Ninh Binh, Hanoi

We booked a trip to Ninh Binh not knowing where is the place and what are we going to experience. We just want to spend fully our days to explore the whole of Hanoi as much as we can. So we grab the chance for all the trips available. And this trip is not as expensive, it cost only 33 USD. As mentioned in the previous post, you probably could grab a cheaper option on the street from different agency provided.

I definitely found this trip worth all the bucks I paid for. Continue reading it and I'll share you my experience as much as I remembered. (I forgot most of the thing as when I post this, it was half a year back already, I don't have a robot mind, I promise to faster clear out this trip post so I could post on another recent trip.)

Our first stop is this Hoa Lu Temple. A lot history story happening between the king and queen then remarried and then kingdom conquer again. 

  

 

 

Lunch is in buffet style. You get to pick whatever you like and had some traditional Vietnam food to opt. This meal was actually luxurious as compared to the one we had in Halong Bay. This taste really good and I love the wide variety they provide and no sharing meal with strangers because it's awkward.

We did some cycling around the rice field. The road is slightly bumpy and small. I had not been riding for years actually find this hard but those who are used to riding, it was a simple ride with beautiful view and it is windy not too hot in March.

 

They called Ninh Binh as Halong Bay land, and my friends love this place as compared to the real Halong Bay. However, after searching on the website, this place is actually specifically called Tam Coc. Ninh Binh boat riding is another different experience and view and less tourist and scam. Our boat riding not to say we experience scam but it does sound a little forcing on us to give tips. We are asked to snap photos and pay for it, this still ok la consider the view quite nice. But rower had been paid by our tour guide for the service, after rowing to the end there will be a lot boat there selling drinks and foods, we are half force to buy drinks for her but we insist not to so she just don't want to row back. Waited for like 3 to 4 boats turning back only she unhappily row us back to the shore but once again ask tips from us. End up we actually paid her 1 USD because we felt helpless.

Our first rower is the small little boy at the age of 9 but after half an hour I think we are probably too heavy for him, he gave up and switch to a lady rower. He's pretty cute, don't you think so. For this cute little boy probably we will tip him willing la, but no chance la since he left us so early. And he probably got all the attention while rowing us cause he's the youngest among all rower and almost everyone passing by us took a photo of him. He was still practicing, not a full time yet. We are his first passenger :) 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hoping the photos actually speak by itself ;)

Halong Bay, Vietnam

As from the title above, after 3 years I'm once back to Vietnam again. Shall talk more about Vietnam in a summary post later. This is specifically a post for a place in Hanoi where tourist often bragging on, Halong Bay!

It was a 4 hours journey from the Hanoi city to Halong Bay which is somewhere near the ocean. From the internet, you probably see images of how beautiful is Halong Bay with limestone of various shape and size that forms naturally after years, it is a UNESCO world heritage site afterall.

By the way, we booked all our tour and tickets from the hotel we stayed so the price might differ from yours, you can get cheaper tour and tickets from the street, there's a lot of agents around. Because we felt convenient and safer to have everything from where we stay, what we need to do is just wake up early and wait at the reception counter for the tourist guide to pick us up. And also by booking everything from the hotel, we managed to bargain for a cheaper price and free taxi the next morning to the airport (yeah!).

We opt for a one day tour to Halong Bay that cost us USD59, we after that saw an agent that offer USD30 only. Anyway, one day is really not enough to explore the island as to and fro already took almost up to 8 hours, we literally stay on the boat/cruise for only 3 - 4 hours only. Definitely recommend you to book at least a 2 days 1 night cruise. You will know why while you read the post towards the end, we definitely felt disappointed probably setting an expectation too high.

 

Once entered the boat/cruise, we are served with 10-course dishes but all I felt it was just okay. After lunch, we are allowed to go up to the upper deck for some breeze and photo shooting. And that was all, we got bored after that. There are too many cruises on the sea, you either got too confused on how the sailor ride the boat without banging into each other or was stunned with the luxury cruise others are riding. I guess our cruise/boat just briefly ride towards the 2 main attractions for activities because I don't get beautiful limestone scenery photo like others do.

Our first stop is this bamboo boat that you got nothing to be astonished of, the local people basically just row one small circle at an exclusive zone and that's all. This post seems more towards complaining as opposed to a proper travel post. Anyway, what I wanted to highlight here is there are actually two options here whereby you are given choices to choose from bamboo boat and kayaking. You anyhow must opt for kayaking, even though you don't know how to swim or kayak or probably will fall into the sea. Because you can spend time kayak as much as you can there maybe master your kayak skill or even if you really fall into the sea you might have fun getting yourself wet with the safety life jacket on you than riding on a normal boat they called it the bamboo boat (probably the boat is made of bamboo but I don't care because it looks super normal) for around 15mins only. 

P/s: I got very emotional here but if you really don't know how to swim and are afraid of water, do still opt for the bamboo boat because life is precious.

Later, we are brought to Thien Cung cave which is our second destination and also the last. This cave is very cooling and has lots of natural formation of stalactites and stalagmites where the tour guide will point on each with their touch light while telling you story/legend about it. Obviously I don't remember all but still managed to recall the gold turtle and the lovely couple marriage. Try to spot it from the photo if you can. I do zoom the lens into it and snap but poor imagination of mine can't spot it back without guidance.

 

Not to forget this, I remember. They called it the roof of heaven. You see light ray shines in.

 

I like it best here as you can see from the amount of photo I took. Firstly is the temperature in it, supercooling, it was like walking into a natural air-conditional room. Secondly, it is less touristy here and I'm free to walkabout. Thirdly, this view is definitely beautiful with the help of the extra light they built in.

 

That's the end of my one day trip to Halong Bay from Hanoi. In conclusion, don't go for a one-day trip in Halong Bay, definitely not worthy as the scheduled is too rushing and tiring (I had dinner that day at around 9pm, super hungry). I did not do as much homework as I should and had already booked my stay all in advance and hence I couldn't alter my schedule. But, I still believe Halong Bay is pretty just that I did not have the time to explore more.