Ninh Binh, Vietnam

 Notes from the journal:

7/3

  • Said goodbye to Tyler (very sad ) and took a bus to Ninh Binh. The Grabs were very expensive/nonexistent from the bus/train station to get to my hostel so I walked for an hour in the heat, hoping I would find somewhere to eat on the way, but eventually just called a Grab when it got down to half the price. I did get to walk thru some quiet, residential streets, which was nice
  • The hostel was really nice, with a pool, free breakfast, free bikes, and hammocks next to a beautiful view of the river. It was also on a quieter country road, so relatively peaceful, and the AC was CRISP (shoutout to Trang An Riverview Homestay)
  • Biked to a very peaceful restaurant for lunch and then took a longer bike ride to Hang Mua. I skipped all of the bike parking places (a big thing in Ninh Binh) and just went to the main parking and ticketing area. I hate paying entry fees but I did it this time. Walked around the lotus lily pads, an unimpressive cave, and a very manicured park area, before heading up to the viewpoints (the only thing that made the entry worth it in my opinion) for a cool view of the surrounding area. 
  • I biked a long way to Bich Dong Pagoda but didn’t want to pay the entry and deal with bike parking so just headed back to the hostel to rest. Layed in a hammock by the river and read until I ordered dinner at the hostel.
  • I met some new friends in the dorm (Becca, Marjorie, Eoin), which really made my whole day, especially because I was bummed about Tyler going back to the states. Becca and Marjorie were the first Americans I had met the entire summer at that point, so I was like omg!

7/4

  • Had free pancakes for breakfast at the hostel, did laundry, and then met up with hostel friends at the Trang A Grottoes boat tour entry. Marjorie kindly invited me to join them, which worked out well with 4 people per boat and meant a lot! It was super nice to have company when I was getting back into my solo traveling groove. I solo travel a lot, but this time felt more difficult than usual, likely because of the amount of time that Tyler and I had spent attached at the hip on the other side of the world, knowing I wouldn’t see him for awhile, and still recovering from India ngl. 
  • Becca dropped her phone in the water while getting in the boat but luckily was able to get it back 
  • The boat tour was a very pleasant (but hot) 3 hours with a guide rowing. We did route 3 and went through a very long cave. Got to chat a bunch and hop out at different temples at the edge of the water
  • I grabbed some lunch on my own and biked to Hot Lu but didn’t go in because I didn’t want to pay the entry and it didn’t look that great
  • We all hung out and read next to the river (the best view of Ninh Binh/Trang An in my opinion) and ate dinner

7/5

  • Ate our free breakfast and then Becca and I shared a Grab from the hostel to the train/bus station and I took a van back to Hanoi


Read if I referred you to this post:

If near Hanoi, I would recommend a quick stop in Ninh Binh (Trang An specifically). Although I found most of the activities underwhelming (except the boat tour), the area was very peaceful and a pleasant place to recharge. I would recommend the Trang An Riverview Homestay due to the quality, amenities included, and price











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