Xuan Son’s smile on Mui Ne's “Golden Beach”
Choosing Mui Ne - Lam Dong as a peaceful retreat for himself and his family during the Lunar New Year holiday, Vietnam’s leading striker Nguyen Xuan Son enjoyed a truly memorable getaway. We caught sight of his bright smile on Mui Ne “Golden Beach” in the early days of the Lunar New Year.
The first runs of spring
Instead of heading to bustling cities, Xuan Son, his wife Marcele Seippel, and their two young children chose the “resort capital” of Mui Ne for a tranquil start to the year, surrounded by blue seas, white sands, and gentle sunshine. The family stayed at Centara Mirage Resort Mui Ne, a five-star beachfront resort renowned for its modern architecture and open spaces overlooking the ocean.
Their Tet holiday in Mui Ne was filled with sunlit mornings, joyful family moments by the pool and the beach, and children’s laughter blending with the sound of waves. Amid this idyllic setting, Marcele Seippel appeared in a striking red ao dai, holding a paper fan and posing beside a traditional horse painting - the zodiac symbol of the Year of the Horse - reflecting the family’s affection for Vietnam and their graceful cultural integration.
On her personal Facebook page, she wrote: “Happy Lunar New Year Vietnam. I wish you all a new year full of happiness, prosperity, joy, and strong family unity.” Her heartfelt Vietnamese New Year wishes added warmth to the festive seaside atmosphere.
In the serene surroundings of the resort, many guests were pleasantly surprised to see Xuan Son lacing up his running shoes at dawn or dusk, steadily completing thousands of meters around the spacious grounds. Even while on vacation, the striker of the Vietnam national football team maintained his regular training routine.
In October 2025, Mui Ne was honored by National Geographic Traveller as Southeast Asia’s leading destination for water sports, thanks to its stunning scenery and relatively storm-free climate. This recognition not only brought pride to Vietnam’s tourism industry but also underscored the region’s strong potential for developing marine sports tourism.
For Xuan Son, training is no longer an obligation - it is a way of life. Against the breezy backdrop of Mui Ne’s vast seascape, his steady strides become a natural rhythm of the body. Rather than có distancing himself from his family to train, his consistent exercise helps him recharge, maintain positivity, and return to his loved ones full of joy.
Many fans recognized him and eagerly asked for photos. Their expressions revealed admiration and delight. “Even on holiday, he maintains such discipline - truly the professionalism of a top athlete,” one visitor remarked. It was this dedication that enabled Xuan Son to recover swiftly from a serious injury sustained during the second leg of the ASEAN Cup 2024 final against Thailand in January 2025.
Mui Ne - Where Blue Seas Meet Marine Sports
In Mui Ne - steadily establishing itself as Vietnam’s national hub for marine sports - the image of a national team striker jogging along a seaside resort during the first days of the year carries symbolic meaning.
Located along the South Central Coast, Mui Ne boasts fine white sands, emerald waters, and sweeping sand dunes resembling a miniature desert. Beyond its natural beauty, the destination offers a diverse tourism ecosystem: luxury resorts, boutique hotels, traditional fishing villages, the Flying Sand Dunes, Fairy Stream, and Ke Ga Lighthouse. Together, they form a distinctive coastal tourism complex, harmonizing modern comfort with local heritage.
In November 2025, global travel platform Booking.com listed Mui Ne as the top trending destination forecast to “boom” in 2026. The area was praised for its surreal beauty and growing appeal among international travelers.
Today, local authorities are investing strongly in infrastructure, urban renewal, and transportation connectivity to solidify Mui Ne’s status as a national marine sports center. The development strategy goes beyond leisure tourism, aiming to host large-scale water sports competitions, attract professional athletes and international visitors, diversify tourism products, and enhance the region’s marine economic value.
The presence of professional athletes like Nguyen Xuan Son - even as a holidaymaker - further highlights Mui Ne’s allure within the sports community. In the rhythm of early spring waves, Mui Ne appears both serene and ambitious, confidently affirming its position on Vietnam’s tourism and marine sports map.