Ta Cu Mountain lies 28 km west of Phan Thiet along National Route 1 in Ham Thuan Nam. Travel 1.600 metres by Cable Car above a dense forest to Linh Son Truong Tho Pagoda on the top of this mountain rising 649 metres above sea level. Ta Cu is the site of the largest reclining Buddha in Southeast Asia. From the cable car terminal, it is another 300 steps climb to the 49-metre-long Gautama Buddha statue. The views from the top of the mountain over the rice fields and dragon fruits plantations below are spectacular.
Second stop (30 minutes): Explore a simple way of life in the Vietnamese countryside and learn how Binh Thuan farmers plant and grow dragon fruit.
Third stop (30 minutes): Picture-taking at Phan Thiet Harbour with many colourful fishing boats.
Phan Rang Cham Heritage Tour
Price:
VND 4.500.000
Tour Price
(from one to two people, including tourguide)
Highly recommended!
VND 600.000
Supplement per additional person
VND 3.000.000
Self-guided excursion without tour guide
(transportation only)
Period:
9-hour tour. Confirm tour times at the front desk, reservations are required
Location:
Departs from and returns to Pandanus
Phan Rang-Thap Cham, the old capital of the last Cham kingdom, Panduranga, in Ninh Thuan Province is located about 350 km from Ho Chi Minh City and just over 120 km northeast of the Pandanus Resort. The Cham temple-towers are beautiful memorials to Cham kings and queens. Although most of the towers between Da Nang and Phan Thiet are in ruins, there are two sites in the area around Phan Rang-Thap Cham that are still in use for many of the colourful Cham festivals and celebrations: Po Klong Garai and Po Rome Cham Towers.
Programme of the day:
• 08:30 Departure. Optional photo stops along the way at the White Sand Hill (Cat Trang Binh Thuan) and at a typical fruit garden along the highway on the way to Phan Rang-Thap Cham.
• 11:00 Arrival at Po Klong Garai Cham Towers. The temple-towers were erected by King Jaya Simhavarman III to honour the legendary King Po Klong Garai (1151-1205) for his honourable deeds and for developing agriculture and constructing irrigation systems throughout Champa. His likeness is depicted on a lingam in the sanctuary of the central tower. Count 60 minutes for a walk up the hill to visit the towers, time for shopping and a quick museum visit are provided.
• 12:15 Optional lunch (not included) at Sen Charail Lotus Garden in My Nghiep village: Enjoy the views in the middle of a vast lotus farm with traditional food prepared by a Cham family. (Alternative for holidays and bad weather in the rainy season: Khanh Ky chicken rice restaurant in the city centre of Phan Rang).
• 13:00 Departure for My Nghiep Weaving Village – the village is located 10 km outside of Phan Rang City and has a reputation for its high-quality woven products and well-preserved Cham culture. Over the years, the local Cham have developed techniques to weave brocade according to a traditional method. Visit the My Nghiep women’s cooperative.
• 14:00 Drive to Bau Truc, a pottery craft village that has existed since the reign of Cham King Po Klong Garai and is considered one of the oldest pottery villages in Southeast Asia. The hand-manipulated techniques they use have been passed down from generation to generation, and they make the products remarkably distinguishable from others. Stops at one of Bau Truc’s pottery families home and the local pottery cooperative (takes approximately one hour).
• 15:00 Departure for Po Rome Cham Tower which was built in the 17th century, 15 kilometres from Phan Rang. This is one of the biggest towers of the Cham people and is also the final one to be built in Champa. This tower was created to worship Shiva, but was later considered as the resting place for King Po Rome (1627-1651), the last king of the independent Champa Empire.
• 18:00 Return to the resort.
Phan Thiet City Centre
Price:
VND 1.700.000
one or two people, including tour guide
VND 300.000
Supplement per additional person
VND 990.000
Self-guided excursion (transportation only)
Period:
4-hour tour. Confirm tour times at the front desk, reservations are required
Location:
Departs from and returns to Pandanus.
First stop (30 minutes): Visit Po Sah Inu Cham Towers. Discover one of the most precious and impressive cultural vestiges of the ancient Champa Kingdom (8th century). Located on Ong Hoang Hill in Phu Hai ward. Excellent spot to enjoy a view of the Phan Thiet city skyline.
Second stop (30 minutes): Visit Duc Thanh School, where “Uncle Ho,” founder and president of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, once worked as a teacher (1910-1911). The museum is a good place to get familiarised with the life and history of Ho Chi Minh.
Third stop (30 minutes): Visit Ong Pagoda, built in 1770 and considered the oldest and largest Chinese temple in Binh Thuan Province.
Fourth stop (45 minutes): Explore Phan Thiet Market. An opportunity for shopping and picture-taking.
Fifth stop (45 minutes): Check out Phan Thiet’s main seafood market at the lively fishing harbour, then wander through the fascinating Van Thuy Tu Temple, a historic place of whale worship common on the central coast of Vietnam and where nearly 100 whale skeletons are being preserved. According to local fishermen, the sea mammals (Ca Ong = Grandfather Fish) are considered gods who often come to rescue them when they are in distress at sea.
OTHER EXPERIENCES
Sporting Activities
Cooking Classes
