Ninh Binh city is the capital of the province of the same name: a small wedge-shaped province south of Hanoi, which stretches from Cuc Phuong National Park in the west to a sliver of land facing out to the Gulf of Tonkin. Built on both sides of Highway 1 and the railroad connecting Hanoi with Ho Chi Minh City, the city itself is a fairly uneventful place, but it is surrounded by a stunning landscape of lush green paddy fields and striking limestone outcrops and is the hopping off point for sights and attractions including Tam Coc and Trang An, Bich Dong, Hoa Lu, Phat Diem Cathedral, Van Long and Cuc Phuong National Park. Sapa tour – Unique to Vietnam
Many of the sights are within 12km of Ninh Binh city, and the land is flat, so they can be reasonably easily reached on a bicycle or motorbike. To really appreciate the scenery you need to get out and about, and -- outside of the boat trips -- the best way of doing that is by bicycle. Although the most direct way to most of the sights involves driving along main roads, it's possible to find routes via the backstreets, particularly between Ninh Binh City and Tam Coc and from Tam Coc to Hoa Lu. Bai Tho Junk – a romantic experience
The paths take you through villages and alongside rice paddies and lakes, with the ever present karst formations in the background. Make sure you get a good map, but bear in mind this may not help you and you may need to resort to asking passers-by or using GPS.
Most hotels will provide a map and rent bicycles for a few dollars and motorbikes for around US$7. Alternatively, arrange a tour or guide from your hotel or book onto a day trip or longer tour from Hanoi.
The town itself isn't especially noteworthy and while there are a couple of decent places to stay, increasing numbers of travellers are choosing to base themselves in Tam Coc to be even closer to some of the main attractions of the province. This can be a good idea if you're planning on spending more time in the area than just the single night that many travellers decide to go for.
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| Ninh Binh travel guide |
Orientation
Highway 1 runs through the centre of Ninh Binh, from north to south, and is named Tran Hung Dao Street. Most services you'll require are located along or just off this main road, although the train and bus stations and some good hotels and eateries are to be found on the other side of the river: cross over the bridge where Tran Hung Dao meets the river. All guesthouses and hotels can assist with all manner of travel needs, from buying a train ticket to organising a guide to Cuc Phuong and renting bicycles and motorbikes.
Vietcombank and Techombank have branches with ATMs on Tran Hung Dao Street: Techombank is between the junctions of Van Giang and Le Hong Phong and Vietcombank is further north, on the other side of the road near Luong Van Tuy. The post office is also on Tran Hung Dao Street, just before the bridge.
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