Ninh Binh: Ha Long Bay without the sea and without the crowds

Ninh Binh lies a hundred kilometres south of Hanoi, inland. It has no sea, but it has the same karst mountains as Ha Long Bay rising vertically between the rice paddies, rivers and lotus fields. The Vietnamese call it «Ha Long on land» — and in some ways it surpasses the original, because it has no cruise ships.

Tam Coc and Trang An

Tam Coc is the classic version: a rowboat steered by a woman who uses her feet to paddle along the Ngo Dong river, passing through three natural caves (the «three caves» of the name) between rock walls that mirror themselves in the water. The journey lasts around two hours. Trang An, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is more complex — a labyrinth of caves, temples and lagoons accessible only by boat. This is where «Kong: Skull Island» was filmed.

Mua Cave and the pagodas

Mua Cave is not a cave in the traditional sense: it is a staircase of 500 steps carved into the rock leading to a 360-degree viewpoint over the entire Ninh Binh plain — rice paddies, mountains, rivers, all in one sweep. Bich Dong, the «second most beautiful cave in Vietnam» (according to an 18th-century inscription), is a pagoda built inside a cave, reached by climbing a staircase among frangipani and bougainvillea.

The ancient capital of Hoa Lu

Before Hanoi, Hoa Lu was the capital of Vietnam in the 10th century. Today two temples dedicated to kings Dinh and Le remain, surrounded by karst mountains that once formed the city's natural defences. It is a little-visited and deeply evocative place.

Practical information

From Hanoi: 2 hours by bus or train. The bicycle is the ideal way to get around the plain — distances are short and traffic is light. Boats at Tam Coc depart from the pier and cost around 150,000 dong (5 euros). Stay in Tam Coc rather than in the city. Best period: May–June (green rice paddies) or September–October (golden rice). Avoid July–August (heat, rains) and Vietnamese weekends.