Hiking, Biking, and Eating Delicious Pizza in Ninh Binh

I successfully binge-watched three episodes of the TV romance series “Outlander” as Matt and I took the four-hour bus ride southwest from Ha Long Bay to Ninh Binh, our next Vietnam destination. A small city in the northern part of the country, Ninh Binh is often nicknamed “Ha Long Bay on Land” because of its greenery-covered limestone mountains that look much like those in the bay itself. Ninh Binh’s regional UNESCO World Heritage Site is called Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex which includes over 15,000 acres of flowing rivers, caves, and mountains. Much of the tourism is driven by outdoorsy opportunities for hiking, biking, and boating. Matt and I had two nights booked at Rose Garden Homestay in Tam Coc—the less-developed and slightly more expensive town adjacent to many of the key sights in the region. Tam Coc is changing quickly, though! Surrounding our homestay were countless construction projects in the works; local Vietnamese people were working hard to open large restaurants and hotels to accommodate the flow of tourists looking to experience the area’s scenic offerings. We agreed that we were lucky to be able to visit Tam Coc in 2019, because in five to ten years the town will likely look completely different.

We rented single-gear bicycles from our homestay both days of our visit in order to access the various points of interest in Tam Coc. We also spent time aimlessly exploring the region, biking through small villages and endless rice fields dotted with small cemeteries and scarecrows wearing the stereotypical Vietnamese pointed farming hat. The landscape was stunning, with massive green mountains surrounding us nearby and also visible in the distance every direction we looked. We biked on dirt paths along wide rivers and smaller channels, watching tourists float by us on boats. Local Vietnamese women steered the tourist boats along using their feet to push the paddles in a circular motion. Boating through the caves of Tam Coc is one of the top attractions in the region, but we ended up deciding not to do that; we had heard that local people had actually hollowed out the natural caves to make them wide enough to accommodate the tourist boats. This ethical issue paired with the fact that we had just taken a boat trip and didn’t want to spend the money this time around led us to explore the region by bike instead of by water. It ended up being a great way to see the terrain, and a fun opportunity to get some exercise.

Biking through Tam Coc's beautiful countryside.

Our biking path wound along next to pretty rivers.

On our first day in Tam Coc we biked for about 20 minutes to Hang Mua, a hiking area with a cave as well as hundreds of steps that lead trekkers to two mountain tops for views of the region’s scenic valleys. While the mountains themselves were the focal point of the attraction, eager locals at the bottom were monopolizing on the influx of tourists and developing hotels, restaurants, pool halls, souvenir shops, and more at the bottom. It almost felt like a “Disney-fication” of the area, as some entrepreneurial Vietnamese even created fake waterfalls beside their recently-erected establishment to draw in vacationers looking to take pretty pictures. A less-glamorous aspect of the booming tourism industry is also how it drives locals to develop tricks and scams to take advantage of tourists. At Hang Mua, for example, free parking is available on-site. Despite this, men wait on the side of the road leading up to Hang Mua and blow whistles, holding up parking signs and telling visitors that they must park in their lot and pay money—a complete lie. Many people fall for this false information, but luckily Matt had read about these “parking scams” before we visited the site, so we knew we could drive by these tricksters.

A very nice (but completely fake!) waterfall built at the base of Hang Mua.

Upon arrival we bypassed the cave and took to the steps; the humidity coupled with the strenuous climb left us sweating like crazy! The first peak, the lower of the two, was very steep to reach and had a beautiful view out to rice paddies, lakes, and mountains. When we arrived at the top, a handful of young, female tourists in matching outfits and extensive make-up were taking glamour shots and selfies of them looking into the distance. It was a bit strange, but Matt and I waited until they left until we took in the view for ourselves and snapped a few pictures. We could see the city of Ninh Binh in the distance, and despite the grey weather there was strong visibility. We could also see the top of “Lying Dragon Mountain”—the peak we would climb next. The trail of stone steps looked ambitious, but we were optimistic. We took a couple of rest breaks on our way up and the view was well worth the effort; the vista included a river cutting through green sloping mountains. We watched boats that dotted the river as they entered into caves in the limestone mountainside. At the top of the mountain was a statue of a dragon and a little temple. About 15 other hikers were gathered there, enjoying the view, taking pictures, and drinking water as they prepared to head back down the mountain.

Views from the top of the first peak.

Ninh Binh city in the distance.

Reaching the peak of Lying Dragon Mountain.

We did it! Sweaty and happy.

The highlight of our second day was biking for a few hours through the beautiful Thung Nham Ecotourism Zone. We bought entry tickets and received a map of the area upon arrival, unsure what to expect. Numerous bike paths wove through the park with somewhat random stopping points along their routes. The Ecotourism Zone housed an odd but very fun assortment of activities for us including a steep hike to a cave; an agricultural area with an apple orchard and vegetable garden; a bird watching territory; and an impressive bamboo bridge. There was also a resort, restaurants, and a well-manicured event space in the facility. We enjoyed biking in the cool weather; it had rained that morning so the sky was grey and everything was a bit damp—a nice departure from our months of scorching hot days in Sri Lanka, India, Myanmar, and Thailand.  

Inside a cave we found on our first stop in the ecological zone.

Artfully-designed bamboo bridge we came upon.

Biking through the ecological zone.

Viewpoint where you could see many birds flying around and resting in the trees.

Tam Coc left much to be desired by way of food options, but we found out favorite spot and stuck to it: a restaurant and beer garden called Chookie’s. I am just going to confess the truth here in writing: we ate and/or had coffee at Chookie’s five times in the two days we were in Tam Coc. It was that good! And the place was located almost too conveniently right next to our homestay. We joined the many backpackers who found Chookie’s to be an ideal location for sipping craft beer and cider; eating wood-fired pizza; and indulging in the best iced coconut coffee drink we have yet to find in Vietnam. With string of lights, a wood-burning outdoor oven, picnic tables, bean bag chairs, hammocks, free wifi, and happy hour specials, Chookie’s was a haven for all of us. We especially loved the spicy chickpea pizza we ate on Day 2, as well as the carrot cake we ate on both Days 1 and 2. What a treat!

Decadent iced coconut coffee at Chookie's.

Margarita pizza at Chookie's.

Lounging and doing computer work at Chookie's.

This spicy chickpea pizza was a fulfilling meal after a day of biking!

Ninh Binh was a wonderful addition to our itinerary and new for both of us since Matt hadn’t visited on his previous trip to Vietnam. We’ll never forget the incredible experience of biking through the countryside with breath-taking views of rice fields, mountains, and rivers around us. Next stop, more outdoor fun in Phong Nha National Park! I’ll share that experience in the next post.