Ninh Binh road trip

Aimee had the day off so we decided to have a road trip down to Ninh Binh province. We didn't get on the road until just before midday, a good two hours later than we'd planned. This was mostly due to us both being tired but also because we went in search of the hủ tiếu noodle place I'd failed to find a few days before. It was worth the effort as it was one of the best dishes I've had in Hanoi.

Most of the drive to Ninh Binh was on a main road with not much scenery but when we got in to the countryside it was gorgeous. We started at the Van Long Nature Reserve and were surprised to see this massive cement factory next to it. There were about 20 people sat around and we assumed they were there to take tourists around. Before we got tickets for a boat, we needed a coffee so went next door to a large resort. The resort was deserted apart from one member of staff who was fishing in the resort's water feature.

He didn't speak any English but we ordered a couple of coffees. He set up a massive fan next to our table that reminded me of an Everglades airboat. Unfortunately the coffee was instant and pretty horrible but it was better than nothing. We headed to the water and had an hour boat ride around the gorgeous scenery, passing only a couple of boats along the way. I didn't take many photos but see the extra photo of us coming out of a cave.

We were running out of time so we went to Tam Cốc, where we planned to stay for the night. It was a small town outside of Ninh Binh city with a small lake in the centre. We found a hotel and had a much-needed beer.

The two local food specialities are mountain goat and crispy rice (cơm cháy) with soup. We found a recommended restaurant a couple of doors down from the bar and our hotel (it really is a tiny place) and ordered both specialities along with spring rolls. It was all very tasty!

We finished the day with a couple of games of pool and a final beer. We hadn't achieved as much as we'd hoped but it was still a lovely day of exploring.