The hills around Ninh Binh are as vertical as you like. Beautiful to look at, less cooperative if you feel like scaling them. This is the landscape people call “Ha Long on land”, with riverboats, temples, a wild pagoda complex and a few viewpoints providing a pretty complete experience.
Ninh Binh is an area, not just a city
Most visitors aren’t coming for Ninh Binh city itself. They stay around Tam Coc or Trang An, where the scenery and attractions are. Tam Coc gives you a small town with restaurants and massage places; Trang An can mean a more isolated homestay but a better proximity to the main draws. Choose according to how much independence you want in the evening.
I was there in January. The weather was decent on my visit, but many places were half-empty and the atmosphere was subdued. A summer resort in winter, a little. That’s not necessarily a negative.
Boats and pagodas first
The Trang An sampans take you through the limestone landscape, into caves and past temples. Different routes have different balances of caves, stops and time on the water. Look at that choice before booking a ticket.
Bai Dinh was my other priority: a large complex of impressive temples and halls. If you only have a day, these two would be my starting point. With another day, add a viewpoint and some wandering around Tam Coc.
Two ways to get around
A bicycle works well for exploring near your stay. Ask in advance whether one is available. I left the scooter riding to people more willing to experience local traffic.
For farther stops, I booked the first car ride through Grab, then arranged the remaining trips with the driver. Agree the route, waiting time and total price before setting out. A good driver arrangement saves you repeatedly trying to find your next ride, which will be challenging out in the country.
Ninh Binh country is worth a couple of days. I wouldn’t force it into a short Vietnam itinerary at the expense of more prominent draws, but it makes a pleasant change from the cities.
These photographs and tips are a small selection from my more comprehensive Ninh Binh guide. I’m developing guides from my visits, with fuller recommendations on where to stay, eat and drink, what’s worth your time, what to avoid, and how to put a visit together. Keep an eye out for those - I’ll let you know when they come out.
I’ll share photographs and a few useful notes from another stop each Sunday morning.