Ninh Binh – King Dinh & Le Temple and Trang An Grottoes
After our hotel’s buffet breakfast, we met up with Ms Ying again. She was our guide during our first day in Hanoi and is back to bring us around today. First stop was to Hoa Lu to view visit King Dinh and Le Temple.
After a 2.5 hour car ride, we arrived in Hoa Lu. This once ancient capital of Vietnam dates to the 11th century. For a structure that is a few centuries old, it was well maintained. The temple grounds were vast, and Ms Ying accompanied us all the way explaining the history of the emperor like an over excited history teacher. After walking for an hour, my grandma got tired out. So, we cut short our time there and headed for lunch. We had an option to try out the local restaurant’s special dish: goat meat. But my whole family decided against it.
After Lunch, we departed for the most popular attraction in Ninh Binh, i.e. the Trang An Grottoes, which is an official World Natural Heritage site! When you get close up to these beautiful and massive rock structures, it becomes clear why its nicknamed “Halong Bay on land”.
Visitors lined up to climb onto small bamboo boats that can hold up to 4 or 5 passengers. A boatman / boatwoman will steer this bamboo boat through this massive lake. Along the way, the bamboo boat took us through many amazing caves, making it an immersive experience. The landscape is so beautiful that before you know it, the entire journey (which takes up to 2 hours) is up.
The start of a 2 hour bamboo boat ride through the Trang An Grottoes.Captions: So majestic that photos simply cannot depict its grandeur.
After a fun afternoon drifting down the river, we were back on shore where our driver was waiting. My dad quickly gave a tip to the petitie lady who was steering the boat for the past 2 hours. Dad and I took turns to paddle during the journey and our arms got tired soon enough. Its amazing how strong that lady was.
For dinner, Ms Ying brought us to a local restaurant that specializes in “Vietnamese Grilled fish with noodle”, a very popular dish among the locals. She ensured that we got the best view in the restaurant so that it would be an enjoyable evening.
After dinner, we returned to our hotel Rex to rest. The hotel was so conveniently located that we decided to walk back ourselves and told the driver no need to bring us back. Some hours later, my mom and dad asked if I wanted to explore the local area. It was close to 11pm but I was not tired, so I gladly tagged along.
We explored the shops around the area. There were so many coffee houses each offering various types of coffee! Food sellers were still active, some serving hot pancakes, while others were selling ice-cream.
I never expected Hanoi to be this happening this late on a Wednesday night!
Chia Howie
13 December 2023
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