How We Got Here

As most of Vietnam the easiest way to get around is via public transport. We booked onto a transfer with our hostel in Hanoi and left the city very early. The minibus ride didn’t last too long – around 2 hours, and our driver did a drop off for some in Ninh Binh’s bus/coach station area as well as dropping those of us who were out of the town in Tam Coc, at our individual accommodations. 

Where We Stayed

As we were here over my birthday we chose a slightly nicer accommodation and opted for a private bungalow with a pool at the Tam Coc Mountain Bungalow. Ninh Binh is the main town, and Tam Coc is just a little further out and we fancied having slightly quieter accommodation whilst we were here. The weather was terrible so we didn’t make use of the pool (the rain would have been fine, but it was cold too haha) but it was such lovely accommodation it didn’t matter. I actually couldn’t recommend this accommodation enough because the family were SO lovely. Mike had secretly emailed them to ask if they could arrange anything for my birthday and they went above and beyond. The most incredible cake, flowers, candles! The lady had organised it all and she even offered to throw me a party with their friends and family. I did decline the party! 

Back to the accommodation itself, it was perfect. We had a private bathroom with a bath (!!) which after a few days of sharing dorms, it was so nice to have some space. Huge comfy beds, really plush pillows and mattress which I was so grateful for, very good WiFi, a mini fridge with soft drinks. It really had such good facilities. They offered breakfast as included, but we ended up eating at the bungalow at other times too because their cooking was so good. They also offered ped and pushbike rentals which we used whilst we were there. 

Omg, I almost forgot to say, they also have cats! I was missing my cat so much at this point and it was so lovely to have cuddles on my birthday with their cats which were so friendly and sweet. 

The only minor thing was that because of the weather, the bungalows were quite damp which we didn’t realise at first but the dehumidifier setting on the AC helped so much so I’d suggest if it’s rainy to put this setting on over night and don’t leave clothes on the floor. 

Where to Eat

As I’ve already said we ate a few times in the hostel because the food was really good, it was cheap and we didn’t have to get into the town. We did eat out at Chookie’s Beer Garden which was really nice. They have a pool (a bit random) but I think they have music events when the weather is better. It was a good spot for a drink and a bit of western food. 

How to Get Around

If you do stay at the accommodation we stayed at, I’d recommend hiring at least a pushbike because it is quite a walk down a big road to the main town. If you’ve not used a ped before, this is quite a good place to try one as the roads are mostly really big, pretty quiet and flat, with good visibility too. This was the first place we went out on one and although I didn’t feel confident, luckily Mike did and so he did all the driving. You don’t necessarily need ped’s to get around but it did make it easier. The pushbikes were enough to get into Ninh Binh and back but if you wanted to get to the viewpoint or caves from either Ninh Binh or Tam Coc you will need a taxi or a ped. Alternatively you could do these as part of a tour if you’d feel more comfortable doing it like this. 

What We Did

So we had 3 days here – arrived on the first, had a full day on the second day and then left late on the 3rd day. If the weather is good, you’ll likely find you want to stay here for longer. We didn’t get the good weather, but the photos we had seen before arriving of the area in the sunshine was just so visually stunning. There are so many caves, hikes and Hang Múa Viewpoint which provides incredible sights of the area, the green covered mountains are so beautiful. 

The caves were about 20 mins away from our accommodation and although I can’t remember how much the tickets were, it was reasonable especially for the length of time we were out on the boat for. When you arrive you’ll buy your ticket from the main office before crossing the road to the water where you’ll get onto your boat. Depending on your group size, you might have a wait. We didn’t choose the most popular route because we thought it would be busy so we had a little wait before we were joined by two girls. I think the minimum in the standard boat is 4 and as the tours are so long, it makes sense for them to wait for a minimum of 4! The boats were steered by local ladies who all had some serious stamina as they were rowing huge distances for long periods of time and navigating difficult caves. We rode through all the caves, some which were so low that we had to almost lie down in the boat – a couple of times I did think a helmet would have been useful. Throughout the route, you’ll stop and get off the boat to explore different temples. There are refreshment stations at the temples too, so if it’s hot you’ll be able to keep buying water. I would say if it is sunny, you’ll absolutely need a hat, sunglasses, suncream etc! If it’s raining like it was for us, a hat and a waterproof jacket is essential. There were umbrellas on the boat to keep us dry but we didn’t bother with them too much as we were already so wet. 

On the third day, if you’ve got good weather, I’d definitely recommend doing the viewpoint or just exploring more of the beautiful countryside. We spent most of our day at the bungalows as it was really miserable. But we made the most of the WiFi and the owner kindly let us stay in our room for the rest of the day until our night bus. Of course, this isn’t a guarantee if you’re in the same position and we were so grateful as it meant we could get back into bed and warm up with snacks and a movie. 

There’s plenty in Tam Coc and Ninh Binh to keep your 3 days full or use it as a chance to take a breather and enjoy the peace of the Vietnamese countryside. 

Make sure you explore the area as it’s just so beautiful and check out a cave tour as if Trang An doesn’t appeal there are plenty of other caves to visit.