Ninh Bình(170,000 inhabitants, 100 km south of Hanoi) is a region of limestone karst massifs growing out of rice fields. Called‘Halong Bay on land’— this is what Halong looks like without water. UNESCO 2014 (Trang An Landscape Complex). 3 key locations: Trang An, Tam Cốc, Hang Múa.
Trang An — UNESCO
Written on the UNESCO list in 2014.Trang An Landscape Complex— limestone peaks, canyons, caves, temples on islands. Cruise by rowing boat (2-3 hours) through 9 caves and 3 temples.
3 routes to choose from
- Route 1(3 hours, 9 caves, 250,000 VND): full, classic, most people
- Route 2(2.5 hours, 5 caves, 250,000 VND): through the "Kong: Skull Island" film plan fields (2017)
- Route 3(3 hours, 4 caves + 3 temples): calmest, good evening
Practical
- The boat houses 4-5 people. Rows LOCAL WOMAN (usually with feet!) — tradition
- Tip 50,000-100 000 VNDis expected (not included)
- No food on the way — eat before
- SPF 50+, hat — no sun protection
There Cïc — an older alternative
"Three Caves" — a 90 min cruise through 3 water tunnels beneath the rocks, rice fields on the sides. More classical Vietnam scenery, less UNESCO. Boat price 200,000 VND + pass 120 000 VND.
Rice season
The most photogenic —May-June(green rice) andEnd of September(yellow, mature rice before harvesting). Then the fields are 100% filled.
Hang Múa — Pyramid Instagrama
Hang Múa("Dance Cave") — 500 stone steps to the summit of the limestone peak (~120 m). Panorama Tam Cốc: boats on the river through rice fields, limestone peaks to the horizon.Best NINH BÌNH Photo. Introduction 100,000 VND. Go at sunrise / sunset for the best conditions.
Bái Đính — the largest Buddhist complex in Southeast Asia
Opened 2010, the largest number of temples of one complex in the region. Buddhist pagoda + 500 sculpturesarhats(students of Buddha). Three Buddhas of bronze 100 tons each. You can take an electric stroller or walk (2 hours). Free admission to temples, cart 60,000 VND.
Hoa Lư — Vietnam’s first capital
The capital of the first independent Vietnamese dynasty (Đinh, 968-1009). Today: the preserved 2 royal temples surrounded by limestone cliffs. Introduction 20,000 VND.
Cúc Phương National Park
Vietnam's oldest national park (1962), 22,000 hectares of original forest. Rescue of langurs (endemic monkeys). Trekking to a 1000-year-old treeCây Chò Chē. Distance: 45 km from Ninh Bình. Introduction 60,000 VND.
Film Places
Ninh Bình was the location:
- Kong: Skull Island(2017) — Trang An and Van Long
- The Quiet American(2002) — Tam Cốc
- Indochine(1992) — Hoa Lư
Local cuisine — 3 meals
1. Thït dê (goat meat)
Ninh Bình speciality — goats feed on limestone slopes, extremely aromatic meat. Versions: grilled, in pan, in curry. RestaurantThe President(Hoa Lư) — Legend. 300,000-500 000 VND group of four.
2. Cēm cháy
Burnt rice crust, crispy, sprinkled with hot sauce with fried wills of pieces. Local classic. 80,000 VND.
3. Ốc núi (mountains)
Known only in Ninh Bình — forest snails, delicate, aromatic. Grilled with chili and lemon. 200,000 VND serving.
Practical information
- Directions from Hanoi: train 2 hours (60,000-100 000 VND), bus 2 hours (100 000 VND)
- Accommodation: hostels from 150,000 VND, boutique hotels from 500,000 VND. Recommended:There is Cïc Garden Resort,There Cïc Rice Fields Homestay
- Bicycle rental: 50,000 VND/day — the best way to move
- 2 days is enough: day 1 — Trang An + Hang Múa; day 2 — Tam Cốc + Bái Đính
- Season: January-April (cooler, sunny), May-June (green rice), end of September (yellow rice). Avoid July-August (hot + monsoons)