#travelasia #ninhbinh #hanoi
Our recent adventure took us to the beautiful Ninh Binh. It’s a picturesque town only 90km from Hanoi City about 1.5 hours drive. The perfect weekend getaway from all the cities hustle and bustle.
Our 1st stop was the charming rustic Trang An Valley Bungalows. Trang An Valley Bungalows is situated close to many attractions including Trang An Eco Complex, Mua Cave, Thai Vi Temple and much more. The traditionally styled bungalows have a fantastic limestone rock-face backdrop. The backdrop continues inside as a unique, quirky bathroom wall. The accommodation was clean and tidy with aircon and free wifi. We had time to relax by the pool and had a choice of one of their deckings overlooking the pond, where the children fed the duck, and the boys were hoping to catch a fish or two. The onsite restaurant bar was open all day, offering refreshments and a variety of Vietnamese dishes to sample. The children loved the fried pork and rice.
After settling in and cooling off in the pool, we ventured out to the Trang An Eco Complex for a 2-hour boat trip. We had a choice of three routes depending on the route length, amount of caves and temples we wanted to visit. We finally opted for route two; venturing through four caves, three temples and exploring King Kong Film set, my son’s favourite movie. He was delighted to see the boat, the handprint and the villagers. Our petit boat tour guide spoke very little English, even with the language barrier she kept a smile on her face all the way around, regardless of how hot it was, she kept going. Thankfully there were other ores on hand, and we all chipped in and helped paddle through the crystal clear water as we admired the spectacular beauty of the limestone cliffs and dark caves we rowed through. Trang An Eco Complex was my favourite; however, it was also the busiest and most expensive of the three rivers we explored in and around Ninh Binh.
Next attraction to conquer was Hang Mua meaning the dancing cave. Don’t miss out on the well-known attraction. To reach the top, you must tackle over 500 uneven, steep steps, but once you submit, you will be in awe of the beautiful panoramic view of the Tam Coc river and rice paddies. Best visited in April or May when the rice paddies change to golden yellow colour. Remember to explore the 3rd largest cave at the foot of the steps; it’s dating over 300 000 years old. Our visit was worthwhile but exhausting.
We checked out of Trang An Valley Bungalos and moved over to Emeralda Resort on the outskirts of Ninh Bihn situated less than a kilometer from Van Long Nature Reserve.
We spent the day relaxing and chilling at the pool bar while the children splashed around in the outdoor and indoor swimming pools.
The large resorts accommodation was clean and spacious with fans, air-con, free wifi, minibar and room service. After a restfully night in a super comfy bed, we were ready to fill up on a massive buffet breakfast from Continental, Full English to Asian Style, something for everyone, even found something for my picky eater. They have an à la carte lunch and dinner menu at their restaurants, poolside bar for cocktails and snacks and a wine bar. There is plenty of activities to keep you busy at the resort. Pamper yourself to a Spa treatment, try your hand at fishing using traditional bamboo sticks, sink a few putts around the mini-golf course or cycle to Van Long Nature Reserve.
We had our first snag, trying to find a taxi or transport to our next activity. Of course, a motorbike would be convenient, but with children, the motorbike is not an option for our family. Yes, many parents take children of all ages confidently on a motorbike without an issue, I just don’t feel safe doing it, and therefore rely on a taxi, grab or private cars. The hotel did offer transfers at an astronomical rate, and they were unwilling to call a local taxi. We had to scramble and source one ourselves. The language barrier made it tricky, what we could have done if Grab was available in the area. Anyway, an hour later, taxi sourced we were finally on the road heading to Tam Cốc-Bích Động.
On arrival, we looked for the ticket kiosk, selected a life jacket and waited for the dock guard to direct us to our boats. Boys vs girls the race was on! The Tam Coc boat tour guides rowed us along a tranquil stretch of water, meandering through rice paddies and cliffs. One unique feature of the guides, is that the guides paddle with their feet. It is incredible to watch their skill and co-ordination. Unfortunately, they didn’t offer extra paddles, and we couldn’t help them row.
The weather was hot, muggy and overcast not best conditions to take pictures. On the way back, the clouds were rumbling, and we were expecting a good soaking. Luckily it held off till we reached land and made the return journey cooler and more bearable.
We saw some birds, loads of Kingfishers, not close enough for a photo but good to see them diving to catch their breakfast. I was lucky enough to catch sight of a small snake swimming, but as I was about to take a picture, a boat vendor scared it off.
On our final day, we hired tandem bicycles and cycles out to Van Long Wetland Nature Reserve. It’s a short cycle from Emeralda Resort. Regardless of the short distance, we were sweating by the time we arrived. I think it was the hottest day of our trip, no clouds in sight. Yes! Another waterway and boat tour. Can’t get enough of the water systems and all the beautiful limestone peaks covered in green foliage, and crystal clear waters. The children cooled off by dipping their hats in the water.
Van Long was the quietest and cheapest boat tour route in the area. Not many tourists know about it. Hindsight we should have gone in the late afternoon, we were told it’s teeming with birdlife after 4 pm. Oh well, another reason to return, I guess. The boat tour was an incredible way to end our getaway.
Lil Rascals Travel Adventures 