A sight in Mui Ne and Phan Thiet

One of the interesting and unusual sights of Mui Ne, or, more precisely, of the nearby city of Phan Thiet, is an abandoned amusement park — Suoi Cat Amusement Park (named after Suoi the Cat) — now popularly known as the Freak Park.

This completely free, abandoned amusement park is on the outskirts of Phan Thiet (see the map at the end). Tours don't come here, so the park is deserted, which lets you enjoy it slowly and to the fullest. The Freak Park is fairly large; set aside at least an hour and a half for a visit.

The park attracts people first of all with its sculptures, scattered all over the grounds. I think you'd have to be on something to make stuff like this. Many of the figures here are actually quite friendly.

Woman in yellow reaching toward a rabbit statue in orange trousers, Freak Park, Phan Thiet — Freak Park, Phan Thiet, Mui Ne — Vietnam

Doraemon and Nobita holding hands on a path, Freak Park, Phan Thiet — Freak Park, Phan Thiet, Mui Ne — Vietnam

Blue hare, grey mouse and pink pig sculptures in a row, Freak Park, Phan Thiet — Freak Park, Phan Thiet, Mui Ne — Vietnam

Mouse sculpture in a pink apron holding an ice cream cone, Freak Park, Phan Thiet — Freak Park, Phan Thiet, Mui Ne — Vietnam

Blue cat and pink mouse in top hats holding hands, Freak Park, Phan Thiet — Freak Park, Phan Thiet, Mui Ne — Vietnam

Woman jumping to high-five a Mickey Mouse statue before a red banner, Freak Park, Phan Thiet — Freak Park, Phan Thiet, Mui Ne — Vietnam

And some, it seems, weren't very happy to see us.

Dog sculpture with its tongue out and a turquoise collar, Freak Park, Phan Thiet — Freak Park, Phan Thiet, Mui Ne — Vietnam

Cow figure in a turquoise sweater with a raised arm on a path, Freak Park, Phan Thiet — Freak Park, Phan Thiet, Mui Ne — Vietnam

Others seem to be crying for help.

Small white and blue figure with raised arms among fallen leaves, Freak Park, Phan Thiet — Freak Park, Phan Thiet, Mui Ne — Vietnam

Woman hugging a blue goose statue before the castle, Freak Park, Phan Thiet — Freak Park, Phan Thiet, Mui Ne — Vietnam

This stoned mouse was watching us from the bushes. Now it's clear why it needs such big ears.

Big-eared mouse sculpture behind a cycad palm, Freak Park, Phan Thiet — Freak Park, Phan Thiet, Mui Ne — Vietnam

Looks like there's been a murder here. The bodies of a mouse and a hare have been found.

Fallen yellow mouse figure on stone paving, Freak Park, Phan Thiet — Freak Park, Phan Thiet, Mui Ne — Vietnam

Toppled rabbit figure in turquoise trousers on paving, Freak Park, Phan Thiet — Freak Park, Phan Thiet, Mui Ne — Vietnam

And a wounded wolf.

Seated blue figure with a grin and a painted red knee on a path, Freak Park, Phan Thiet — Freak Park, Phan Thiet, Mui Ne — Vietnam

So much pain reflected in this twisted face.

Close-up of a grinning blue animal head near a carousel, Freak Park, Phan Thiet — Freak Park, Phan Thiet, Mui Ne — Vietnam

Looking at these cute critters, made for a CHILDREN'S park, you're no longer even surprised at the anatomical detail they're shown with.

Orange Pluto sculpture under a banyan tree by a pavilion, Freak Park, Phan Thiet — Freak Park, Phan Thiet, Mui Ne — Vietnam

Orange deer sculpture on tree roots by a road, seen from behind, Freak Park, Phan Thiet — Freak Park, Phan Thiet, Mui Ne — Vietnam

And these characters have their own vibe going on.

Overturned grey elephant figure on dry grass, Freak Park, Phan Thiet — Freak Park, Phan Thiet, Mui Ne — Vietnam

Group of figures climbing a column of a covered rink, Freak Park, Phan Thiet — Freak Park, Phan Thiet, Mui Ne — Vietnam

Blue cat with a white belly, hand on hip, under a tree, Freak Park, Phan Thiet — Freak Park, Phan Thiet, Mui Ne — Vietnam

Two Mickey Mouse-style sculptures among blooming bougainvillea, Freak Park, Phan Thiet — Freak Park, Phan Thiet, Mui Ne — Vietnam

Three painted cartoon-style sculptures on paving at the Freak Park, Phan Thiet — Freak Park, Phan Thiet, Mui Ne — Vietnam

The hare and the deer are very surprised that the hare's arm has gone missing.

Turquoise rabbit and a deer facing each other on a paved area, Freak Park, Phan Thiet — Freak Park, Phan Thiet, Mui Ne — Vietnam

Blue rabbit with bent ears in front of a children's carousel, Freak Park, Phan Thiet — Freak Park, Phan Thiet, Mui Ne — Vietnam

I wonder what he's looking at down there?

Goofy leaning over a small open-mouthed figure, Freak Park, Phan Thiet — Freak Park, Phan Thiet, Mui Ne — Vietnam

And these animals are urging you to play sports. Or maybe they just made a bet on whether this green wolf could do the splits.

Crocodile, cow and rabbit figures in running poses on a path, Freak Park, Phan Thiet — Freak Park, Phan Thiet, Mui Ne — Vietnam

Looks like he won the bet, but he's not happy about it at all. No wonder they say most injuries come from doing something on a bet.

Green crocodile sculpture in a blue jacket on paving near a rabbit, Freak Park, Phan Thiet — Freak Park, Phan Thiet, Mui Ne — Vietnam

And what's a park without rides? Here, for example, is a creepy little train.

Woman in a children's railway cart beside a blue cat figure, Freak Park, Phan Thiet — Freak Park, Phan Thiet, Mui Ne — Vietnam

And an equally creepy fun house that long ago turned into a house of horrors.

Dimly lit mirror maze with a woman reflected, Freak Park, Phan Thiet — Freak Park, Phan Thiet, Mui Ne — Vietnam

Pink monster with huge eyes and an open-mouth entrance on the castle wall, Freak Park, Phan Thiet — Freak Park, Phan Thiet, Mui Ne — Vietnam

And this is a real house of horrors.

Woman in the mouth of a giant demon head, Freak Park, Phan Thiet — Freak Park, Phan Thiet, Mui Ne — Vietnam

Dark corridor with painted skulls and skeletons lit by a torch, Freak Park, Phan Thiet — Freak Park, Phan Thiet, Mui Ne — Vietnam

And a few more strange sculptures.

Animal sculpture in a blue tricorn hat and vest, Freak Park, Phan Thiet — Freak Park, Phan Thiet, Mui Ne — Vietnam

Giant concrete mushroom on dry grass, Freak Park, Phan Thiet — Freak Park, Phan Thiet, Mui Ne — Vietnam

Grey moose sculpture with huge palmate antlers beside a path, Freak Park, Phan Thiet — Freak Park, Phan Thiet, Mui Ne — Vietnam

Tiger sculpture lying on its back on dry leaves, Freak Park, Phan Thiet — Freak Park, Phan Thiet, Mui Ne — Vietnam

Fallen green beast figure with a pink mouth on the ground, Freak Park, Phan Thiet — Freak Park, Phan Thiet, Mui Ne — Vietnam

Toppled turquoise and yellow animal sculpture with swirls on fallen leaves, Freak Park, Phan Thiet — Freak Park, Phan Thiet, Mui Ne — Vietnam

Concrete deer with broken antlers near a rock pile, Freak Park, Phan Thiet — Freak Park, Phan Thiet, Mui Ne — Vietnam

Golden statue of a laughing Buddha with a sack and string of coins, Freak Park, Phan Thiet — Freak Park, Phan Thiet, Mui Ne — Vietnam

Close-up of a green horned monster head in cobwebs, Freak Park, Phan Thiet — Freak Park, Phan Thiet, Mui Ne — Vietnam

Green dragon with a golden mane in an empty fountain, Freak Park, Phan Thiet — Freak Park, Phan Thiet, Mui Ne — Vietnam

Buried his head — can't bear to look at all this horror anymore.

Golden animal sculpture on the grass, Freak Park, Phan Thiet — Freak Park, Phan Thiet, Mui Ne — Vietnam

And these, it seems, are the park's guards.

View from the castle wall past a warrior statue over the surroundings, Freak Park, Phan Thiet — Freak Park, Phan Thiet, Mui Ne — Vietnam

Peeling statue of a helmeted warrior on a fortress wall, Freak Park, Phan Thiet — Freak Park, Phan Thiet, Mui Ne — Vietnam

Woody Woodpecker directing traffic.

Faded blue figure with a raised hand among metal mushrooms, Freak Park, Phan Thiet — Freak Park, Phan Thiet, Mui Ne — Vietnam

An amazing park! It's definitely worth a visit; you certainly won't leave in a bad mood. The park suits both a cheerful group of young people and a group with kids. This brilliant triumph of artistic thought will not only make you laugh but also give your imagination a workout as you find meaning in every figure.

We got a sea of emotions from this walk and say with confidence that this is the best sight in Phan Thiet.

Avenue of white elephant statues on pedestals along a clearing, Freak Park, Phan Thiet — Freak Park, Phan Thiet, Mui Ne — Vietnam

How to get to the Freak Park in Phan Thiet (Mui Ne)

The Freak Park is in the west of Phan Thiet, about a 40-minute scooter ride from Mui Ne.
Here is a map of the park's location

The Travel4Live project is against drug use.

From the diary · 2016

In Ho Chi Minh City we bought tickets to Phan Thiet for February 14 and headed to the sea on a sleeper bus — on Vietnamese intercity buses passengers don't sit, they lie down. On February 14 we got to Mui Ne and checked in. We had booked the room in advance: the country was still celebrating the New Year, and we didn't count on finding a place on the spot.

Later we kept the room for another week and talked the price down to $11.4 — these are 2016 prices. On top of that, it came with breakfasts far more generous than usual: guesthouses and hotels typically serve an omelet and a couple of thin slices of toast with butter. We also rented a bike.

Breakfast at the guesthouse

Mui Ne is quite windy, and there are lots of kiters here. At first we called this sport "skiting" — Pavel was the one who spotted the right name. Watching them is a pure pleasure: the kiters fly several meters above the water. Learning, though, seemed too expensive to us: in 2016 an hour of lessons cost $50, and a 10-hour course — $470.

Kites over Mui Ne

In the fishing part of the village, round boats that look like basins bob near the shore — woven and plastic ones. People take them out to fish not far from the shore: they are very stable on the waves.

The fishing part of the village

Seafood didn't work out — the prices in the cafes are meant for tourists. But on the way we came across a place where the customers grill the meat themselves over charcoal. It wasn't cheap there either, but we couldn't resist. While the meat grills, you wet a round white sheet — we decided it was rice paper — with water, and it softens. On top you put lettuce, mint, some other greens, and a piece of meat, roll it up, and dip it in sauce. The rolls turned out tasty, and thanks to the mint, fragrant too. Apart from us, not a single white face at the tables.

We grill it ourselves — and wrap it ourselves

In the evenings the guesthouse treated us to fruit. Once it was two small and very sweet watermelons — we put them next to a small phone to show the size. Pitahaya, the dragon fruit, didn't win us over: pretty on the outside, white with black seeds inside, slightly sour and not memorable in any way.

Watermelons no bigger than a phone

On February 16 we went to the sand dunes: just like a desert, and the wind throws sand in your face on top of that. On February 18, toward sunset, we made it to the white dunes — they are farther away, and they stretch wider than the red ones.

The red dunes

Between the two trips to the dunes, on February 17, came the abandoned amusement park described above.

A day or two later we went to the Cham towers. The Cham are an ancient people with their own culture and writing; their kingdom of Champa existed in the south and center of Vietnam from the 7th to the 17th century. The towers are small, empty inside, and half ruined, but the hill they stand on offers a nice view of Phan Thiet.

The Cham towers and the view of Phan Thiet from their hill

There we also saw what pitahaya grows on — small trees that look like cacti. There was no fruit at that time of year. By the towers it's kept for tourists, while the real plantations spread out around Phan Thiet.

This is how dragon fruit grows

On February 22 we walked along the Fairy Stream — a small river among bright colors, and at the end of the path we came out at a small waterfall. The colors in the photos came out paler than in real life. The next day we returned to Ho Chi Minh City, and on February 24 we flew to Singapore.

Fairy Stream

from Alexandra's diary

A sight in Mui Ne and Phan Thiet — the Freak Park

How to get to the Freak Park in Phan Thiet (Mui Ne)

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