It’s good to have plans (even better if they can be canceled) and still be flexible enough to make changes. This we found out recently as we left the Central Coast of Vietnam (for now), to spend two weeks in the north, and two weeks in Japan. Our Vietnam stay has been almost perfect so far, as we spent one month in the city of Hoi An (rated by Travel & Leisure as being the #1 “under the radar hidden gem in the world”), followed by two weeks in a nearby area called An Bang. It is officially part of Hoi An but seemed like a different world. Small, intimate, easy to walk around without the crowds—and right on the water. But, our plans were to go to Hanoi, the capital, for two weeks to see what that was all about. Truly we heard more bad reports than good, and we constantly debated whether two weeks was too long. But first, a four day stop in Ninh Binh—which changed things dramatically.
Stage 1: getting to Hanoi
For years we talked about taking a long train ride up the coast of Vietnam, so this was our chance. We left Da Nang in a two-person sleeper car which we paid extra for, but it was SO worth it. Only two beds to a cabin, no other people (or kids) to deal with, and the lesson I learned here is that THIS is the way to do it if you can. A normal ticket per person would be about $35 pp for a 6-berth cabin, about $50 for a 4-berth, and we paid about $90 each. I’ve slept in a four bed one, and it was tolerable, but one for six would be very difficult for us. We opted for the day train since we wanted to enjoy the scenery, so left at 0900 with the arrival time slated for 0200 the following morning. And it was almost to the minute with about a dozen stops on the way—some of which lasted 20 minutes or more—and some magnificent scenery. Our room had AC and as night approached we tried to get a few winks, but if you truly want a decent sleep, take the pure overnight option. You miss the scenery, so it’s a compromise. Our bathroom was close, and porters came around throughout the day with food options, which were pretty good.
Overall our 17 hours on the train were more than tolerable, and we arrived in Ninh Binh at 0200, and of course the taxis were waiting for us. They know the schedule, as did our hosts which we notified, and by 0300 we were crashed out in a much nicer bed that wasn’t moving.
Staying in Ninh Binh
Actually we stayed a few miles away in the nearby village of Tam Coc, since many recommended one over the other. It’s known as “Halong Bay on Land” since it has similar limestone mountains all around the city, known as karsts. They can be up to 650 feet in height and jagged all around, which creates a surreal Avatar movie like scene. The movie’s Pandora planet was actually based on these mountainous structures, though James Cameron tried to emulate the ones in China which can be over 3000 feet tall. Our room was on a street which paralleled a small lake, and between the water effect, the mountains, and the tree lined road, Kat and I were enamored within hours of waking up later that day. We arrived on the Saturday of the biggest holiday of the year in Vietnam, Reunification Day, and considering we are just two hours south of Hanoi, many came here to get away. And you’d think with that kind of crowd it might be crazy, but it wasn’t. Merely busy. But on Monday a few days later it regained its tranquility and retained its beauty.
And that was just the start.
One of the big draws for us, and almost everyone, is a nearby UNESCO park called Trang An, which offers boat tours through a labyrinth of caves and mountains. The small four-person boat was rowed by a local, and along the way we went through three tunnels and visited three pagodas and temples. And we were lucky because we had an overcast day which made it much more manageable. They offer three different routes, and we took the one most often recommended, but we would absolutely go back to try another.
(the video is only 35 seconds and worth your time)
On the way home we stopped at another attraction, Mua Caves, which is more a climbing mountain since the very small cave was not noteworthy. But for $4 we walked through amazingly beautiful lily pad fields and viewed this giant HIKEABLE mountain before us. With all 500 steps. We watched several videos prior to getting here and I was indecisive about whether I wanted to make that trek. I was more concerned about the crowds walking up very narrow, jagged, uneven steps, than my level of exertion.
There were two options to hike: one was shorter taking me to the top of a pagoda, and the other was all of 500 steps to the dragon statue at the top. I did the easier one and thought “that was way too easy,” so I thought I’d at least start the dragon hike. But, a caveat to anyone over a certain age who may be concerned for their health: it’s really important to hydrate and drink enough water. But that’s just the start, as I found out the following morning when my blood pressure crashed and I passed out when I got up. Without exaggeration or minimizing my danger, I was very lucky and dodged a very dangerous bullet and learned so much about not just hydration, but also about having enough magnesium, sodium (salt), and potassium in your body BEFORE and AFTER undertaking serious exertion in a hot humid environment. It was a hard lesson to learn about the value of electrolytes and supplements.
Our hosts at our room were lovely and supported Kat as she wasn’t sure if a hospital visit was needed. With the help of orange and coconut juice, elevation of my feet, and rest, I fortunately recovered but suffered the aftermath the rest of the day as well as the next.
Aside from all that drama, we still so loved the area that we decided to stay here for 10 more days and shorten our time in Hanoi to just five days. We’re being held hostage here, but no need to send help and there is no ransom for our return.
If you visit Vietnam I highly recommend visiting Ninh Binh, and I have a list of several other areas worth your while.
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