Ninh Binh, Vietnam
In November I embarked on my second trip to Vietnam-there is something about this country that keeps calling me back. Welcoming people, lush scenery, and endless land to explore, each boasting a unique landscape. My family and I visited in April for ten days, but this time I returned with a friend to explore Ninh Binh, famously known as the “Halong Bay on Land”.
Views from the top of Mua Lua Cave, Ninh Binh
We booked flights using points through Delta and flew into Hanoi from Seoul/Incheon on Korean Air. We arrived in Hanoi at lunchtime, and after dropping our luggage at our AirBnb, immediately headed out to procure coconut coffees and Banh Mi, a delectable Vietnamese baguette filled with mouth-watering ingredients of your choice, the small baguette reminiscent of Vietnam’s past French influence.
The afternoon we spent exploring the bustling Old Town, taking in all of the sights and smells while dodging the myriad of motorbikes coming by. As I am learning, it is a skill to cross a street in Vietnam, you just have to commit and not stop when you go, and the motorbikes will go around you. And maybe say a prayer as you go.
As dinner time approached, we found ourselves sitting in small plastic chairs awaiting a steaming bowl of pho from a local favorite, Phở Suong. This pho was so delicious I ended up back here for dinner on my last night in Vietnam, surrounded by a rambunctious group of Frenchmen imbibing on local brews, lively conversation, and bowls of their own steamy pho.
I set an early alarm for the next morning, excited to get out at sunrise and see what awaited. Despite the early hours, the streets were already filled with locals partaking in their early morning exercise routines. From Tai Chi and badminton, running to dancing, there were people everywhere moving their bodies however they could, it was a beautiful site. After our morning walk, we stopped for more coconut coffee and then headed back to our AirBnb to pack up before our driver arrived to take us to Ninh Binh.
Ninh Binh
As you approach Ninh Binh, you are greeted by towering limestone formations as you speed by. Though it’s less than two hours away from the bustling Hanoi, you get a sense of remoteness as you make your way into town. That’s not to say there isn’t a lot to do, but when removed from the buzz of the city, the quiet is a welcome change of pace.
We checked into Ninh Binh Hidden Resort Hotel, dropped our bags, and walked roughly 500 meters down the road to jump on our first boat tour of the trip, the Tam Coc Boat Tour. On this tour, the boat is rowed primarily using feet instead of hands.
Our boat guide on the Tam Coc boat tour
The tour lasted just under two hours and we rode through the most picturesque scenery of towering limestone cliffs and through three caves that had us ducking to avoid being speared from the stalactites hanging all around. Being November, we missed the prime season for the lotus flowers but remnants of their blooms remained in the water as we paddled along.
Views from one of the caves along the ride
This tour offers great views of the Mua Lua Cave peak from below which got us even more excited for the hike up there which we had planned for early the next morning. Despite what I had read online about being inundated with locals attempting to sell you things while on the boat, we were only approached once asking if we wanted a souvenir photo taken, which we kindly declined. Our ride was tranquil and lovely, the perfect way to kick off our time in Ninh Binh.
After our boat tour, we grabbed a quick bite to eat and walked back to our hotel to grab bikes for continued exploration of the area. As sunset approached, I put the drone up briefly and a nice local man offered to run through a large flock of ducks in the water for me to photograph-my drone wasn’t in the right place when he finally got them all riled up, but it was quite a scene to witness. He later brought over a black drone he found in the water to show us with a large smile on his face- if you lost a drone in Ninh Binh, it has been found.
Aerial views in Ninh Binh
The best decision we made on our trip was to stop at a local massage parlor later that evening for a leg massage. Maybe it was the exhaustion of going non-stop for two days straight, but once they placed that heated facemask on, I became one with the chair and sank into the best leg massage I have ever had-and to be fair, my first actual only leg massage. I was dubious about all of the massage places, but I will proudly admit how wrong I was. Do not miss out!
The next morning came another early alarm and we hopped on our bikes at sunrise for the fifteen-minute ride over to Mua Cave. It’s named for the one small cave that is at the entrance of the stairs, but the main star of the show is the breathtaking views of the Ngo Dong River after you ascend 500 stone steps on Ngoa Long Mountain. The hike up can be quite challenging with the uneven stone steps, but the reward at the top is worth every step. Because we arrived early in the morning, there were only a few other people around during our visit. We spent about an hour at the top, hiking to both viewpoints and soaking in the quiet views of the harvested rice fields below.
Views while standing under the dragon at the top of Mua Cave
After our hike down, we pedaled our way back into town for breakfast and some much-needed coffee. Nourished and caffeinated, we set out for Trang An, our second boat tour of the trip. Trang An is about twenty minutes by car from Ninh Binh and the longer of the tours, but also more scenic and filled with history-rich temples and pagodas. There are three options for tours along Trang An, the most popular being the second option (we chose this option) which takes you to a mix of temples and through a few caves. This route takes roughly two to three hours depending on how long you explore the temples during your stops. It also takes you by some of the filming scenes from Kong: Skull Island.
Cao Son Temple
Our next stop was to Hoa Lua Ancient capital, and to be honest we only spent about 30-40 minutes there before calling a Grab and heading back to our hotel. We jumped back on our bikes from the hotel and went to Minh Trang Handmade, our second time in the shop. This beautiful shop is full of beautiful handmade embroidery, clothing, ceramics and so much more. We had eyed some clothing pieces the day before and went back to secure them. During our time at the shop, we were shown the upstairs area where the craftsmen and women work on their sewing projects for the shop or buyers overseas, and we highly enjoyed watching them skillfully working.
After some time wandering the shop, and chatting with the fabulous Nhi who also assisted us with altering some clothing items, we ended up next door at Chookies Beer Garden to finish out a full day with some adult beverages. I wasn’t sure what to expect from this place, but I was blown away by the drinks. We enjoyed the well-crafted cocktails in a booth poolside, reflecting on our favorite parts of the last two days in Ninh Binh.
Having now experienced both Ha Long Bay and Ninh Binh, if I had to choose between visiting the two locations, I would pick Ninh Binh. There is so much more to do if you enjoy being outdoors and the scenery is just as stunning. There are plenty of lodging options from hotels to eco lodges, and getting around by bike is the best part. If you are planning a trip to northern Vietnam, make sure you add a stop in Ninh Binh to your itinerary!
Ninh Binh Info:
Ninh Binh Hidden Resort Hotel: Rooms starting at $76/night
Tam Coc Boat Tour: Adult tickets 200,00 VND or $8.25
Mua Cave: Adult tickets 100,00 VND, or $4
An Tam Coc Restaurant & Coffee (this place was always busy!)
Trang An Boat Tour: 250,000 VND or $11
Moc Huong Spa Tam Coc @mochuong_spa_tamcoc (best leg massages)
Chookie’s Beer Garden (fantastic cocktails)
Minh Trang Handmade (gifts)
