Have you ever taken a boat ride passing -through limestone caves and lush green paddies surrounded by mountains? Have you ever seen anyone rowing the boat with oars held by their feet? You think as we will unfold these questions. In this blog, we will take you on a memorable day trip to Ninh Binh.
In case you don’t know who we are………..
We call ourselves Travel Freaks……..
Before we begin anything regarding Ninh Binh, let’s start with……..
1. How much have we explored in Vietnam so far?
It was our sixth day in Vietnam. You can read the previous blogs of this series. In case you need any help, we are just a click away.
After a memorable experience at Train Street the previous day, it was time for another exciting day trip from Hanoi. We were going to one of the famous destinations of Vietnam, Ninh Binh. You can book your day trip from here.
Returning to our story, we were ready by seven o’clock in the morning. Our guide arrived sharp at eight o’clock. The seats were super comfortable. We took our seats as he started briefing us about the trip plan.
Now, as our journey started, you might be eager about…….
2. How was Journey to Ninh Binh?
The journey was close to two hours from our stay. The ride was smooth as there were hardly any stoppages apart from a few traffic signals within Hanoi City. We loved the landscape as it passed through many rice paddy fields. We even noticed a few manufacturing industries on the way, and train tracks were also there by the side of the road.
It was indeed an enjoyable bus ride. The time was 10:30 AM when we got off the bus. Initially, we thought we had arrived at Ninh Binh.
To our utter surprise, our guide insisted us to pick a comfortable cycle from the parking. We took one and followed his instructions and him for the first destination at Ninh Binh.
3. What was the name of the first attraction at Ninh Binh?
It took us around 30 minutes of cycling to reach the first spot at Ninh Binh, Hoa Lu. Hoa Lu was the ancient capital of Vietnam between 968 and 1010. The place has historical significance as it provides significant learnings about the Dinh, Le and Ly Dynasties.
We listened carefully to the history and noticed the intricate architectural details. It was something that felt like taking us back to the ancient times.
As we joined a group tour, we were a total of 20 persons; apart from us, many travellers were present at Hoa Lu. A few temples within the complex were dedicated to either the founder or famous rulers of the Dinh, Le and Ly Dynasties.
It was almost an hour within the temple complex when our guide insisted us to return to the same place from where we took the cycles.
The route that we took for the return journey was a bit different. While returning, our guide took us to a path that had some breathtaking scenic views. We stopped at a few locations to take some snaps.
We enjoyed the bicycle ride, which lasted for over 30 minutes. It was around 12:30 PM when our ride ended. As we kept the cycles in the parking, our guide requested us to proceed towards the buffet place on the second floor of the building from where we took the bicycles.
We headed for lunch; it was a typical local Vietnamese Cuisine. The food was tasty as there were many options for the vegetarian as well as non-vegetarian people. We took our seats, had food and discussed the just-finished bicycle ride.
After finishing lunch, we hopped into the bus again for the most-awaited destination of Ninh Binh, Tam Coc. It was a half an hour’s journey.
Do you remember the question that we asked in the blog’s beginning?
It’s time to unfold the question.
4. What was so special about Tam Coc?
Tam Coc was the place that we had been waiting for since morning. Tam Coc means three caves consisting of Ca, Hai and Ba caves. Many of you might have seen an aerial view of boats in this place.
Returning to our story, we headed to the boating area as we got off the bus. We were instructed to wear the life jackets that were kept on racks.
A boat can have a maximum of two passengers. Soon, we embarked on the boat journey. One interesting thing we noticed was that all the boats were rowed with feet instead of hands. It was something we hadn’t seen previously.
All the boats rowed through the Ngo Dong River. It was a chilling afternoon with the cold winds freezing us. Such tough conditions didn’t deter us from enjoying the scenic landscape.
We spotted a few locals indulging themselves in some celebration on a small island with loud music.
Our boat passed through a few caves that filled our eyes with joy. After 45 minutes, the boat turned for the return journey. There were a few fruit sellers on the way.
The return journey was as beautiful as the onward journey. It was a 1.5-hour ride. Something we might never forget in our life. We were so happy to experience it that it cannot be described in words.
Hope you got a glimpse of how special Tam Coc was.
As we got into the bus, it was around three o’clock. We thought it was the end of the trip. However, our guide informed us that there was one more place before we ended the day trip. It was time for the Mua Cave.
Wait! Don’t judge by seeing the word “cave“; it was slightly different.
5. How different was Mua Cave from other caves?
We have a common notion that the beauty of a cave lies in the interior. In this case, it was not so. The beauty lay in climbing to the top of the hill.
It was hardly a half an hour ride from the Tam Coc. As we got off the bus, we moved towards climbing the dragon mountain to get an excellent panoramic view of Tam Coc. It was close to dusk, so we had to hurry up in order to reach the top. There were about 500 steps. Some were very steep.
Tip: It would be advisable to keep an eye on each step before climbing. The focus should be on the step instead of the surroundings.
We spotted some breathtaking scenic views of Tam Coc and the surrounding hills as we reached the top. However, the space at the top was way too small to accommodate a large group.
Tip: Be careful while taking snaps at the top. Do not go to the edge of the mountain cliff.
We started descending for our return journey as dusk was around the corner. After reaching the parking, we hopped into the bus, ending a memorable day trip to Ninh Binh.
It took us another two hours to get back to our stay. Before heading to our hotel, we had dinner at a nearby restaurant.
Finally, another fun-filled day came to an end. Another exciting journey awaits for the next day. Till then, stay tuned with us and follow us for another blog from this series.
Wait! We are not ending this blog without this last question.
6. What kind of help are we going to provide?
Let us inform you that we prepare itineraries not only for anywhere in India but also for Asia. We have been travelling since we were toddlers. So here in our blogs and stories, we will give you a glimpse of our journey and help you plan your trip.
Read about our Uzbekistan blogs.
Read about our Kazakhstan blogs.
Read about our Singapore blogs.
Read about our Vietnam blogs.
Read about our Cambodia blogs.
Read about our Bali blogs.
Read about our Kuala Lumpur blog series.
Read about our Srilanka blogs.
Read about our Nepal blogs.
Read about our Char Dham blogs.
Read about our Ladakh blogs.
Read about our day trip to Hyderabad.
Read about our Madhya Pradesh blogs.
Read about our Andaman and Nicobar blogs.
Do follow our Instagram handle @mindfulllofvacations and watch for the next destination story of Vietnam. For any query related to any trip, drop a mail at @mitkau007@gmail.com.
by mitkau