10 October 2018
Located about 95 kilometers South from Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam, is the beautiful province of Ninh Binh. It is a relatively unknown destination for travellers or visitors to Vietnam, compared to world-renowned Ha Long Bay.
I first learnt about Ninh Binh as an amazingly beautiful and scenic travel destination from watching The Amazing Race, a reality television game show in which teams of two people race around the world in competition with other teams. Ninh Binh was featured in Season 29, Episode 10 where contestants have to learn to row boats using their feet, like the locals do, and climb 500 steps to the scenic Hang Mua peak, one of the pit stops in this race.
I next saw Ninh Binh through some scenes in the movie “Kong: Skull Island”. Some scenes in that movie were shot in Trang An, Ninh Binh in 2015 but the movie was released in 2017.
I told myself that I must plan a trip to visit this amazing place that is rich in history and also offers beautiful landscape of steep limestone mountains surrounding paddy fields and calm waterways that gave it a nickname of “Ha Long Bay on Land”.
There are many attractions within Ninh Binh province that could justify at least a 2 or 3 days stay in this area. These attractions include:
We spent 3 nights in Ninh Binh (specifically one night in Ninh Binh city and 2 nights in Tam Coc) to bookend our 12 days stay in North Vietnam. Ninh Binh is the type of place where you need your own transportation. Public transportation is practically non-existent so it was best to hire an air-conditioned car with driver to bring us around.
We arrived at Ninh Binh city in the late afternoon after a hiking adventure in rustic Mai Chau and Pu Luong Nature Reserve with Vic Travel, a local tour agency. I included a day tour around Ninh Binh the next day with this agency where I chose to visit:
Each of these places would need a couple of hours to explore, so it was best not to pack too many places to visit within one day.
Boat ride at Trang An Eco-tourism Complex
Departing from our hotel in Ninh Binh city at 8.30 AM, we arrived at Trang An Eco Tourism Complex at about 9 AM. Being a UNESCO's World Heritage Site since June 2014 and a must-visit destination in Ninh Binh, this place would be very crowded later in the day with hordes of day-trippers from Hanoi.
The main activity at Trang An was to take a boat ride through waterways and cave system to enjoy some of the most scenic parts of this region.
Entrance area of Trang An Eco-tourism Complex.
Sign with the 3 tour options at the entrance.
There are 3 routes to choose from and this must be decided prior to buying the tickets. Route 1 is the longest and goes through 9 caves with stops at 3 temples. This route is less scenic but is more popular with locals who come to worship at some of these temples.
Route 2 and 3 are the most scenic and goes through 3 caves with stops at 3 temples and the movie set for Kong: Skull Island. We did Route 3 based on recommendation from our guide.
Usually, it was 4 persons to a boat and the boatman will wait for the boats to fill before starting the tour. Our guide from Vic Travel probably paid more to buy additional tickets for my wife and me to be assigned our “private” boat with just the two of us and a boatman.
We sat facing forward with our boatman behind us. At Trang An, the boatman rows the boat using his arms and not the feet.
Note: The boatman or boatwoman would use their feet to row the boat at Tam Coc Boat Ride, not at Trang An.
It was a nice day for a boat ride through open waterways. There were few boats during this time of day. We spotted tiny ducks with red heads diving for food and red and violet coloured water lilies along the banks as we cruised slowly along in our metallic flat bottom boat.
Ninh Binh was surprisingly cool at a pleasant 24 degree C on this autumn day with cloudy skies above us. We had 30 degrees Celsius weather during our hikes in Mai Chau and Pu Luong, which was unusually high in October.
We were given the option to alight at designated stops to visit the temples. The first temple we visited was the Trinh Temple, dedicated to four head mandarins of the Dinh dynasty.
Approaching our first stop – Trinh Temple.
Inside of the temple.
The crane, with lotus flower in its mouth, on the back of the tortoise is the symbol of longevity. They are seen mostly in temples dedicated to Confucius, emperors and local spirits.
After a short visit to Trinh Temple, we board our boat again and entered our first cave which was just next to the temple.
Looking at the entrance of Dot Cave from Trinh Temple.
The first cave was the longest (at about 1 km in length) and also the lowest in terms of head room. It was good that we came early as we had the whole flooded cave system to ourselves.
We need to sit low in our boat to avoid bumping our heads against the stalactites. Our rower skilfully manoeuvred the boat through the tight passages and avoiding the low overhanging stalactites.
There were electric lamps placed at regular intervals, so the cave was not completely dark. Nevertheless, it was eerie to some extent. The incident of 12 Thai boys and their coach who were trapped and then rescued from a flooded cave system in Chiang Rai was still fresh in our mind.
Our boat emerged from the silent limestone cave to sounds of birds chirping in this peaceful river valley set amongst karst mountains with tall reeds and lush vegetation on both sides. Trang An is home to about 73 species of birds and we certainly heard many of them. This was my favourite part of the boat ride.
We heard only the wind, birds chirping and gentle splashes of the oars of our boat.
The next cave was shorter and had more head room above us. Parts of the “ceiling” seemed to have been refurbished with concrete.
Inside Hang May (May Cave).
Emerging from Hang May.
More of the serene waterways with tall reeds and mountains on both sides.
Approaching our second stop – Suoi Tien Temple.
The second temple we visited was the Suoi Tien Temple, which seems to be located on an island. Our boatman gestured for us to meet him on the other side of the island after visiting the temple.
The landscape at the place where we alighted was awesome. We spent some time appreciating the scenery before heading into the temple complex.
Views of the landscape at the landing place near Suoi Tien Temple.
Crossing the bridge to Suoi Tien Temple.
Decorations on the roof of the temple.
Suoi Tien Temple with a pair of cranes on the back of the tortoises on both sides of an urn.
Exiting from the temple.
The next part of the boat ride was the most scenic. On the route map, this area is known as the Dia Linh Mountain Scenery. I reckoned that this is the place that probably earned Trang An its nickname of “Ha Long Bay on Land”.
Dia Linh Mountain Scenery.
A line of fully loaded boats ahead of us.
These rowers must have backs made of steel. Facing forward, the rower has to push the paddles instead of pulling.
Since our boat has only two persons, we were able to overtake all the boats in front of us and made it into the next cave before them.
The next cave has low head room and we had to sit low in our boat.
Our boat approaching exit of Hang Dai cave.
Emerging from this cave, we spotted a building sitting on the waters.
The bell tower at Vu Lam royal step-over palace of the Tran dynasty.
One of the several buildings at Vu Lam Palace.
Row of turtles carrying stele.
From the Vu Lam site, we followed signs pointing to the Kong: Skull Island movie set. Some scenes of the 2017 movie Kong: Skull Island was filmed in Trang An. After the movie was completed, the film company had removed all the props and sets but the local community had rebuilt replicas of the movie props to make this place an attraction for visitors to Ninh Binh.
Half expecting King Kong or a Skullcrawler to appear from behind the mountains.
The site was very similar to what I had seen in the movie, minus all the actions and CGI. I stood for a moment to imagine the battle between Kong and the Skullcrawler at this place.
One of the more interesting props is that of the boat featured in the movie that was built from old WW2 aircraft parts.
Replica of the “boat” made out of WW2 aircraft parts.
We had to walk through this “boat” in order to get to the aboriginal village with small thatched roof huts and local people in costumes and facial paint to simulate the aboriginal people featured in the movie.
In the movie, there was a pair of Browning 0.5 inch machine guns at the bow of the boat firing at the Skullcrawlers. Now it is just 2 plastic pipes.
One of the replica huts in the village, surrounded by natural tall grass.
We are free to walk around in the village and even go into the huts for photos.
A photo with one of the “aboriginal people”.
A goat near the place to board our boat for our journey back.
We board our boat again for the final part of the ride through open waterways (no more caves) back towards the boat launching area where we started our tour.
Heading back to the starting point.
The water was extremely clean and clear. We could see small fishes and aquatic plants flourishing in the river bed.
Just before arriving back at the boat pier, our rower gave us a survey feedback form to fill. One of the questions in the form was “Did the rower asked you for tips?” Apparently, some other boat rides in Ninh Binh had earned a bad reputation where rowers were aggressively demanding tips from tourists. Our boatman did not ask for tips from us but we tipped him anyway.
Many rowers waiting for their turn to serve customers at the boat pier. It would be a long wait during the off peak season.
Overall, our experience at Trang An had been fantastic. The process of ticketing, boarding and tour had been orderly. The places we visited were clean and well maintained. Last but not least, the natural landscape was pristine and beautiful and hopefully would remain so for many generations to come.
Hoa Lu Ancient Citadel
Hoa Lu Ancient Capital of Vietnam is one of the four core areas of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Trang An.
Gateway to Hoa Lu Ancient Citadel with three entrances.
Long walkway inside.
Picture along the walkway illustrate the history of Hoa Lu.
It was good to have Mr Long as our guide when we visited Hoa Lu Ancient Citadel. Using the long painted mural along the walkway just inside the main gate, Long told us the history of three dynasties. They are the Dinh, Le and Ly dynasties.
Starting from the left, Long told the story of how an orphan boy named Dinh Bo Linh became first emperor of Vietnam. When Dinh was young, Vietnam was under the rule of China. Vietnam at that time was divided into 12 regions, each under the control of a Chinese lord.
Dinh was smart since young. He rode buffaloes and played imaginary war games with other boys. Since young, he was able to demonstrate his talent for strategy and warfare as his team always win.
When he grew older, he rallied his friends, formed an army and overcame the 12 Chinese lords in battles to become first emperor of independent Vietnam in the year 968. He named the country Dai Co Viet, which means the great country of the Viet people.
It was easy to see why Hoa Lu in Ninh Binh was chosen as his capital. We could see the surrounding steep limestone mountains providing an impenetrable all round defence for the city. To further fortify the citadel, inhabitants constructed walls around the city.
Large open area in the ancient citadel where buildings used to stand. Mountains surrounding Hoa Lu Ancient Citadel could be seen in the background.
Emperor Dinh ruled well for many years but died mysteriously. Since his son was still very young to be next Emperor, Dinh’s wife Lady Duong soon married a General named Le Hoan to be next Emperor so as to fight against threats from Chinese Song Dynasty. After watching many Chinese and Korean dramas portraying the politics of palace life in those ancient times, I wonder if there was some scandal behind Dinh’s death and the rise of the new Emperor.
The last drawing on the wall mural showed the shift of the capital from Ninh Binh to Thang Long (present day Hanoi) by Emperor Ly in the year 1010.
The reason for the shift was that Hanoi was a better location for commerce and there is lesser need to locate the capital in Ninh Binh for protection as Vietnam was strong enough to be defended at its borders.
After a crash course on the history of Hoa Lu as the ancient capital of North Vietnam, we went to see what was left of Hoa Lu ancient citadel. Hoa Lu Ancient Capital entrance fee was VND 20,000/ person.
The first place we visited was the Dinh Tien Hoang Temple. Dinh Tien Hoang is the reign title of the first emperor, Dinh Bo Linh.
There is a large flat stone called the Dragon stone in front of the Dinh Temple. In the old days, visitors coming to see the Emperor must leave all weapons on the stone before entry to his palace. There is also a pair of Dog-Lion stone statues guarding the entrance.
Dragon stone in front of the Dinh Temple.
A Dog-Lion statue guards the entrance. This creature has the body of a dog, head of lion, mouth of goat, feet of phoenix and spine with dorsal fin of a fish.
Dinh Tien Hoang Temple in Hoa Lu.
Figure of Emperor Dinh, worshipped in Dinh temple.
We could see the figure of Emperor Dinh, worshipped by locals in the Dinh Temple, located behind a barrier.
One of the boundary walls of the temple with decorations still intact.
From the Dinh Temple, we took a 500 meters walk to the Le Dai Hanh Temple, the temple for the second Emperor.
Long walkway to the Le Dai Hanh Temple.
Once again, there is a pair of Dog Lion Statues guarding the entrance and a Dragon stone in front.
The roof of the Le Dai Hanh Temple was less ornate compared to the Dinh Temple. This temple is a little bit smaller than the one of King Dinh.
Inside, we could see the figures of the Emperor Le, Empress Duong and her son through bamboo screens.
It was interesting to see the Empress Duong featured in the Le Temple with her son at the Le Temple. She was seated facing the direction where her first husband (Dinh Temple) was located, to symbolise her love still for her first husband Dinh.
Figure of Emperor Le and Queen Duong in Le Temple. The Queen faces the Dinh temple, supposedly looking at ex-husband.
Overall, we spent about an hour in Hoa Lu Ancient Citadel. I think one should visit this site with a local guide to appreciate the culture and history.
Trying Ninh Binh Local Delicacies
We stopped for lunch at a local restaurant in Trang An where we sampled some local delicacies.
Besides a few other local dishes like fried spring rolls, vegetables and catfish, we tried the crispy rice, a famous speciality of Ninh Binh and the mountain goat meat.
Rice is crispy and served with a special dipping sauce. We did not really like this dish.
Stir-fried mountain goat meat with herbs and sesame seeds.
Figs and pineapple slices to be added to the goat meat and placed on rice paper. This is then hand rolled and dipped into a peanut sauce before eating.
We found that local bananas looked terrible on the outside with blacken skin but just perfectly ripen to eat (firm and sweet) on the inside.
Hang Mua (Mua Cave) Peak
After our lunch, our driver and guide drove us to Hang Mua (Mua Cave), located in the Tam Coc area. There is free parking for the car at the entrance to Mua Cave but entry tickets to the Mua Cave was 100,000 VND/person.
We had to walk through the nicely landscaped grounds of the Hang Mua Ecolodge with Koi ponds and flowers. This seemed like a nice place to stay.
I was more fascinated by the natural landscape on our right side, just outside of Hang Mua Ecolodge.
Ricefields at Tam Coc, with steep limestone mountains providing a scenic backdrop.
By October, the paddy at Tam Coc had already been harvested and what we saw are watery and muddy fields. Flocks of white feathered ducks foraged on the muddy plains. There were water buffaloes too but they were too far away to be photographed.
Entrance to Mua Cave. Statues depicting scenes from Chinese mythology and legends decorated the area outside.
Our guide brought us to Mua Cave first. The cave looked like any normal cave at the foot of a limestone mountain but with entrances/exits on both sides. Our guide Long showed us old rusty eye-hooks screwed onto the ceilings of this cave and told us how this cave was the secret hospital that North Vietnamese used in the days of thunder (Vietnam War). Bags of fluids used for IV drips were hung from these eye-hooks as injured soldiers get their treatment, safe from the enemies’ bombs that rained down outside.
Actually, Hang Mua (Mua Cave) is to be visited for the superb views from the peak of the mountain above the cave and not the cave itself. To get to the peak, we had to walk up 500 steps. The stone steps were uneven and some parts were steeper than normal.
Midway up, there is a fork where separate paths led to two different peaks.
One path leads to a pagoda as shown below.
The other path (that we took) leads to a higher peak that offered beautiful panoramic views of Tam Coc. This peak also featured a statue of a Chinese dragon and a pavilion.
Many travel promotional pictures of Ninh Binh were shot from this peak. Long had already set our expectations that the impressive yellow rice fields depicted in the promotional pictures are not to be seen in October. Nevertheless, the views from Hang Mua peak were still splendid.
We could see little boats on the river below that was part of the route for the Tam Coc Boat Ride.
Some younger visitors were risking their lives standing on stone parapets or even going beyond the safety of these barricades for photos.
Hang Mua peak, a pit-stop for the Amazing Race Season 29.
We sat and lingered at the peak, enjoying the views and cool breeze. Long also helped took some photos for us.
Hang Mua was the last place we visited in Ninh Binh. Our driver drove us to our next accommodation located in Tam Coc.
Where we stayed in Ninh Binh city:
Ngoc Anh 2 is a clean and “value-for-money” hotel located in Ninh Binh city, with many restaurants just outside the hotel
Where we stayed in Tam Coc:
We chose to stay at the Tam Coc Horizon Bungalow as we wanted to experience staying in a homestay with scenic views of paddy fields and karst mountains, rather than a hotel in the city. Also Tam Coc area has a few attractions like Hang Mua, Bich Dong Pagoda, Thai Vi Temple and Tam Coc Boat Ride that we intended to visit by ourselves the next day.
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