Vietnam is a large country that has so many beautiful places! I traveled Vietnam for one week. Although I didn’t see everywhere I wanted, one place that really stuck out to me as one of the most magical villages on earth is Ninh Binh. Even more specifically the nature areas west of Ninh Binh City, Trang An and Tam Coc.
Why should Ninh Binh, Vietnam should be on everyone’s bucket list?
Staying near Ninh Binh was a very unique experience compared to the other cities we traveled to. The villages outside of Ninh Binh are quiet and peaceful, nestled among the mountains. I originally was doing research and found the stunning hike at Mua Caves. The viewpoint here caught my eye of the lush green and round mountains! As a travel photographer, I just knew this had to be on our Vietnam Travel Itinerary.
How to visit Ninh Binh, Tam Coc, and Trang An?
My friends and I flew into Hanoi, Vietnam. Hanoi is located about 2 hours from Ninh Binh. The easiest way to get here is by a tourist bus. This cost us about $6 USD ( or 190,000 VND.) You can easily book the bus from your hotel, or at the Giap Bat Station or Nuoc Ngam Station by local bus. The busses were comfortable and had AC. Wherever you stay when you first fly in, ask for transportation options and they will help you. Vietnam is so traveler friendly, every place we needed to navigate our host was happy to help coordinate!
We visited in November and that was a great time to visit! It was warm, but not too hot. It only rained on us once. The tickets were a little more affordable than a month earlier, or later.
Airbnb with Free Breakfast (affiliate link)
What to do in Ninh Binh, Vietnam?
Hang Mua Lookout/Mua Caves
I had the opportunity to visit Mua Caves twice, and although it is named after the cave, it really is about the hike, temples, and the view!
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The stunning hike leads you up a steep staircase overlooking Tam Coc with an amazing view of the abundant mountains around, as well as views of 2 pagodas and a lotus field. The hike is just over a half mile long and is called the Hang Mua lookout. Expect it to take just shy of 30 minutes to accomplish. I first visited at sunset, and that took longer to hike because of how many people were there.
My biggest advice for Hang Mua Lookout is to go at sunrise, not sunset. My sunrise hike here was much more enjoyable and we really only had to share the hike with about 10 people compared to 100. The amount of people will differ greatly depending on when you visit. Be careful when hiking here. The ledges are abrupt and people do shove a bit. Just be polite and patient. Everyone wants to get the same photo/experience being here so lead with kindness.
It is worth walking into Mua Cave at the bottom of the hike. We did walk into here and marveled at the cave beneath the mountain. Check out more photos of this magical lookout on my Instagram!
Trang An Eco-Tourism Complex Boat Tours
The eco-tourism complex has more than 10 historic relics, really neat grottoes to float through, and caves!!! There are so many incredible caves you get to explore via boat to enter and navigate through the limestone mountains! Here is a cute bungalow to stay in nearby!
We stayed near the Trang An Eco-Tourism Complex where you can book a boat trip. Our hostel had free bikes so we biked to Trang A Boat Tours. Here you have to pay a small fee to leave your bikes, and then you can walk through the visitor center, shops, and little cafes to purchase your boat tour.
Boat Tour Booking
We chose the 3rd boat tour option which included floating through a 1000 meter cave through the mountain. We entered a couple other aquatic caves as well. The Eco-Tourism Complex has so much cultural significance like incredible temples (no photos allowed,) and just as many views that will make your jaw drop to the floor. A small local woman paddled us along to different floating temples and pagodas. It was a truly stunning experience that took about 2.5 hours. Here is more information on the complex: Trang An Eco Tourism Place
There was (at least) one bathroom option and snacks available for purchase along the way at the different temples.
Where did we stay? The Green Mountain Homestay (Affordable Hostel)
We stayed at the highly rated Green Mountain Homestay and absolutely loved it. The property is very peaceful, has a pool, dogs who hang out at the pool and cuddle you, and views of the mountains. The best part of staying here (and a lot of places in Vietnam,) is that it is SO AFFORDABLE. We paid only $20 USD a person a night. They have a restaurant right there and really delicious food.
*How to get affordable tickets? Use google flights. Search on Tuesdays ideally to find the most affordable rates about 8-10 weeks before your trip. Be flexible with exact dates. Fly on non weekends in and out. Use credit card deals to get a free trip! Click here to see the card I used to earn my first trip. (60,000 + bonus sign on miles!) Referral Link to Skymiles
Why Travel to Vietnam?
Vietnam is now one of my favorite countries to visit! It is incredibly easy to travel around the country because they are so tourist friendly. For example, at this hostel we asked at check in if we could get a ride to the airport on our last day. He said no problem at all, set up a bus transfer for us, we paid him a fair and affordable amount, and sure enough the bus came to pick us up right on time on the last day without us even having to lift a finger.
We experienced this in all of the villages/cities we visited. Our friend even went on to Sapa and to do the Ha Giang Loop, and continued to say how easy it was for her to navigate from place to place! I would love to go back to see those places.
The biggest reason I think travelers should visit Vietnam is the affordability. If you want to travel but don’t have a big budget, South East Asia travel is the way to go! You can make your dollar last for months compared to traveling in the USA or Europe. A meal in Vietnam costs about $3.00 USD. As you read earlier, this stay of ours just $20/person a night remains about the average price of a place. Some fancier places may cost about $50/person a night. Luxury travel in South East Asia is possible if you have a small budget from another place in the world.
Shopping is also really affordable in Vietnam! We had so much fun shopping in Hanoi before making our way to Ninh Binh. Try to support the local shops! I bought a silk skirt and absolutely love it.
I hope you have a beautiful time exploring Ninh Binh. Check out my full Vietnam Itinerary! Visiting Vietnam Blog
If you want to see more from me and support my small business, I have a print shop! Print Website!
Earth to Sarah 