Ninh Binh, Vietnam

Ninh Binh is known to be a hidden gem in Vietnam, located 2 hours south of Hanoi by train. I was so excited for this part of the trip, as it was a chance to get away from a city and experience some peace and beautiful views and was definitely was not disappointed.

After getting off at Ga Ninh Binh (the train station), we grabbed some Banh Mi for lunch. There, we were overcome with tour guides, each of whom wanted to make some money on a day that didn’t have many tourists visiting the town. We decided to spend our day riding around on motorcycles, where the guides would drop us off at our desired location and wait for us to take us to our next destination - all for a set price. Ninh Binh is best seen by bike or motorcycle, as a car causes you to miss out on many of the views. We knew we would get lost biking on our own, and the distance between our destinations was too far to walk. Furthermore, we had no idea how to ride a motorcycle ourselves. After some haggling, we agreed to the motorcycle guides driving us around. I was very hesitant at first, as they didn’t speak English, but after getting a helmet and being assured of my safety, I gave in.

Having finished up with the tour, I can honestly say that seeing Ninh Binh by motorcycle was the best decision ever. The guides took us through internal roads, where we got to see both the poverty-ridden and rich areas of the town along with some beautiful views. In the heat, riding a motorcycle was also the best way to cool off.

Our first stop was Trang An, the less touristy counterpart of Tam Coc. Both places offer 2-3 hour boat rides where you are taken through caves and get to see the massive limestone karsts and mountains. My friend and I joined a South Korean couple and were taken along the river by a female rower. It was impressive to watch the rower maneuver the tiny boat filled with 4 other people all by herself. Passing by pagodas and beautiful greenery, the boat ride was relaxing and a perfect activity in the heat. We even stopped at the spot where King Kong: Skull Island was filmed!

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After the boat ride, our guides took us to Hang Mua, a famous 500 step climb for gorgeous views of Ninh Binh and beyond. In the 95 degree heat and humidity, we were drenched in sweat in the first 5 minutes. Getting to the top is not hard, but the heat makes it necessary to take breaks and hydrate. The motivation, of course, is the views, as once you get to the top, they are absolutely breathtaking. With Tam Coc on one side and miles and miles of rice paddies and small houses on the other, this is a must-do if you visit Ninh Binh and is totally worth the effort. There’s ice cream at the bottom as a reward. :)

After Hang Mua, we headed back to the train station and grabbed some pho for an afternoon snack. Because we were only able to be in Ninh Binh for a day trip, we skipped a lot of the other sights, but definitely hit two very different, but must-see locations. Paying 200,000 dong (USD $10) to the motorcyclists was totally worth it to not have to worry about finding taxis or getting lost in the heat while biking ourselves.

Some other sights we would have liked to see had we had the time would be the Bai Dinh pagoda, the largest pagoda in ASEAN, and the Thung Nham Bird Garden.

Ninh Binh definitely lives up to the expectations set by travelers online, and is the perfect getaway for anyone staying in Hanoi. Be prepared for a sweaty day in the heat and for a lack of food options (there’s really only food available near the train station unless you go really out of your way to search for some in the main town).

If we could do this again, we would have spent a day and a half in Ninh Binh by staying overnight so that we would be able to see some of the other spots.

All in all, go here if you’re in Vietnam - you won’t regret it!