After a long break (not an excuse but I have started a new job) I am back on the blog. Sorry for the wait, hopefully I will be more disciplined in the upcoming months.
Today I am posting my first article about Vietnam, a country I am very fond of as I was backpacking solo there for the first time in my life.
Vietnam is a rich country in terms of the variety in landscape.I personally had a crush for the Ninh Binh province which includes Trang An and Tam Coc… so if you are going to Vietnam here are the things to see and do around Ninh Binh:
1) Discover the magnificent Trang An
Trang An is listed as a UNESCO protected World Heritage site.The complex includes a spectacular landscape made of sugar loathes surrounding the river. You can visit the park by paying an entrance fee and by taking a boat tour. You can choose between 3 different boat tours: all boats flow through caves excavated in the sugar loathes, the boats do stops so you can visit temples.
I had chosen the King Kong tour, where the last movie “Skull Island” was filmed and where items from the set have been left for tourism purposes. I simply cannot describe how magnificent this site so it is best to look at the pictures (even though they do not fully reflect the beauty of the location and the peacefulness).
2) Stay in Tam Coc
Tam Coc is the best city to stay in as there are a lot of restaurants, nice cafés and homestays. I do not recommend staying in Ninh Binh city as it is not very nice and there is not much to do, apart from the train station. I stayed in at the very cute Tam Coc Rice Fields homestay (very good value for money too!) just by the rice fields, it was central but quiet and the breakfast view was astonishing.
There is a boat tour in Tam Coc similar to Trang An, but not as nice as it is very touristy and the drivers will ask for money even after having paid for the boat tour.
3) Hike to Hang Mua view point
Hang Mua is probably the most instagrammable spot in Vietnam, it is a 500 stair climb to get an impressive view of both the rice fields, sugar loathes and the staircase of the opposite mountain. It is an effort, especially in the heat, but totally worth it, just bring water and try to catch the sunset!
4) Explore the Bai Dinh Pagoda temple complex
The Bai Dinh Pagoda is a pagoda located at the bottom of a succession of temples built on a hill. At the top of the hill, after the temple there is a huge Buddah statue. The complex is truly a piece of serenity, go up the hill to admire the valley and all the temples illuminated at night (if you are a fan of the Disney film Mulan you won’t be disappointed).
5) Rent a scooter and delve into the unknown
Renting a scooter is the best way to see as much as possible in the area. Never driven a scooter before? Me neither, I learnt in Ninh Binh as the traffic is not too intense. Outside of Tam Coc the roads are quite large and straight so it is not difficult for a newbie. Alternatively there are many small dirt paths where only a bicycle or scooter can pass if you do not want to stay in the middle of the traffic.
Big trucks will honk to warn they are passing. The horn is the main way to warn other road users so don’t be scared to use it as well.
The list above does not include everything to see but this covers the main areas not to be missed on a two night-stay. After Ninh Binh, why not head to the iconic Ha Long Bay? You can take a direct bus and arrive in Cat Ba island in less than 5 hours.
Julia's Travels 
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