Massage Report: Mui Ne, Vietnam

Mui Ne is a traditional fishing village and popular beach resort destination in southern Vietnam. It’s much like the larger resort area of Nha Trang used to be and still maintains its small village atmosphere. The long beach is quiet and good for swimming and nearby are giant red sand dunes. Because of the beach’s east-west orientation you can catch sunrises and sunsets from your beachfront abode.

It’s only a four-hour train ride away from Saigon so it’s a popular destination for Vietnamese as well as westerners (especially Russians) and Chinese. Most of the tourist accommodations and eateries are stretched along a few kilometers of road that parallels the sea. A motorbike is a great way to get around but take your time and be vigilant every second.

I counted well over a dozen massage spas along the main street that parallels the sea but there could be several more. They are found in clusters.

I had a half dozen massages in my weekend stay in Mui Ne, all at different spas. Not once was I offered any 'extra services' (like I was in Saigon). Everything was very professional and above board. It’s very much a family atmosphere here. There was little chatter from the masseuses making for a nice quiet massage. From what i could see, towels and massage sheets were actually changed for each customer (not always the case in this part of the world!). In one place, I got not only a forehead towel over the facial opening but also a fresh chin towel which is pretty rare!

Every massage was satisfactory and strong and my only criticism is that the oil used here tends to be rather sticky. As no masseuses scrubbed me down after the massage with a moist wet towel, I emerged in a rather glistening state! I would have to head back to the hotel for a quick shower. You can always bring your own oil if you have something that works well. You can also opt for a massage without oil.

I tried one-hour ‘Full Body Oil Massages’ as well as Vietnamese massage. They were exactly the same! Usually, a female practitioner (masseuse) would be conducting the massage but in many places I saw males (masseurs!) available as well. If you're not comfortable with one or the other sex, you can ask for your preference with no problem at all. I know some people claim that they need a masseur to get a powerful massage, I find the women in this part of the world to be very strong in spite of their often diminutive size!

Here is the usual routine (with some variations). Remove clothing (some places require you to keep your underwear on or will provide some panties or pajama-like clothing) and lay face down on the table with towel draped over midsection. The masseuse begins by applying palms and hands in rhythmic presses from heels up the legs and back to the neck to get the blood flowing. She may also walk on your back and legs at this point or after the back section is done. If you don’t have a strong back, you might want to wave her off. Then the towel is partially undraped to halfway down the buttocks and she begins to apply oil and massage the neck, upper arms, back, lower back and buttocks for about 15 minutes. The style varies but it’s lots of sliding of palms back and forth, up and down, often using elbows and forearms as well. Then the same is done to the back of the legs and inner thighs. Sometimes a bit of a foot massage is added in as well but a more thorough treatment here is had by getting an hour-long dedicated foot massage.

Then it’s time to turn over. She places a rolled up towel over your eyes, then massages the front of the legs and arms. A belly massage is not usually part of the routine but everytime I asked for it, I got it.

Finally, she’ll go off to wash the oil off of her hands and finish off with a scalp and face massage. One girl applied some tiger balm or other mentholated substance on her palms, rubbed them together, then held her hot mentholated palms in front of my nose and repeated this a couple of times. Then she rubbed the menthol into my neck and shoulders. Nice.

The final act is to sit up so she can work your neck and shoulders. Then you get dressed and pay! I was paying 180,000-240,000 dong for an hour (about $8-12 USD). Don’t forget to give a decent tip as the usually don’t make much from the actual massage itself. I give 100,000 dong tip and sometimes more for a really good massage.

I went to the Mango Spa, Pink Spa, Cheap Cheap Spa, and some others and had good massages at all. I especially liked the Bali Fusion music in the background at Mango Spa.

All in all, Mui Ne is a chill place to hang out by the beach with abundant cheap seafood and massage options are plentiful. Just don’t like that sticky oil!