The beauty of Nam Cuong sand dunes near Phan Rang city

The sand here looks like smooth silk pieces, sheep is looming beside streams, or flowers of cactus bushes are blooming out with a lot of colors… All of these create wild beauty but equally romantic for Nam Cuong sand dunes.

Location of Nam Cuong sand dunes

Nam Cuong sand dunes is about 700 hectares, located in the south of Phan Rang city, about 8 km from city center. The sand dunes belong to Tuan Tu village, An Hai commune, Ninh Phuoc district, Ninh Thuan province. It is not prominent as Mui Ne Sand Dunes, Nam Cuong hiding behind winding roads which is up and down through the village. Although the way is complicated, but visitors will admire many colors as yellow, red…  of sand and wild cactus growing strongly along the entrance in the arid soil area.

Characteristics

One of the interesting things about Nam Cuong sand dunes is “changing face” every hour, every day. Footsteps of Cham girls left footprints deep in the sand which are also erased just after one night. Just one sea breeze blow strongly on the golden sand region, then the curve of hillside moving and create smooth and charm beauty which is different from itself just few minutes ago, look remotely like undulating waves float on the ocean.

The most beautiful time for admiring the sand dunes is the dawn, the first blue sunlight  spread over yellow sand make appearing classes which are “color resolution” of the light and darkness, and gradually flushed into pale orange color. Some dunes are straight forward, some dunes are straight up overwhelmed, others are undulated curve lines as wave. If more imagination, you can envision many special shapes of sand dunes – “specialty” of the sun and the wind in Nam Cuong.

Lizards catching

Coming to Nam Cuong sand dunes, visitors will also not surprised about the fun of hunting lizard in the sand extremely attractive. This animal is shaped like a chameleon, but not lumpy skin that smooth green with yellow spots. They run very fast and always live in sand holes, easy for hiding themself from the sun and people.

In order to hunt lizard, local people have to use hoes to dig lizard’s holes up, and then bind them up with a string. Lizard in Ninh Thuan is considered as a specialty and is a tonic, can be processed into many dishes such as: mixed salad, grilled, roasted with peppers and lemongrass, steamed,cook in rice soup … Lizard meat is white, solid, and sweet. And lizard’s egg is listed in luxury food which gourmets always looking for because the fat is not bored making people always want to eat.

People

Another feature of Nam Cuong sand dunes is spectacle of Cham girls walking and silhouetted on the soft sand. They have brown skin, charming in traditional dress: long skirt dot heels,wear hijab but not use veil, carry water jar on their head , soft footsteps,add more colors for the large yellow sand dunes.

Some nice places around the sand dunes

Besides, as standing on the highest sand hill here, visitors can also admire the beauty of Cha Bang – legendary mountains of the Cham, majestic, look from far as  the giant axe. If visiting in April or Jun, you’ll be lucky to attend Po Nai festival in this mountain with folk music and special dance programs of Cham people, reflecting the desire wishing good weather of farmers here.

Moreover, if you come to Nam Cuong sand dunes in Ninh Thuan, you should not forget to visit Nhi Ha village which is nomadic and peaceful. Here, people grow a lot of sheep, the number from hundreds to thousands of sheep. In faintest sunlight of the sunset, shepherds on green fields is very beautiful, peaceful and homely. Many young couples come here to do pre-wedding photo shoot among white sheep.