Vietnam - Ninh Binh

Ninh Binh is an extraordinary place. The name is given to a province of jagged limestone peaks that rise from the earth, directly out of perfectly flat, perfectly green rice fields. Wetlands, ancient temples and caves dot the area’s many hidden valleys. We avoided the province’s city of Ninh Binh on the motorway, coming in via back roads through the small towns of Trang An and Tam Coc, to stay at a hotel on the fringes of the tourist hub. We stopped for four days, and it was a joy to visit, exploring an unfamiliar, beautiful world.

The town of Tam Coc is one of the go-to places to stay with many guesthouses, hostels, souvenir shops, and tourist restaurants. We were a quarter hour cycle out of town and only a short walk away from Bich Dong Pagoda. We visited the pagoda on our first morning and stayed much longer than we’d anticipated as we enjoyed the setting and peace of it so much. Crossing a narrow bridge above magenta lotus flowers and we were inside the grounds of the 15th-century temple built directly into the cliffside. I was easily enraptured following a huge velvety black butterfly with a restless rapid flight, as it flitted from red flower to red flower. We’d seen them before, whilst cycling along - Great Mormon butterflies - their large wings heavily dusted with an iridescent, shimmering blue sheen. Like it was dressed for cocktails or a ball. Too too beautiful.

Heading up a short flight of stairs we came to a small temple set into a cave mouth. It was exciting to find the hidden passage taking us behind the temple. Delving into the dark, up carved stairs rising into the cave’s height, and out the other side. Then, steep stairs up to a small shrine, partly built into a cliff face, high above the world below. It’s a lovely spot.

Earwigging on a guide, I learnt that Buddhist monks in Vietnam do not rely on alms giving, as they do in Thailand and Laos (Theravada monks are prohibited from handling money or growing food). Mahayana monks in Vietnam grow their own crops and operate businesses to sustain their communities. Kids come to the pagoda for ‘summer camp’ where the kids learn mindfulness, gratitude, and ethics, and wear monk robes (but do not shave their heads). They eat as vegetarians, with the concession of meat for one meal a week, and are only allowed to use their phone for 2hr max.

Ambling back from Bich Dong Pagoda we stopped to sit at Bến thuyền Thung Nắng (‘Sun Valley boat pier’) and watched locals take tourists out in sampan rowing boats along the narrow canal. We decided to get our bikes and follow the canal-side path. This turned out to be an excellent idea and mid-morning turned into an afternoon of happy discoveries. The path was quiet and we passed the odd goat (a local delicacy), some tourists on rental bikes, a duck farm, a few little restaurants, and marvelled at the karst scenery set within the greenest rice fields. The path ended at Đền Vối, a small temple beside a serene peaceful lake. We had the place to ourselves. I sat and watched large dragonflies helicopter over the lake into the rushes and gazed up at the karst mountain rising up on the other side of the water.

Cycling back we didn’t go far until we stopped for lunch at Vối Restaurant. A small family affair the food was delicious, eaten with a beautiful view. I enjoyed watching the family’s ducks go about their ducky business. The last guests to leave, as we were unlocking our bikes the daughter came to talk to us and practice her English. Nyun explained she had come back to Ninh Binh last year after time as a student in Hanoi studying Hospitality and Tourism. She invited us to share some tea with her, a sweet herbal tea called ‘Lá nhân trần’ (its English name: Adenosma glutinosum). We talked about differences between our two countries, including food. Nyun was proud that the Vietnamese’ diet consisted of very fresh food. They buy fruit and vegetables from the market, grown locally. From where we sat we could see the rice they eat - each of the two harvests from the small rice paddy below us feeds them for five months. The ducks we had been watching wandering/swimming about were their protein. No food miles. No preservatives. It reinforced how removed we are from our food as we buy uniform packages and tins lined up in rows on supermarket shelves. How ridiculous our systems are: instead of eating local apples we buy those flown in from New Zealand grown on the other side of the world.

The cycle into town along the back paths - the Water Loop - was very scenic under a huge karst cliff to our left and green rice fields to our right. Coming in through the back streets we stopped and had a salted coffee at 24 Café & Chill by the riverside and watched local boat guides (predominantly women) uniquely row their flat-bottomed sampans using their feet! They used a graceful, bicycle-like pedalling motion, or frog-like sculling action, making the boat glide surprisingly fast. Using powerful leg muscles - instead of standard arm-rowing - allows the rowers to steer through the winding Ngo Dong River for much longer and avoids back pain. We loved it. It was endlessly fascinating and entertaining to watch.

Cycling into the centre of town we hung out at Tam Coc lakefront square. An Aussie couple came over to ask about our bikes and we chatted for a while about bike-packing. The square is a vibrant, open-air community hub, and as the temperature drops in the evening it is used by locals to exercise and do practice in. We watched middle-aged / elderly ladies slowly do dance exercises, their movements choreographed together. Some tourists joined the group following the ladies’ lead. Once the exercise was over two of the young lads asked to dance themselves to the music. A very different vibe! Near the square we finished a lovely day off eating great pizza.

Next morning (16 April) we were out on the bikes before breakfast to beat the crowds at a popular tourist spot. Hang Mua (Mua Cave) is a jagged limestone mountain where a winding stone staircase leads to two mountaintop shrines. Famous for its panoramic views, the summit provides an aerial view of the Tam Coc valley and a majestic dragon statue on the peak. It gets very busy, but starting the sweaty humid climb at 7am we shared the view with only a handful of others.

Back at Tam Coc Friends Bungalow we were just in time for the free buffet breakfast (which finishes at 10am). Whilst eating a plate piled high with egg fried rice and pancakes we met ‘Henry’ (from his business card Vietnamese name: Tran Van Hung) who was a fascinating man. He studied naval engineering on a scholarship at a Polish university during the Cold War. He then did his PhD in Germany. He mentioned studying computer science and worked in Silicon Valley, and in Thailand for nine years with the World Bank. He swept us along on a wide ranging conversation about Vietnam. The conversation covered…
• Hanoi - he loves his home city as it never sleeps, if he wants something at 3am he can ring someone and they will bring it to him;
• the “People’s Class” - ever entrepreneurial, no-one is concerned about politics, just what is in front of them and surviving to provide for their family;
• Democracy - so much time is taken up in each voting cycle in selecting candidates, in campaigning, and justifying positions once in power, taking time away from successfully steering the country and protecting the people;
• China and the US - difficult relationships for different historic reasons;
• Climate change - solar and wind “are too expensive”. Henry is involved in a pilot emissions trading scheme to enable companies to use carbon credits from domestic or international markets to offset their emissions obligations.
An insightful conversation, Henry was generous with his time and showed real pride in his country.

After cleaning the bikes and a bit of planning, we took the bikes on a short cycle exploring the local lanes, doing a gentle loop through the beautiful landscapes here.

That night there was a massive tropical storm. The lightning, like strobe lighting made for continuous flashes and a constant rumble of thunder. Very dramatic.

Another early start as we tried to beat the crowds at Ninh Binh’s most popular attraction at Trang An. Getting a Grab taxi we had navigated the confusing information about the three different boat trip options, and were in the queue to be rowed around the UNESCO World Heritage site by 8am.

The 2hr boat trip was stunning, as we glided along a green river winding through jungle-clad karst peaks, visited ancient remote temples and cut through the limestone massif in subterranean water-caves filled with stalactites. With the area’s beauty comes its popularity, boosted by movie fans coming to see otherworldly scenery from the blockbuster film ‘Kong: Skull Island’ filmed here (the native village set can still be seen). Despite the early start and the rain, we were far from alone. We shared our little boat with a Vietnamese couple, and our Herculean boat rower who sat at the back, and the route with a stream of other boats. I was interested to see the majority of ladies dressed up, to ensure their photos would show them at their best. Silk, taffeta, white billowy skirts - I was definitely the underdressed!

After lunch the rain had stopped and we cycled into town to get a last fix of watching the feet-rowing before we left tomorrow. Quiet little lanes took us to Hẻm Gió Coffee, a very sweet family run place with chairs all along the riverfront. With a wonderful salted coffee we happily watched the boats pass by - some so nonchalant that they looked at their phones as the rowed, or leaned comfortably back with their hands behind their head. Some of the rowers waved or gave us big smiles as they went past. Our hearts are warm, Ninh Binh treated us very well. Czytaj więcej