The journey to Ninh Binh takes about 2 hours by car on the motorway, a price worth paying to reach this lush province with unique and amazing landscapes. As I mentioned in the Arrival in Hanoi post, all tours in Hanoi, including this one, were organised by Handspan Travel.
After arriving in Tam Coc, our first stop was the Bich Dong Pagoda, located on Ngu Nhac Mountain. Here we climbed up and explored the different levels of the pagoda, where Buddhist altars have been carved into the mountains, dating back to the 15th century. We had some incredible views of the rice fields and karst formations from the top.
We then took a sampan ride through the canals to visit the caves. A sampan is a flat-bottomed wooden rowboat that originally came from China.
Our boat ride, believe it or not, where our captain rowed with her feet (!!!), lasted about an hour along Thung Nham Lake. I really enjoyed this trip; the scenery in Ninh Binh is truly beautiful and unique. But I have to admit that I felt a certain relief every time we came out of the caves and saw daylight again. I wouldn’t recommend it to claustrophobic people as there are parts inside the caves where it is really dark, and the only light comes from our boat captain’s lanterns. There are also areas where the ceiling is very low, as well as some entrances and exits, so take this as a warning.
After the tour, we had lunch in the village of Tam Coc at the home of a local family. It’s very common here to find these informal restaurants in people’s homes, where they open their courtyard doors to groups of tourists. The food was delicious, and it was a very well served lunch.
On the way back to Hanoi, we stopped at Hoa Lu, once the imperial capital of Vietnam in the 10th and 11th centuries, to end another day.
Some people choose to spend a few days in Ninh Binh, and I can understand the appeal, as there are few places as tranquil as this. It’s a real haven of peace. Suggested accommodation in Ninh Binh includes the Wonderland Bungalow in Tam Coc, which has spectacular views of the rice fields and the mountainous landscape of Ninh Binh, or the Coco Island Villa & Hotel Ninh Bình.
For more ideas on what to do in Hanoi, see the Things to do in Hanoi post.
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