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 Famous
as a highlight in the north of Vietnam, Ninh Binh is my
favourite destination beside Halong bay and Sapa.
Nicknamed as Halong bay on land I think Ninh Binh itself
is even more attractive than Halong bay as in Halong you
just sit on boat and view the scenery without touching
it, here in Ninh Binh you feel closer to nature and mix
with daily life of local people. There are many things
to do and see in Ninh Binh however I would like to list
my top 5 things you must do when you visit Ninh Binh (Tours
to Ninh Binh from Hanoi).
1 - Rowing boat in Tam Coc (entrance fee 4 usd, boat 10
usd for 2 people)
You cannot miss Tam Coc when you are in Ninh Binh,
actually in recent years most travelers visit Trang An
rather than Tam Coc however I myself prefer Tam Coc for
some reasons: Tam Coc is more natural, I came here for
the first time in early 1990s with my classmates when I
was in secondery school, over a long time Tam Co still
preserve it's wild and natural beauty, Tam Coc is
particularly beautiful in rice season when the whole
rice field is a deep yellow carpet, looking down from
the top of mountain it looks like a picture of river and
mountain of the old paintings, and when you are paddling
along the Ngo Dong river, get through the tunnels and
caves you have a feeling like a part of the setting, as
close as mixing with the nature. Trang An is in fact an
artificial tourism complex developed by humans, it is
beautiful indeed however I always feel like in a film
studio as everything looks "fake". And today when most
visitors move to Trang An making this place very
touristy Tam Coc has gradually restored it's quiet
beauty.
2 - Visit Bai Dinh pagoda
This is a completely new pagoda, it was built only a few
years ago as the biggest pagoda in south east Asia.
Although it has received criticism from historians and
cultural experts the pagoda is undeniably more and more
popular for tourists and Vietnamese buddists, especially
at the begining of lunar year when thousands of Buddists
across the country pay a pilgrimage to the pagoda. In
fact the ancient Bai Dinh pagoda is a small old pagoda
that was built nearby hundreds of years ago, the new Bai
Dinh pagoda is part of the Trang An eco tourism complex
built by Ninh Binh province as a tourist destination.
Bai Dinh pagoda holds some records such as biggest
bronze Buddha statue in Vietnam, 10m high and over 100
tonnes in weight.
3 - Phat Diem stone cathedral
This is my favourite place, I have always been attracted
by magnificent religious building and Phat Diem church
is a place like this. In normal days not too many people
come here except visitors. Phat Diem church is different
from other churches in Hanoi that are located in the
burstling area and are surrounded by many high rise
buildings, restaurants and shops. The cathedral of Phat
Diem is a combination of western and eastern style,
catholism and buddism, it looks like the ancient castles
in built in Euro in the middle ages and the old pagodas
in Vietnam several hundred years ago. Built on an open
land over 20 hectars in area the church has an unique
and original architecture, a masterpiece of previous
generations.
4 - Cuc Phuong national park (entrance fee 2 usd/person
I usually go to Cuc Phuong national park in dry season,
from December to April when the forest rains have been
over, don't come here in wet season from June to August
or you will be attacked by mosquitoes and leeches, they
grab your limbs and suck blood and you are not aware of
them ;) Eating and sleeping in Cuc Phuong is pretty easy
as there are some mini hotels and a state run guesthouse
in the national park however I myself prefer to stay the
night in the outside area because in the national park
it is boring and you have nothing to do but watching TV
or go to bed early.
5 - Kenh Ga or Chicken Canal (entrance fee 5 usd/person)
 Kenh Ga is less known compare to other sites such as Bai
Dinh or Trang An, most local visitors come to Kenh Ga
just to have a bath at the hot spring which is very good
for your health, please note that the pool is very hot
and if you travel with children better not to let them
in the pool or they may get burnt. Although Kenh Ga is
pretty boring when the tourists have left however if you
are a lover of photography you can bring along your
camera and embark on a trip around the tranquil Van Long
lake for wonderful shots of sunset.
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