Scribbles Abroad

We were on our last days in Cambodia when a typhoon ripped through Ninh Binh and Hanoi, the second major typhoon since we’d gotten to SE Asia! Being cautious as a result of the fires in Lahaina, Maui and the following pushback on visitors by the locals, I wanted to make sure that we were not going to be a burden to the community and that the locals actually wanted visitors. I was able to call our homestay and they said all was fine and that Ninh Binh was open for business. I also jumped on the reddit forums and the sentiment seemed the same. Slightly worried and willing to pivot if we needed to, we took the gamble and decided to go.

We had a late flight out of Siam Reap and landed in Hanoi with not enough time to get down to Ninh Binh so we spent the night in Hanoi at a little hotel without an elevator. We had to walk up 6 floors. Thank goodness the host carried our bags. The next morning we negotiated the two hour drive down to Ninh Binh for 1,000,000 dong. We’re millionaires in Vietnam!! Our drive was pretty gnar. We though it was only a one hour drive but it was 2. The driver was super eggy, driving nuts and yelling at other drivers. Then trying to justify to me why he was yelling. At the rest stop, bruddah man drank coffee and ripped the tobacco bong. It was an interesting experience to say the least. When he offered to drive us back to Hanoi at the end of our Ninh Binh experience, I gave him the “maybe” that meant “hell no”. Haha!

Pulling into Ninh Binh was a trip. I had seen pictures before but they didn’t do it justice! The place is mind blowing! There are places on earth that you gotta wonder at the potential divine creation of geological features. As if pulled from the ground, these limestone cliffs mimicking dull dragon teeth just don’t make sense! The scenery in and surrounding Ninh Binh was breathtaking and our home for the next few days was in the thick of all this beauty. Like a Tahitian bungalow, but on fresh water, our unit with its giant windows, gave us a 180 degree view of pure gorgeous.

One of the best ways to find out things to do is through asking others, and when we arrived, we met another couple traveling with kids and asked them what’s good! Their advice pointed us to a hidden gem that we visited on day one and we ended up being the only guests on the river.

I guess goat is a big thing in this part of Vietnam so being adventurous in all that we do, we tried their specialty. The goat meat was actually very good. It’s a rich meat that has a unique savory flavor but you get to a point where it can be a little overwhelming.

When in Ninh Binh you can explore on your own, take tours, or do a bit of both. The latter is what we did. We mixed exploring on our own via our motobikes, but then engaged in a few standalone tours not part of any package and got to experience a more authentic experience by not being tied to a timeline.

Trang An was my favorite boat tour. We strategically decided to go at the end of the day, catching the last boats allowed out for the day. There was ZERO line and the lovely woman paddling our boat was delightful. This chill AF stroll on the water took you through a world of enchantment mixed with cool pagodas and other features like the set of King Kong. This is a must, but go super early or late in the day. Otherwise it can get very crowded.

Buffalo Cave was the spot my wife was super keen to go to. I was in a shitty mood for some reason so I was over it, but my wife and kids loved it. The kids got to fish and feed/hold the baby ducks. The cave itself is a meh. But the spot is chill and worth checking out. But for me, it lands at the lower end of things to explore.

Mua Cave was pretty mental. Kinda touristy but still worth it. The hike is fun and I felt it for days after, not because I’m not in shape but rather, Louise forgot her phone at the top so I ran back up from the bottom, and then ran back down. My legs were shaking once back down and then they proceeded to hurt for the next few days. But I got some solid brownie points for it. Win!

Bai Dinh Pagoda was like Disneyland built a giant Pagoda. It was really cool and relatively empty, but if I were to visit Ninh Binh again, I’d give this one a skip.

We skipped Tam Coc because it looked super touristy and similar to Trang An. It was in the heart of the madness of Ninh Binh. Seemed like a tourist trap so we avoided it. Who knows, maybe we missed out, but I don’t think we did.

Our favorite part of Ninh Binh would have to be riding around on our motorbikes with the kids on the back. The freedom to explore provided a unique experience that can’t be matched. Your day exploring is the only one like it. You have the freedom to go where you want, when you want. Drive slowly through villages on unknown roads or engage with random locals in their towns as you navigate from one end of Ninh Binh to the other. Motorbikes are the way and learning how to do it safely in a place like Ninh Binh is ideal.

Now that we have been to both Ninh Binh and Ha Long Bay, we can provide our thoughts in comparison. Many people consider between the two and although I’d suggest checking both out, if it were a time issue and you could only choose one, I’d choose Ninh Binh. My main reasons would be in authenticity and diversity. You can explore a huge amount of area without restriction and interact with a plethora of local Vietnamese. On the boat in Ha Long Bay, you’re kinda stuck. It’s beautiful but your on the tour’s itinerary. You don’t have the same freedom. So, in conclusion, if you can do both, do it. But if you have to choose only one, head to Ninh Binh.