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Phan Thiet’s OTHER Cham Temple
Under Threat

30.07.10 While everyone knows about Thap Po Shanu, the obvious Cham temple in Phu Hai that overlooks Phan Thiet City, nobody seems to be aware of the Cham ruins at Kim Binh, a small village just on the edge of the city in Ham Thang District. This is perhaps no wonder, since nothing has been done to study or protect them.

A large Buddhist pagoda has recently been constructed on one corner of the ruins. New Vietnamese grave boxes and lattices of squash vines are perched on another end, and dragon fruit cactus on the back portion. No care has been afforded the ruins whatsoever, which is surprising, given the large piles of bricks and pottery strewn about—indications that relics are still likely hidden underneath the piles. There are no free-standing walls visible, but there could be intact temple-tower foundations under the rubble. If of similar age to other ruins in the area, those at Kim Binh could be more than 1000 years old.

Residents say that a gold idol was unearthed from the pile, though claim it was later stolen. The monks of the pagoda have reclaimed 3 primitive idols from the ruins however, and house them in a shrine on the other side of the pagoda. The three images are granite slabs with the faces of Cham god-kings and goddess-queens carved in the surface.

As one of more than a dozen discovered ancient Cham ruins throughout the province, its unclear why the government has not sought to preserve them and develop a network of tourism sites to showcase the historical relics.

The Raping of Nui Ong: Local Wildlife “Farms” Destroying Binh Thuan’s National Parks

28.07.10 I was on the way to Nui Ong National Park in Northwest Binh Thuan Province. There’s very little infrastructure at the park’s main entrance—just some signs on trees displaying Latin names, and a designated parking area. (See the bottom of this page for a report on a previous visit to the park, or visit our blog for a photo essay.)

This time however, I was heading to an unofficial back entrance, closer to Phan Thiet. There the illegal loggers plough trails through the national park, removing bamboo, large trees and more wildlife.

I was utterly disappointed when I arrived, finding that since my previous visit one year ago, the forests of the national park had been dramatically thinned. What was once a dark and dense forest, thick with plant life and enormous towering trees, was now sparse with empty meadows and glens, patches of cropland, and streams of sunlight falling to the forest floor in every direction.

During my visit last year, the forest twittered, rustled, hummed and sang with the sounds of innumerable wild bird life. Torrents of butterflies pounded down the paths. Snakes, lizards and frogs hopped, ran and climbed through both the underbrush and canopy above. Now what was left of the forest was quiet and motionless, save for a vestige of butterflies. The loggers had drastically degraded the plant life, but poachers had taken care of the animals.

For the fate of Nui Ong’s animals, I must back up and recount what I encountered on the way to Nui Ong, halfway from Phan Thiet. From highway 1A there has been a sign visible for several years, advertising wild boar meat sold at a farm called “Ba Bau”. This time, the sign had been changed to more brazenly advertise a wide variety of animals, including porcupine, tortoises, civet and monitor lizard. I turned north from the highway, deciding to inspect the facility.

The place wasn’t difficult to find—there were signs directing where to turn. This place obviously wasn’t a secret. The friendly owner proudly welcomed me in and showed off the stock of animals, kept in damp, cement barracks in the back of the property, overgrown with vines from the outside. There were indeed a few porcupines, civet cats (known potential carriers of SARS) a dozen tortoises, almost twice as many bamboo rats, and even more monitory lizards.

“Did you breed these animals?” I asked.

“Oh no, none of them,” dismissed the owner, “except for the wild pigs.” She motioned behind us. There were half-a-dozen stalls of beautifully brown and white speckled piglets. “All the other animals I buy from people who catch them in the forests near the mountains north of here (Nui Ong).”

“But its OK” she quickly added. “The government knows what we are doing and they don’t care. We bought a license from them for a wild animal farm. After we buy that, we can do anything we like. They don’t care.”

I was horrified, sickened, but not surprised. In theory, she was wrong, what she was doing was illegal—not the intention of the law… in theory. In practice however, this seems to be exactly what is happening all over Vietnam. Small businesses buy these wild animal “farming” licenses then procure most or all of their stock from national parks—or may even be smuggling poached wildlife from surrounding countries.

Vietnam’s wild animal farming program isn’t limited to small mammals and reptiles however. It also includes large threatened or endangered species such as tigers, African Rhinos (see our blog for more on the Rhino problem) and bears, all with the intent of harvesting their body parts for traditional “medicine” to be sold here in Vietnam or in neighboring China.

“Who are your customers?” I asked the owner.

“Big restaurants and resorts in Mui Ne and Phan Thiet. They pay extra money so we can make a paper for them to make it look legal.”

In other words, restaurants, resorts offer exotic animals on their menu—porcupine, monitor lizard, turtle, tortoise, snake, civet, bamboo rat or something worse—assuring their customers that the wild animals on the menu are legally farm-raised—they might even show them the paperwork—but in fact, the meat on the dinner plate all came from the nearest national park.

There’s another dirty little secret that these restaurant owners haven’t told their customers however. The wild animals that they are eating—their meat is contaminated by parasites—and cooking them (particularly the sloppy and unsanitary methods used by these restaurants) doesn’t kill them all. Tape worms, flukes, heart worms, lung worms, bacteria and viruses—and they are all being passed on to the consumer. Even worse--though a customer may not order dishes made with these animals--the very presence of the animal or its flesh in the same restaurant may be introducing contaminants that could still make customers seriously ill. For this reason it is important not to eat at any restaurant serving wild animals.

Binh Thuan's Volcanic Zone Spawns Earthquake

04.07.10 A 4.5 magnitude earthquake struck 150km from the coast of Phan Thiet City last Friday, on June 23. The epicenter was in the vicinity of several semi-active undersea volcanoes and volcanic islands, including Phu Quy Island. Tremors were felt as far away as Ho Chi Minh city but no damage or tidal waves were reported. Aftershocks are likely in the weeks following but not possible to predict. The area endures earthquakes once every year or two, all of similar magnitude. Binh Thuan Province is seismically very active, with numerous dormant volcanoes on the mainland, several hot springs, and many volcanic rock and mineral deposits.

Gordon Ramsey Films in Phan Thiet

17.06.10 British Celebrity Chef Gordon Ramsey visited Mui Ne this week to film segments for his new travel-adventure-food-series, "Gordon's Great Escape: Southeast Asia". Visit the Mui Ne blog "Fish Egg Tree" to read about how we were involved with pre-production for the show.

100+ Tourists Hospitalized For Food Poisoning

13.06.10 A group of more than 100 tourists was hospitalized with food poisoning in Phan Thiet on June 10. The Tam Phuc, An Phuoc, and Binh Thuan Province general hospitals were inundated early that morning as the patients checked in with severe diarrhea, stomach aches and vomiting. The Vietnamese tourists were traveling on a tour organized by Vietmart Company. On June 9, the tourists ate at a food fair organized by Suoi Cat Company in their theme park on the edge of town. Afterwards, they dined at Doi Duong Restaurant. At midnight, many of them became gravely ill and took taxis to the hospital. Agencies in the province are investigating the cause of the food poisoning. Nguyen Van Son, general director of Suoi Cat Company, said than on June 10 the Food Fair had been inspected by the provincial Department of Food, Hygiene and Safety. The deputy director of Binh Thuan Province Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism also attended the fair that night, that it is unclear whether he also fell ill.

More Temple Ruins & Green Peafowl Discovered

23.05.10 On a recent expedition Adam Bray, a resident travel writer and freelance journalist, has located yet another undocumented set of ancient temple ruins. It is unclear whether the remains are from the Champa or earlier Funan Kingdoms. Stories of ghosts and monsters associated with this temple are recounted by families living nearby the ruins. Two foundation holes are visible in the sand, with red bricks strewn about. Villagers living in the surrounding area say that the temple ruins were desecrated and robbed several times from 1992-1995. The man responsible is a notorious tomb raider who has molested archaeological sites throughout the area. Villagers claim he carried off cartloads of statuary, steles with inscriptions, and gold artifacts dug from underneath the ruins.

In the process of locating the temples, Adam also may have stumbled upon a previously unknown population of green peafowl. These endangered birds are highly significant because they were previously only known to be located in Dak Lak (Yuk Don National Park) and Dong Nai (Cat Tien National Park) Provinces.

Both finds lend credence to the fact that Binh Thuan Province needs a well-managed National Park system to preserve these national treasures which currently have no protection and are under immanent threat.

Two Boys Drown in Construction Site

20.05.10 Update: Drownings continue at Doi Duong and bodies are still washing up on shire. Visit our blog to read about the in situ autopsy on one Victim under the Phu Hai Bridge.

20.05.10 Two 13-year-old boys drowned at an excavation site at Doi Duong beach in Phan Thiet city last Friday. According to rescuers, Nguyen Minh Thanh and Pham Hoang Khang were found dead in a three-meter-deep hole dug for a dyke. The hole, located at the seashore, is usually submerged at high tide, but the contractor, Thai Binh Company (Hai Phong City), didn’t post any warnings. After the incident the company decided to fill the hole. Residents said a few days ago they had rescued five local students who also fell into the same hole.

May Day Offensive 40th Anniversary

01.05.10 April 30 marked Vietnam’s 35th anniversary, known as “Liberation Day.” May 1, or International Worker’s Day is a fitting follow-up. What many visitors may not realize is that this weekend is also the 40th anniversary of the May-Day Offensive.

On May 2-3 the Viet Cong capitalized on the growing anti-war sentiment ensuing from the My Lai massacre trials, the invasion of Cambodia and the Ohio National Guard shootings of students at Kent State. That weekend the communist forces attacked 77 US bases in a coordinated military offensive.

The LZ Betty in Phan Thiet was the hardest hit in a firefight that lasted 6 hours. In total, 7 US servicemen were killed and 36 injured. According to Task Force South intel on the offensive, communist forces in Binh Thuan Province lost 895 soldiers (killed in action), 50 soldiers were taken prisoner and 361 small arms were captured. Total American forces killed nationwide during the offensive were 76.

According to retired American serviceman Bryan Lagimoniere, “..for those of us who were there that night is forever logged into our minds.”

We offer our sincere condolences to the families on both sides who lost loved ones during this historic battle, and our thanks and gratitude to the soldiers who sacrificed for the cause of freedom and liberty.

Mui Ne Business Owners Band Together
to Stop the Killings

15.04.10 Urgent: Yet another man was killed by an automobile last night--Mui Ne's friendly street-cart corn-seller. He was struck and killed by an car driven by an intoxicated Russian tourist, in front of Hot Rock. Another tourist was killed a week ago when struck by an automobile. This has been the bloodiest tourist season in Mui Ne ever, and Mui Ne may be setting records for foreign deaths in the entire country--at least Since the American War. There have been several tourists killed or gravely injured almost every week since the tourist season began last fall. This doesn't include the countless Vietnamese who are also killed several times a week throughout Phan Thiet City.

Some suggestions on how to stay safe in Mui Ne:

1. Please, please, please, do not drive yourself in Mui Ne unless you have a vietnamese license and several years of experience. Otherwise don't drive yourself by car and not by motorbike.
2. Please, please, please, stay on the sidewalk. many of the tourist deaths this season have been pedestrians. Stay alert when near the street!
3. As much as I hate to say it, bicycling really isn't safe in Mui Ne. Strongly consider it before you do it, and please do not let your children ride alone.
4. Though I really dislike Mai Linh and have witnessed them perpetrate hit-and-run accidents, they are much safer than going by motorbike driver.
5. If you are drinking, please do not walk long distances back to your room. Take a taxi.
6. If you think your driver is driving too fast, speak up! Make the driver slow down. Complain to your hotel if they arranged the driver. Refuse to pay if they don't slow down.

If you do drive:

1. Motorbike drivers must wear helmets. It's the law!
2. You must have a vietnamese license. Its't the law!
3. Do not ride with more than 2 adults on a motorbike. It's the law!
4. Do not drink and drive! Vietnamese often do it, and those that do are stupid, and they die because of it!
5. Drive slowly. Your life and the lives of those around you depend on it. If you kill someone, as a foreigner, you will automatically be considered the one at fault and you will be extorted for as much money as possible. You may not be allowed to leave the city until you pay up.

Many of the business owners/managers in Mui ne are banding together this week to start a grass roots road safety campaign. You may see posters and brochures and other related activities. Please help us support this effort. If we don't try to make a difference, nobody else will. How many more need to die? Ten more? Twenty? How about your family or friends? Lets work together to end the bloodshed and make Mui Ne a safe place again.

To read about the many fatalities in Mui Ne's ongoing road safety crisis, CLICK HERE

Broken Promises Lead to Public Health Threat

Update: 04.05.10 Binh Thuan Province has announced a new program to upgrade drainage systems, particulalry around Phan Thiet. Read the article here. There is however, no mention of Mui Ne. Meanwhile, a small load of sand and gravel have been dumped in the large potholes in front of the resorts mentioned below, creating a muddle (and still flooded) mess.

14.04.10 A puddle of stagnant water and raw sewage has remained in front of Bao Quynh, Sailing Club and Ocean Star Resorts in Mui Ne for years. Every season the potholes get bigger and are a cause for bicycle and motorbike accidents. Further, as Dengue Fever and Malaria are both present in Binh Thuan province, the year-round standing water accross the road presents a problem for water-born diseases. Indeed, at least one foreign death last year has been attributed to water-born infection in Mui Ne. Resorts have complaigned again and again to the local government, pleading for Phan Thiet officials to fix the road, since the resorts are prevented from doing so themselves. The latest promise to repair the floording and potholes was broken when a deadline expired at the end of March. Residents, customers and local business owners have all complained, yet nothing is ever done.

Cay Bang Restaurant Owner Tries to Starve Out its Neighbors

15.04.10 Update: The drama continues. Yesterday the owners of Cay Bang rebuilt their wall to trap their neighbors, who in turn broke the way. Officials arrived later and tried to fine the victims.

04.04.10 This week, according to neighbors, the owners of Cay Bang Restaurant (the popular seafood restaurant next to Hoa Vien Micro-Brewery and below Sea Links), launched an illegal effort to starve out three local families, by locking them behind a new brick wall on a piece of land further down the road… all with the cooperation of some unscrupulous local officials.

The owners of Cay Bang are rumored to have co-purchased the property together with a powerful official in Phan Thiet, located at 15 Nguyen Dinh Chieu in Ham Tien Ward. A lane has long existed through this property, giving road access to several generations of the three families living behind the property in the dunes.

In contradiction to national law, the owners of Cay Bang and the Phan Thiet official allegedly wished to close the road and built an illegal brick wall across the length of the property, trapping three impoverished families in the dunes behind it.

These families previously sought the assistance of the local land office in Ham Tien when the owners of Cay Bang threatened them with the action earlier. However, again in violation of Vietnamese, law, the local land office allegedly refused to assist the families, and was subsequently accused of destroying the paperwork provided by to them by the affected victims. It is alleged that the Ham Tien officials did this in fear of angering the Phan Thiet official who co-owns the property.

"We don't know what to do," said one victim. "What they do is illegal but everone refuses to help us. I am so angry."

In desperation, a member of one of the three victimized families broke a hole in the wall so that they could again gain access to the main road. The owners of Cay Bang allegedly threatened the life of the family member and then called the local police, who arrived and listened to the complaints, but have yet to further act on the incident.

The incident underlines an ongoing problem of alleged land-use injustices and intimidation in Mui Ne, in which land owners use family members, friends or associates in high-level positions to strong-arm neighbors, tenants and lessees. The incidents may cause foreign investors to wonder if developing property in Mui Ne is worth the risks encountered in such a lawless environment.

Phan Thiet Celebrates Tet

Kiteboard Tour Asia in Mui Ne

2010 Windsurf Fun Cup Tournament in Mui Ne

This year Mui Ne’s 11th Fun Cup featured more divisions, faster riders, more competition, and bigger prizes than ever before. Both days started with light wind, building up to 20 knots plus by the last race of the day.

Ov professional, women’s, and amateur categories were calculated with the point system to determine overall ratings. The professional division with the flying start gave a good chance to showcase positioning techniques, and the LeMans start for the amateurs and women allowed the crowd to enjoy watching the competitors jostle at the beachstart. A small shorebreak gave some trouble to those not used to these conditions, but all competitors soon got underway.

After the races, the award ceremony and barbecue party followed with such entertainment as vocalists, traditional Cham ethnic dancers, and DJ providing fun for all.

Results are as follows:

See you next year at the 2011 Fun Cup at Jibe’s!

Hotels and Restaurants Keeping or Serving
Wild Animals are Committing Crimes

It is a crime to eat wild animals or keep them as pets in Vietnam, now with a maximum fine of 500 Million VND and penalty of 7 years in a Vietnamese prison. Have you been offered rice wine with bear bile? Does your guesthouse or hotel keep monkeys, gibbons or loris in cages? Did you see tiger teeth or bear claw necklaces for sale in your hotel gift shop? Was wild deer, civet or a strange animal on the menu at your restaurant last night? Did your tour company take you too a farm raising bears, deer, leopards, monkeys or bright blue-green lizards? You may have witnessed a serious crime. Please call ENV's anonymous hotline below, or contact us and we will help look into it.

Luke Nguyen's Vietnam

04.12.09 Luke Nguyen, Restaurateur, Chef, Author, and Television Host, has launched a new series called “Luke Nguyen’s Vietnam,” which is currently being broadcast on Australia’s Special Broadcasting Service (SBS) television network. This year’s series follows Luke’s culinary journey, starting in Saigon, winding through the Mekong, up the coast with an episode in Dalat, and then on up through Hanoi to Sapa. Episode 5 finds Luke in Phan Thiet (and Mui Ne), where he visits family and explores local cuisine, like razor-clam salad, fresh prawn and pork spring rolls, various soups, and glimpses of banh xeo and be tuoi. In the episode Luke visits several spots around town including the Phan Thiet Port’s seafood market and the Mui Ne’s fisherman’s market in Mui Ne. This well-rounded and in-depth episode and others can be freely viewed in their commercial-free entirety on the show’s website once they have aired.

Luke Nguyen was born in Thailand in 1978, after his parents escaped Vietnam as boat people. He spent time in a Thai refugee camp before his family eventually settled in Sydney, Australia. Luke is the chef and owner of the award-winning Vietnamese restaurant, Red Lantern, and is the author of “Secrets of the Red Lantern” and “Songs of Sapa.” In 2009, Luke Nguyen and Suzanna Boyd founded the Little Lantern Foundation in Hoi An, which provides disadvantaged youth with a hospitality training program in Little Lantern’s hotel, restaurant and bar.

Looking for a cooking class in Mui Ne? We have one now! Get info here.

Another Tragic Week in Mui Ne

01.12.09 A 63-year-old woman from Altmünster, Austria drowned this week in strong currents, confirms the Austrian Times newspaper. Her name has not been released, but she leaves behind one daughter and three grandchildren. Her companion was hospitalized after he almost drowned while trying to rescue her. Currents off Mui Ne’s beach are very strong this time of year, particularly in the evenings, and are often impassable, even for strong swimmers.

According to multiple reports there was also a tourist suicide at L'Anmien Resort last week in the middle of the night. Apparently a Russian woman jumped from a balcony on the third floor, dying from her injuries. According to neighbors, the body was discovered the following morning.

Our condolences to all who were affected by both incident.

Sea Turtles in Local Market

11.10.09 Vietnamese news media recently reported that inspectors found a 35-year-old hawksbill turtle (Ertemochelys imbricata ) being slaughtered and for sale in Cau Ke Market (Binh Thuan Province). The turtle, which weighed about 100 kilograms, is of one of seven sea turtle species listed as endangered. We aren't entirely sure where Cau Ke is, but we are sad to say that sea turtles were commonly available in restaurants and markets until 5-10 years ago, when the supply died out due to over-hunting. Their lacquered carcasses can still be found, sold in shops as souvenirs, in cities like Vung Tau (pictured right, 2008), Ho Chi Minh City, Nha Trang and Hanoi.

Adam Bray Discovers Second Ancient Cham Temple in One Week

A second ancient Cham Temple site was discovered this weekend in Binh Thuan Province by resident travel writer, Adam Bray, while exploring the countryside. The temple sits on a mound in the middle of crop fields, and appears to support the remains of 4 structures, thought to have once been towers. The largest of the 4 still has 3 standing walls, though they are hidden among trees and vines. Weathered red bricks lay scattered about, along with the lintel of the temple entrance, though no statuary or decorative elements are immediately visible.

Adam Bray and a friend found another temple site buried in the jungle earlier in the week (see “New Discovery of Ancient Cham Tower by Resident Guidebook Writer” below), also in the general vicinity. Even more astonishing, locals have suggested a third undocumented temple site is also located in the area, though Mr. Bray did not have time to investigate yet. The discovery of several ancient Cham sites in the same locality in Binh Thuan Province is an exciting development because the Champa kingdom was not known to have large settlements in the area. Other temple sites, such as Thap Po Sha Nu, Thap Po Dam, and the recently-discovered temple at Thuan Hoa (see “Another Ancient Cham Temple Discovered in Binh Thuan Province” below), all date from the 8th-9th centuries. If these new temples also date from the same time period, it suggests a much more significant settlement at that period than previously though, and could change our understanding of Cham history overall.

Read more about Binh Thuan Province Antiquities and Cham temple ruins.

Friday Movies at Snow

Another Ancient Cham Temple Discovered in Binh Thuan Province

06.10.09 Early this past summer, the Binh Thuan Antiquities Department excavated the foundation of a [relatively] recently-discovered ancient Cham temple ruins in Dan Hoa village, Thuan Hoa commune, Ham Thuan Bac district. The main body of the tower had almost completely collapsed, but 1.2m of the foundation remained, mostly buried under the soil. Local officials determined the structure to be from the 9th century, based on the style of foundation, bricks and un-named decorative elements.

The tower is located adjacent to a village of Nop (pronounced “nub”), a little-known local minority group that is not officially recognized by the government. Villages of Rai, another unrecognized minority group native (perhaps exclusive) to Binh Thuan, are also located in the area. (By unrecognized we mean not granted special status as an independent and unique ethnic group).

Villagers stated that they have known about the tower ruins for quite some time but left it relatively undisturbed, for fear of offending the spirits of the temple. They said that tomb robbers (most likely ethnic Vietnamese living in the nearby town of Ma Lam) desecrated the site about 2 years ago, at which time authorities took note and then determined to excavate the site this year. The excavation lasted for about 1 month, according to villagers.

The site is unkempt and has grown over with vines and shrubs since. It is now difficult to see the ruins. We feel it would be prudent for the government and surrounding minority villages to take pride in the site and develop it as a tourist attraction. In conjunction with cultural displays from the surrounding Cham, Rai, Nop and K'ho villages, it could be a formidable attraction--rivaling the very best that Sapa or Kon Tum has to offer in regard to minority culture. At present the potential is being squandered.

Read more about Binh Thuan Province Antiquities and Cham temple ruins.

New Discovery of Ancient Cham Tower by Resident Guidebook Writer

29.09.09 Yesterday amidst the wind and rain of the typhoon currently pounding the Vietnam coast, resident travel writer Adam Bray and a friend made an amazing discovery. On the way home from a long trip through the countryside, they stopped in a remote forested area for a break, and stumbled upon an unusual mound, camouflaged by trees and vines. Noticing a few old red bricks scattered on the ground, they climbed to the top of the mound for a better look. Wading through tall shrubs and thorny vines, they discovered a series of four shafts, 15 to 20 feet deep, lined with brick walls, descending into the ground.

The ancient red-brick walls of the buried towers were tell-tale signs that the two had discovered a previously unknown temple complex, attributed to the ancient Champa Empire. The Cham once dominated most of south and central Vietnam, and were contemporary adversaries of the Kingdom of Angkor in Cambodia. Today the Cham now heavily populate Binh Thuan and Ninh Thuan Provinces of south-central Vietnam, with a thriving matriarchal, Hindu-descended culture. They are known for their beautiful hand-woven textiles, pottery made on a stationary wheel (the craftswomen circles the table, walking backwards as they work) , the white robes, turban and red tassels worn by Cham men, and bizarre burial rituals that include exhuming a corpse on the anniversary of death.

The location and arrangement of the temples is highly unusual. Rather than being located on a hilltop facing the sea or a river, the towers are buried underground, in a remote area that is currently difficult to access. The towers are also packed tightly together, and may even form a single structure with multiple chambers. It’s not possible yet to know precisely how old the towers are. However, if comparing the other temples here in Binh Thuan Province, including those found at Phu Hai (8th Century), Lien Huong (8th-9th Century) and the newly discovered temple at Thuan Hoa (9th Century), an age of 1100-1300 years is plausible. To unlock the temples secrets, and discern which god-king or goddess they were built to worship, the temples will need to be fully excavated and researched. For now, we’ve decided to nickname them “Thap Po A’dam-Hung.”

Read more about Binh Thuan Province Antiquities and Cham temple ruins.

Announcing "Binh Thuan Authentic"

Mui Ne's new shop, Binh Thuan Authentic, is the ONLY place to buy high-quality local items made by minorities in Binh Thuan Province. We specialize in all the stuff you want but can't find ANYWHERE else in Vietnam. Our first two items are 1. Local Honey: Cashew Flower Honey and Wildflower Honey to be precise, and 2. Minority Baskets (Backpacks) made by the K'ho, Rai, Rag Lai and Churu tribes of Binh Thuan Province. These unique specialty baskets have never been offered for retail in Vietnam before. Visit out shop for more information.

Ancient Tombs Discovered...
Desecrated and Robbed

23.06.09 In a recent trip to Phan Ri, in central Binh Thuan Province, we discovered an ancient graveyard with a number of bizarre tombs. Solid monoliths, approximately 1.2m X 1.2m X 2.4m were pilled haphazardly among the dunes, along with other curious tomb markers shaped like crouched tigers and decorated in floral patterns.

The shrimp farmers nearby told us they were aware that the tombs were indeed very old, but had moved most of the monuments into piles, in order to clear land and dig ponds for shrimp. They said a man from Quang Ngai Province had visited the site several times to remove artifacts and valuables from the tombs. It's sad that local people have so little regard--not only for burial grounds, but for the cultural treasures of their own local history. At present, nothing is being done to protect the relics, or determine the time period and ethnic group that they belong to.

Read more about Binh Thuan Province Antiquities and Cham temple ruins.

Binh Thuan's Nature Reserves Being Decimated

10.06.09 We recently made a trip to Nui Ong Nature Reserve, about 2.5 hrs northwest of Phan Thiet. While the insects, birdlife, flowers and other flora and fauna were amazing (see them in our blog), it was still very sad to see how much this Nature Reserve is being actively decimated by what appears to be illegal logging and poaching. We followed logging trails (right) to find trucks hauling out truckloads of bamboo (top) for construction. The forest was full of hunting camps (below) where locals stayed while they poached and apparently smoked meat from wildlife they caught. Large tracts of land were cleared by the local Rai minority to turn into farmland. It's a wonder whether anything will be left of the forest at all in the next 5-10 years.

Click here for more information on Nui Ong Nature Reserve in Binh Thuan Province.

Read more: Mui Ne News.

Check out our other sites for tourism & lodging info: Phnom Penh Sleeps; and Sihanoukville Sleeps.

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