My father once went to a place, where he allegedly bumped his head while on a boat tour. This place was Ninh Binh, specifically one of its boat tours across some half-flooded caves in Trang An. So, I set out to see what my father saw. Moreover, I was more interested in what was in the nearby area – the Mua Caves, specifically the peak of that associated mountain, which promised a spectacular view on sunrise.
Arrival and Sightseeing of the Inner City | 21.09.2023
I got a hot tip from a friend, to arrive a day earlier and take a stroll through the inner city in the evening before having an early bed time to catch the sunrise. So, I did exactly that. Upon arrival by limousine bus, the initial view of Ninh Binh wasn’t particularly striking; it resembled any typical city still in development. However, as the sun set, I explored more of it and finally came to the city center area. I feel like, for a short visit like mine, all you need to catch is at least the walking street which is especially picturesque in the evening with all its lanterns. Food and souvenir stalls decorate the long rectangular pond on both sides and at the main entrance, there is a small boulder which you can walk up to get a better view.
Well, that was enjoyable, but the real adventure was just around the corner, set to begin the following day. Thus, I made my way towards my hostel, situated close to the Mua Caves but located more in the outskirts of the city. Here, at around 9PM everything was already quite dark and my supposedly hostel was in the back of same shady looking alley. Surprisingly enough, the owner was still drinking green tea with some of their friends and warmly invited me to drink with them while his wife prepares the check-in.
Mua Caves and Trang An | 22.09.2023
Well, that was enjoyable, but the real adventure was just around the corner, set to begin the following day. Thus, I made my way towards my hostel, situated close to the Mua Caves but located more in the outskirts of the city. Here, at around 9PM everything was already quite dark and my supposedly hostel was in the back of same shady looking alley. Surprisingly enough, the owner was still drinking green tea with some of their friends and warmly invited me to drink with them while his wife prepares the check-in.
The following day I woke up at 5 AM, and arrived at the base of the mountain at around 05:30 AM. The mountain seems to belong to some kind of park, which you have to pay a fee to be able to enter. The ascend was very enjoyable, thanks to the convenient built-in stairs. It didn’t take me long to reach the peak, and to my surprise, I heard voices speaking a very familiar language. Guess what, there were already others awaiting the sunrise at the summit, with six out of nine of them being Germans.
My friend also suggested I visit Trang An (the location where my father hit his head) and Chua Bai Dinh, a vast temple complex. Since I had already explored numerous temples, I was more inclined towards experiencing the boat tour and cave system myself, as a fitting end to my trip to Ninh Binh. Indeed, the narrow cave passages at some points made it hard to not accidentally hit his head on the ceiling. Unfortunately, in the past, those caves were inhabited by bats. However, they were gradually displaced due to the construction noise and the widening of the caves for tourism purposes. We were also told that Vietnamese soldiers had once hidden in this general area.
In the evening, I took a limousine back to Hanoi, concluding the end of my brief excursion to Ninh Binh. I’m especially happy with my experience at Mua Cave and witnessing the sunrise. The weather was perfect, and the faint mist added a touch of mystery to the expansive rice paddies.
