Ninh Binh - Vietnam Travel Information
The city Ninh Binh is situated 95 km south-west of Hanoi in the North of Vietnam.
Getting to Ninh Binh
Most of the tourists who travel in Vietnam use a bus ticket that lets them travel from Hanoi in the north to Ho Chi Minh City in the south (or vice versa). This ticket lets the traveler stop in different places along the way, and continue with another bus later.
Ninh Binh is one of the cities where you can stop, although most travelers do not use this opportunity.
Tam Coc
The area called Tam Coc is known among travelers as "Ha Long Bay on the rice paddies". The area is full of huge rock formation protruding from the rice fields scattered along the Ngo Dong River.
The meaning of the name is "the 3 caves". The name comes from the 3 caves that the river formed in the rocks on it's path - 127, 70 and 40 meters long.
 Route |
In order to see Tam Coc, you can rent a boat and sail along the river. During the cruise the boat passes through the caves. |
 Costs |
The cost of the cruise is about $3. Nevertheless the locals try to increase their profit by demanding that you buy your driver a drink. This drink is later returned to the seller by the boat owner. |
Hoa Lu
One of Vietnam's ancient capitals is Hoa Lu which served during the years 968 to 1009. The city is situated in a mountainous region that gives excellent protection form invaders. However, the mountainous area disrupts the trade development of the city. Therefore the capital city was moved to Thang Long, today's Hanoi. Today it is possible to visit some of the temples in the area.
Kenh Ga Floating Village
It is possible to take a cruise to Kenh Ga Floating Village to see the river-life of its inhabitants, who live and run their lives on boats.
Van Trinh cave
About 30 minutes of boat trip from Kenh Ga is the Van Trinh Cave. The cave is equal i n its size to Taing Kong Cave in Ha Long Bay.
A trail starts from where the boat will drop you, and goes along amazing rice fields until it reaches the cave itself. Along the trail you can meet farmers on their way to work or to their home.
Inside the cave, look for a natural formation, high on one of the walls, that looks like a praying monk (or if you wish - to a friendly alien).
Phat Diem Cathedral
The center of Catholicism in North Vietnam is the Phat Diem Cathedral. The cathedral is unique for its Buddhist pagoda shape. It was built in the years 1875-1899, and includes a network of pools, lakes, churches and artificial caves.
The interior of the cathedral expresses the contrast between Christianity and local culture, and Chinese dragons are foudn where saints and Christians angels are.
The cathedral is situated 28 km south-east to Ninh Binh, and the entrance is free of charge. It is recommended to visit on a Sunday, when the locals come for mass, or during Christian holidays, if you are lucky.
Cuc Phuong National Park
This is Vietnam's first national park. The Cuc Phuong National Park contains many huge ancient trees, many animals and a shelter of protected monkeys, which you can visit.
