Go to Mui Ne - Phan Thiet and Da Lat with Oppo Find X9 Ultra

This summer, I took the opportunity to drive my family out. The journey starts from Saigon, stops at Phan Thiet for a few days and then goes to Da Lat. I took the opportunity to borrow the Oppo Find X9 Ultra, not really for a serious review, but simply to record everyday moments on this trip. This article is therefore not a camera review. I just want to share the trip again, along with photos that I find memorable.

Phan Thiet - Mui Ne: a few slow days by the sea

Coming to Mui Ne this time, I stayed at Pandanus Resort. I went straight on the highway towards Phan Thiet, to the Mui Ne area and followed the coastal road quite comfortably to get to the Nguyen Huu Tho section and enter the Pandanus Resort area with a large campus and a large sign that is easy to recognize. The first impression is the very unique design style: a bit of a wooden house in the 50s, with the Pandanus symbol appearing everywhere, interwoven with ancient Cham architecture and Cham statues scattered throughout the campus. The entire resort is covered with trees and a small lake, a smart choice because in the hot summer, the shade of trees and water helps cool down significantly.

These days, my family doesn't go anywhere much. Mostly staying at the resort, sometimes going to the beach to play, sometimes going to the swimming pool. There was also a cycling session into the center of Phan Thiet to eat Oc Quai. The access road was a bit winding and under construction, but the food was delicious and cheap. Ordered more than a dozen dishes and cost about 800,000 VND, including water. What I like most about Mui Ne this time is the sunrise and sunset. Early in the morning, pink light shines on the sea surface, and in addition to fishermen, there are also people who go out to catch mussels to sell. That image is simple but there is something very real, very beautiful in the way of daily labor. In the afternoon, the sea is more crowded, cooler, and the ice cream carts of street vendors keep passing by the waves of bathers, which is also a unique feature of Mui Ne beach that I have not seen anywhere else.

Coral grows on seashells that my daughter found

Early sea

Morning sunshine

The sun rises in the distance

It's so hot at night, there's nothing better than a glass of beer Regarding the food in the resort, the dishes are diverse in the usual European-Asian style. My favorite is the bowl of water noodles from a small stall in the resort - the flavor is reminiscent of Chinese-style noodle shops in District 5, simple but authentic. Pandanus Resort in general has nothing to criticize, it's just a bit annoying when checking in because it's crowded and has to wait a long time to get a room. In general, the few days here are suitable for slow time by the sea, not rushed, not rushing to many places to check-in but still enough activities and food for the family to enjoy.

Da Lat: gentle, romantic with Mo Stay

Leaving Phan Thiet, I drove straight to Da Lat. The simple reason is craving for the cool, romantic atmosphere in Da Lat. Da Lat is no longer as cold as it was about ten years ago. At that time, around the summer after finishing exams, Da Lat was a world so freezing cold at night that I had to wear thick coats and breathe smoke when going out. Now, that cold is no longer so stressful when you only need a thin layer of coat, but nonetheless it is still enough to enjoy the cool air, escape the heat of Phan Thiet - Mui Ne or Saigon.

Photo taken at Da Lat Market

Looking out from the hotel, first day In Da Lat, I spent most of my time in Mo Stay and Mo Pine Forest. Mo Stay is a quite separate resort, about 6-10 km from the center of Da Lat, so it will take you about 20 - 30 minutes to get here. In addition, a special feature of Mo Stay is that this area is surrounded by pine forests and steep hilly terrain. It is this special construction method: the housing and living areas do not disrupt the surrounding pine forest but blend into it, which will give you the feeling of being in the middle of the forest and it is very suitable for resting or escaping the heat of Saigon. Standing in the middle of the towering pine trees, their foliage covering the sky, from time to time the sunlight shining through and illuminating the damp ground - that gentle, natural space doesn't need to be described too much, just imagine the feeling of standing still, closing your eyes, listening to the sound of the pine trees is already too comfortable and gentle.

Dining room at Brick House, I like this corner because it is bright and brings a strong sense of geometric structure

Common room at Mo Stay

Hidden behind towering pine trees are the houses at Mo Stay This is my second time coming to Mo Stay. This time I went with a few families so we stayed in blocks, each block had a few rooms, a shared kitchen, and a projection screen. The long desk in the common area is my favorite place: early in the morning when everyone is still sleeping, go there and sit with a cup of coffee in the absolute quiet of the space in the middle of the forest. The Fender speaker was placed opposite the decorative cabinet, turning on the music to listen to it in that pine forest space was really cool.

I really like to welcome the morning sunrise in the pine forest, when the sunlight gradually appears through the tall pine trees

A big plus for families with small children is Seeds House. My child came here for three days and refused all the activities his parents invited him to do: refused to go to the market, refused to go trekking in the forest. Every morning, when I wake up, I want to go to Seeds House to draw, do crafts, make mini burgers, shoot archery, and play with the resort's cats. The ladies here organize activities both morning and afternoon, enough to make the children forget their parents exist. For children, that is probably the most ideal experience: being able to immerse themselves in nature, be creative freely, and be safe to play what they want without too much worry or fear.

Small trekking path through Mo Stay Another point I like is Mo Pine Forest located adjacent to Mo Stay and these two areas are connected through a short trekking distance, only about 400 meters through the forest. Those who go through this trekking section can see it as a small discovery trip to go through the animals' play area (according to Mo), pass through layers of damp leaves after the afternoon rain, between tall pine rows to see Mo Farm with the farming and self-cultivation here, and further away is Mo Pine Forest restaurant, along with the feeling of eating and drinking in such a pine forest space, it is difficult not to chill to the sound of the pine trees and the rustling sound of the wind.

And the camera in hand, Oppo Find X9 Ultra.

When I borrowed this Oppo Find X9 Ultra device, I did not fully intend to review its use. Android now works well, not to mention this is an Oppo flagship device, so the social network, work, or screen experiences probably won't need to be said too much. What I want is simply to see it as a camera that goes out with me, simply to hold it up and capture the moments happening before my eyes: Mui Ne sunrise, pine trees covering the sky in Da Lat, my child drawing in Seeds House, a bowl of noodles at 7 am. Those things don't need setup, don't need golden hour, just need the machine to react promptly when I upload them. And the X9 Ultra does just that.

The image quality that the X9 Ultra brings, for me personally, is the feeling of peace of mind when holding up the camera to get beautiful photos: very high detail, strong cropping to still clearly see tiny things like leaves or architectural lines; Natural color, not harsh but still "eye-catching" enough; The dynamic range is wide so backlit scenes, cloudy skies, and pine forests all look quite rounded. The Hasselblad system and zoom cluster help photos from 3x to 10x remain sharp, making it very fun to take portraits and capture moments from afar. During the whole trip, Oppo Find X9 Ultra felt like I was holding a real camera rather than a smartphone, good enough for me to feel secure using it as the main camera for every family moment. Da Lat is warmer, Mui Ne is still crowded, and I still feel like I want to go back — even if it's just to sit and listen to the pine trees ringing one more morning.