Peaceful and charming
From the moment guests move up the driveway, they will be enraptured by Cat Sen Auberge’s utterly gorgeous property dotted with lofty coconut trees. This hotel is a peaceful respite in a gaudy tourist town and it offers budget travellers a welcoming feeling of home. It’s one of our top picks for Mui Ne.
This family-run accommodation has rooms and cottages, both of which exude French charm in the simple details: stone foundation, exterior siding, French windows and a front porch shaded by frangipani trees and vibrant bushy pink bougainvillea. Lovely curb appeal aside, the interiors are simple but elegant, comfortable and well maintained. Mattresses are amazing (rock hard Southeast Asia beds these are not), there’s air-con or ceiling fan, a minifridge, safety box, kettle and WiFi. There are four rooms in a single building at the front, perfectly good for one or two people. Bathrooms are spacious and have a separate shower and sink with countertop.
The bungalows are bigger, and the front porch is the big selling point. It has a countertop with a sink and you can ask for cooking equipment to be set up your own little outdoor kitchen and whip up your own meals. We could see how the bungalow’s semi-outdoor shower may be controversial: some will love it, others may not. The water is also warm rather than hot but a minor detail that can be overlooked in Mui Ne’s tropical climate.
More details we love: big drinking water dispensers available for a small cost — bring it to your room (yay to no small plastic bottles!). There’s also a laundry machine guests can use for free, clothes lines, hammocks, garden swings and the prettiest chickens roaming the lawn that we have ever seen. Seriously, we know our chickens. It all adds up to a sweet, peaceful feeling, an affordable respite to rest after all that sand dune climbing and windsurfing.
Cat Sen Auberge is located at the eastern edge of the main drag, just past the strip of bo ke seafood joints. You will need to rent a bicycle or motorbike to get to tourist drag or the areas of beach good for swimming.
Not surprising, Cat Sen is popular, especially with long-term stays. In high season book in advance to avoid disappointment. The owners speak perfect French, English and Chinese and they are keen to help and make guests comfortable. It’s a great deal.
Address: 195 Nguyen Dinh Chieu St, Ham Tien
T: (0163) 503 2550;
Email: catsen.booking@gmail.com
Web: http://catsen.simdif.com/
Coordinates (for GPS): 108º13'29" E, 10º57'19.27" N
See position in Apple or Google Maps: Apple Maps | Google Maps
Room rates: US$20 to 50
What we were quoted as a walk-in.
Standard double room | US$18 | US$22 |
Bungalow air-con private bathroom | US$29 | US$35 |
Reviewed by
Cindy Fan
Cindy Fan is a Canadian writer/photographer and author of So Many Miles, a website that chronicles the love of adventure, food and culture. After falling in love with sticky rice and Mekong sunsets, in 2011 she uprooted her life in Toronto to live la vida Laos. She’s travelled to over 40 countries and harbours a deep affection for Africa and Southeast Asia. In between jaunts around the world, she calls Laos and Vietnam home where you’ll find her traipsing through rice paddies, standing beside broken-down buses and in villages laughing with the locals.
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