Xuan Hoa Hotel Ninh Binh

Day 69 - Arrived in Hanoi at 5am and was confronted with the diemma of what to do next: I didn't want to check in a hotel as hoped to go to Ninh Binh today, however I wanted to see a doctor in Hanoi about my illness before I left as I was concerned it may have been malaria, but didn't want to take my rucksack with me around Hanoi. I made the decision to get a taxi to the bus station as it would most likely be open at this time and I hoped it would have a left luggage area... it did not. Noone...

Day 70 - Today I rented a motorbike and driver from Mr Xuan to show me some of the sights around Ninh Binh, in particular Tam Coc. My driver was called Tung, and true to course he asked me to hug him "for safety" and since he was 25 and rather svelte, this time I obliged! First stop was Tam Coc (three grottos) where I got onto a little tin-can boat and was rowed by a little old lady along the river. The old dear rowed non stop for the 2hour, 6km trip with a secondary woman doing an occasional...

I'm in Hoi An now, but was just up in Ninh Binh, where I rented a motorbike for a few days and went out into the countryside. The city of Ninh Binh is really nothing special, but the scenery outside of town is quite good, lots of limestone pillar formations, like Halong Bay on land. It was completely different than motorbiking in Sapa, since here in Ninh Binh there was actual city and highway traffic to deal with, and the roads were packed. The fumes and dust were quite strong, and I have to ...

I got into Ninh Binh at 4:30am. I'm not a fan of the Camel sleeper bus. It would have been better if I wasn't on the top bunk. Oh well, time for a nap before sightseeing.


So after the rain stopped it was off to Tam Coc with my hand drawn map. The directions were really good and soon I was catching the boat, through the river past the huge rock formations. It was very peaceful as there were not too many boats out. We went through three caves, well tunnels. The return trip took ab...

Bonjour,
apres un trajet un peu fatiguant depuis Halong Bay nous sommes bien arrives a Ninh Binh, petite bourgade au Sud d'Hanoi. Elle presente l avantage d avoir plusieurs sites interessants a visiter dans sa proximite.
Le premier jour il pleuvait et je ne me sentais pas tres bien alors nous sommes restes a l hotel et Sylvie est partie decouvrir la ville et son marche pendant que je dormais. Les gens sont ici tres sympathique, on retrouve le veritable Vietnam tel que je l ai connu a Sa...

A quick update... I think the last time logged in we were in beutiful Sa Pa. That feels like weeks ago even though it was only 2 days. We took the overnight train from Sa Pa back to Hanoi, checked into a hotel for a few hours to get cleaned up and organized, ran a few errands around town then headed to the Hanoi train station for our 3 hour trip to Ninh Binh. D and I were so proud to have secured soft seats on the afternoon train without the help of a tour company. Ad hoc travel is probably n...

Just a quick update to tell you about Ninh Binh, because it's made quite an impression on me :)

It's only just over 2 hours by train from Hanoi, but might as well be in another country! After checking into my hotel, I took a walk around town, didn't take long, it's a very small place, but what amazed me was the people. Everyone waving at me and saying hello, particularly the kids. I stopped at a shop and the whole family came out to deal with me, all smiles.

A pack of about 6 yo...

Sup Blog-Dogs! Here's something a little different ... A gigantic yawn escaped past the lips of a tiny creature craddled in his grandfather's arms. In the far corner of the room a subdued fire flickered red in a stone fireplace. A contented spaniel lay before it, curled up upon a woven rug, soaking in the warm glow from the diminutive flames. "But grandpa, I'm not tired! Please tell me another story!" pleaded the tiny boy with drooping eyes fluttering to stay open. His grandfather chuckled. "...

Got the train from Hanoi to Ninh Binh, which was quite lucky as getting to the right train platform in Hanoi involves walking straight across all the other train tracks! The train could have done with a touch of refurbishment, and a little bit of a wash, but we got there, so I can't really complain. The following day we hired motorbikes (and drivers - not quite up to tackling the Vietnamese traffic yet!) and drove into the surrounding countryside. Gripping for dear life onto the back of the b...