The Fairy Stream – Phan Thiet, Vietnam - Atlas Obscura

The Fairy Stream

This whimsically named Vietnamese stream is closer to a walkway than a waterway. 

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Known mainly for its sand dunes, the small town of Mui Ne in Vietnam is also home to a soft red creek known as the Fairy Stream that is colored by the clay and limestone particles that filter in from the strange rock formations at its shores. 

Winding its way through bamboo forests, boulders, and the dunes behind Mui Ne, the whimsically-named Fairy Stream resembles a miniature version of the Grand Canyon in places. For the most part, the stream is about ankle-deep and no more than knee-deep even at its deepest and visitors are encouraged to take off their shoes and follow right along the creek-bed. The soft red dirt is remarkably pleasant to walk through, avoiding the exposed sand and rocks on the shore that can get quite hot. 

The pitted rock formations off to the sides of the stream also seem like the perfect hiding place for any potential fairies which may be where the stream gets its name. However it could also simply be the image of people strolling through the opaque red waters as though it were a groomed hiking trail, like the hikers themselves were children of nature. 

Know Before You Go

There's a ticket booth at the beginning of the stream, entrance is 15000VND.

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