Ninh Binh

Ninh Binh is 95 km south of Hanoi. Because of karst it is known as the inland Halong Bay. The region can and is visited by day trips from Hanoi. However, as I was starting my journey south I decided to stay a couple of days to give myself more time. Day trips can be too rushed.

During my stay I visited the Trang An area on a misty morning to have a look at the karst. In the afternoon I visited the very large Chua Bai Dinh Pagoda followed by the Hoa Lu Ancient City. This reinforced my view that a day trip from Hanoi would have been extremely rushed. One could spend a good part of a full day at the Chua Bai Dinh Pagoda.

I planned ahead. Before I left Hanoi I looked up the bus stop location and booked a nearby hotel. It was a bit away from the center of town. The bus driver did not stop at the bus stop. He very sensibily allowed people to alight in the center of town. So much for planning!

The film, Kong: Skull Island, was filmed in the nearby Van Dong Nature Reserve. I saw the flim in Hanoi. Not the type of film I normally watch, however, it was an opportunity to have another look at the countryside.