Ninh Binh was at the top of my list when planning my trip to northern Vietnam. I’d heard it called the “Ha Long Bay on land” with lush rice paddies and peaceful rivers weaving their way through rolling mountains. On travel blogs (my primary source of research) Ninh Binh was often recommended as an alternative to Ha Long Bay given Ha Long Bay’s notoriety for being overcrowded with tourists and pollution.

Out of the three days I was there I only got one day of sun and clear weather which resulted in the stunning photo at the top of this post. It’s hard to plan a trip around weather when there’s limited time, so I tried to be present and not be peeved at something I couldn’t control. Like many things in life, it’s all about luck and timing 🤷🏻‍♀️. Once I got over my desire to control every aspect of the trip and have the “perfect” itinerary in Ninh Binh, I started to have fun and appreciate the beauty around me.

I love lists (type A much?) and while I’d compiled a Google Doc of “Things to Do” and “What to See”, I ended up chucking that out of the window. I tried my hardest to let go of expectations (this is why I tend to avoid looking at or Googling photos of places I visit) and just be present. Rather than crossing off each attraction on my list, I took advantage of my homestay’s free bike rental and roamed around the countryside, taking random turns onto unpaved roads and veering off into hidden alleyways, giving myself permission to just explore.

And oh, how freeing it was to release myself of expectations of what my time in Ninh Binh “should” be and what “needed” to be seen. I’d forgotten the joy of wandering, of being open to whatever opportunity comes and being curious of what is around the corner. I’d forgotten the feeling of exhilaration that comes with the wind blowing in my face when riding a bike, a feeling that called back to when I first rode a bike post-diagnosis - that feeling of freedom and aliveness that can only be captured while in movement and breathing in the fresh air of the outdoors.

It’s not to say I completely rid myself of expectations and perfectionism - there’s too much history there to be gone in one go. But it was a lesson and a reminder of how life can be so much easier when I let go and release my stubborn hold of control, when I allow myself to permit even the tiniest amount of space for freedom and the pursuit of joy over perfectionism.

Recommendations

Do

• Give yourself permission to wander and explore rather than checking things off your list. Rent a bike (or maybe your lodging has a free bike rental!) and bike around the countryside. Or rent a motorbike / scooter if you want to travel longer distances in shorter times - this definitely gives you more accessibility.

• Climb up to the Hang Mua viewpoint on a clear day to get gorgeous views of Ninh Binh (the first photo of the post is taken from Hang Mua viewpoint).

• Other activities I did: Trang An boat tour, Van Long Wetland Nature Reserve boat tour, wandering around Tam Coc.

Eat

• Pho, nem (fried spring rolls), bun cha, beef/tofu noodle salad (this is more similar to bun cha than a salad). In my experience in Ninh Binh, fried rice used frozen veggies (that carrot pea medley!) and fried noodles meant fried instant noodles, so I avoided ordering those dishes.

• I wasn’t blown away by anything I ate, probably because I spent more time looking at Google Reviews trying to find the “perfect” spot rather than choosing a spot to eat. A word of caution: many Google reviews of restaurants here are inflated as owners will ask (and sometimes pressure) customers to post a 5-star review. While I can understand the need to build and grow a business, as a customer I find it difficult to accurately parse out what is “good”. But maybe this means I should rely less on Google and more on the “old” way of traveling - roll up to a random spot and be open to whatever experience I get, good or bad or neutral.

• However! I did really enjoy Tam Coc Noodle Soup Restaurant. I probably am biased because I tend to like and remember places where I have positive experiences, even if the food is mediocre, and I think of this restaurant fondly because the Vietnamese chef speaks Chinese with a Taiwanese accent (he lived in Taiwan for several years). It felt like coming home, being able to speak my family’s language and listen to the familiar tones and sounds of Taiwan.

Stay

• It’s more important to choose your location rather than your lodging. What experience are you looking for?

  • Trang An: quieter and in the countryside. Requires transportation (bike or motorbike) to get to attractions. Restaurants are nearby but not as densely packed as Tam Coc.

  • Tam Coc: the touristy area, although I think you can choose somewhere more on the outskirts. Lots of places to eat and shop.

  • Tip! Ninh Binh is the region; Trang An, Truong Yen, and Tam Coc are towns within Ninh Binh.

• There are so many places to stay, and I found it very overwhelming! So much so that I sent my friend a voice note asking them for help narrowing down the choices. The main thing here is that you generally can’t go wrong with your accommodation choice (as long as you do your research and look at reviews - I recommend looking across two platforms, e.g. Google and Booking.com, as some places have inflated or “fake” reviews).

  • The things I prioritized when choosing accommodation: free bike rentals, a serene seating area to relax and read, and a private cabin-esque room with its own bathroom. I chose to stay at Green Mountain Homestay.

  • Tip! Contact the accommodation directly via WhatsApp to see if they can offer a better price than what’s available on third-party booking platforms.