281. | Ninh-Binh

This will be a slightly different kind of summary of the last two or three weeks. You could even call it an unusual one.

Several people told me they missed my posts.

So did I.

I missed writing.

But this time – by making one very simple decision – I chose to spend my time differently.

First, I will show you the place I have just left and the circumstances around it.

Then, in a rather unusual format, I will summarize my experiences as a list.

Ninh Binh

Ninh Binh is the 27th place where I have stayed during this journey.

However, this is the first time I did not simply choose a place to live – I arrived there with someone.

We met in Cat Ba, and continued our journey together as friends.

I have encountered this style of travel before. Two people of the opposite sex travel together and spend their time together, but the foundation of that relationship is friendship, not a romantic partnership.

After a long time (278 days), it felt exciting to arrive somewhere with someone and know that the shared bus ride would continue beyond the moment we stepped off the bus.

So this time I was not exploring this beautiful corner of Vietnam alone.

At the same time, I did not spend my free time writing.

We walked.

We rode bicycles.

We relaxed in the hostel pool.

We went on excursions.

We watched movies together.

And many other things.

So where exactly am I?

The guidebooks provide the important facts, and I do not want to skip them:

Tam Cốc is a natural attraction in Ninh Bình Province, famous for its limestone karst mountains, winding river, and caves surrounded by rice fields. Often called the “Ha Long Bay on land,” Tam Cốc is part of the Tràng An Landscape Complex and one of Vietnam’s most picturesque river destinations.

If I look at it more closely, however, things become a bit strange.

It may sound odd, but I am not entirely sure where I actually am.

This is not the first time in Asia that I have been surprised by geography.

I set off for a place called Ninh Binh and spend several days believing it is a city.

Then I discover that Ninh Binh is both a province and a city.

Meanwhile, every second business seems to have “Tam Coc” in its name: Tam Coc Café, Tam Coc Boat Rental, Tam Coc Restaurant.

At that point I begin to suspect that tourists are not really coming to Ninh Binh City at all. They are coming to the Tam Coc area.

And that is still not the whole story.

Because then it turns out that although Google Maps and most tourists refer to the area as Tam Coc – much like we Hungarians say “I’m at Lake Balaton” – even that is not technically correct.

Geographically, my current situation looks something like this:

Tam Cốc – where I am actually staying
Ninh Hải – the official name of the commune
Hoa Lư – the district
Ninh Bình Province – the province

So yes, I came to Ninh Binh like everyone else.

But within Ninh Binh I am actually staying in Ninh Hải, which everybody simply calls Tam Coc.

Simple, right?

Let’s leave it at this:

I am in a beautiful place in the heart of Vietnam.

The Accommodation

I am starting with this because even after a week it still feels unbelievable.

We are staying in a place called Tam Coc Central Bungalow, spread across a large property.

The entire place is magnificent.

It looks exactly like the sort of place Europeans normally pay serious amounts of money to experience.

Huge limestone cliffs provide shade during parts of the day.

There are countless plants, palm trees, colorful tropical flowers, and enormous trees everywhere.

All of this sits beside a beautiful river.

Just a few steps from the river there is a large swimming pool, sun loungers, and tables shaded by palm leaves.

The rooms are surprisingly high quality.

Every morning I wake up and have to remind myself that I am not in an expensive European hotel.

It is simply an excellent place to stay.

My bed, by the way, stands in front of a huge floor-to-ceiling glass window.

Even now I can look out across the lake located in the center of the U-shaped building complex.

Our room has twelve beds.

The price is 1,360 HUF (4.25 USD) per night.

Included in that price is a breakfast that once again reminds me of some of the best hotels I stayed in during my travels across Europe.

Two large tables are covered with all kinds of delicious food, and we can eat as much as we want.

A walk of just a few hundred meters takes us into completely different worlds.

In one direction lies the center of town.

In the other direction there are beautiful lotus ponds beneath towering limestone cliffs, separated from us only by the river.

Step outside the hostel grounds and you immediately find yourself beside a stunning rice field.

Rice fields everywhere.

That is one of the defining features of this place.

It was harvest season while we were here, so we had the chance to observe every stage of the process.

Cat Ba was beautiful.

But the area around Ninh Binh – especially when explored from this accommodation – is far more beautiful.

It is no coincidence that over the past few weeks I found myself thinking that, so far, Vietnam is the most beautiful place I have ever experienced.

Another Week in Paradise

What can you do here?

I never begin exploring a place with that question.

Still, it feels good that after just one week I could already list an impressive number of experiences.

I think the numbers say a lot about this town.

We originally planned to stay for four days.

Those four days became seven.

And seven might easily become twenty-two.

(By the time I continued writing this post, it had already become ten…)

Well…

As it turns out, it became twenty-two.

And although I started writing this post several times, I never managed to finish it.

By now it would have become so long that I no longer see the point in describing everything in detail.

I would never finish.

And perhaps nobody wants to read a book about twenty-two days of my life.

So now – with tears in my eyes – I am deleting the thoughts I wrote over the last three weeks and starting again in the form of a diary.

May 27, 2026 – Wednesday

A shared journey and a completely random decision to get off the bus. We started looking for accommodation exactly where the bus stopped. It turned out to be an unbelievably good choice.
Our first evening in town. We watched a performance by local dancers.
I got to relive the experience with the little girl, the sunflower seeds, and the keychain that I mentioned in my post About Cafés.
We claimed ownership of the foosball table. I won the very first game. Then, over the following three weeks, I lost every single match except two. The lady proved to be a worthy opponent.

May 28, 2026 – Thursday

Workday.
Exploring cafés.
Wandering around town in the evening and discovering local restaurants.
A long conversation by the beautiful riverside that lasted late into the night.

May 29, 2026 – Friday

A full-day motorbike trip exploring the surrounding area. Two people on one motorbike.
Discovering a quiet temple.
A pleasant surprise in a restaurant. After ordering a smoothie and a coffee, we were later given fruit as a gift, followed by Vietnamese tea. It is an incredible feeling when an experience arrives simply as an act of kindness.
Photographing rice fields for the first time. A breathtaking display of colors.

Visiting the ancient capital of Hoa Lu and learning a great deal about its history.

Seeing the Bái Đính Pagoda, a spiritual and cultural center, from the outside. I will write more about this place later.
Sitting on the steps of a pagoda still under construction and enjoying the sunset.
Simply enjoying the freedom of riding a motorbike without any serious destination.

May 30, 2026 – Saturday

Continuing our motorbike adventure.
Watching the rice harvest for the first time.
Visiting the historic Thai Vi Temple.
Exploring another beautiful temple built among the rocks, including a bit of climbing.
Watching the sunset over a rice field glowing in a thousand shades between the mountains.
Discovering an insect that flew like a hummingbird.
Taking a quick look around Ninh Binh City.
Avoiding a head-on collision with a motorbike that was coming toward us in our own lane after dark.

May 31, 2026 – Sunday

Making up for the workday I skipped on Friday.
There was still time for foosball, table tennis, dinner, and enjoying the warm water of the pool.
Photographing the full moon.

June 1, 2026 – Monday

Workday.
A classic boat tour through rice fields and caves. Here, the rowers propel the boats with their feet. The river is busy enough to feel almost like a highway, yet the scenery is absolutely stunning. We stopped at three beautiful temples along the route and passed through several river caves.
Celebrating Children’s Day by eating the two handfuls of candy we received at the hostel while relaxing beside the pool.

June 2, 2026 – Tuesday

Workday.
A long walk late at night.
Listening to the music and chanting of a new moon ceremony at Thai Vi Temple at half past midnight. Sitting in the moonlight at the gate of a temple was an unforgettable experience.

June 3, 2026 – Wednesday

Workday.
A cycling trip, this time joined by a third travel companion.
Crossing a river on a bamboo ferry with our bicycles. Adventures everywhere.

June 4, 2026 – Thursday

Workday.
An evening spent looking at rice fields, watching rice stubble being burned, and wandering through the countryside long after dark.
I won’t mention every day that I was getting absolutely destroyed at foosball.

June 5, 2026 – Friday

Workday.
A very long evening walk.
Learning about harvesting machines.
Exploring local cemeteries.
Enjoying Vietnamese hospitality and tea.

June 6, 2026 – Saturday

Workday.
Visiting the local rice museum.
Trying traditional farming tools.
Tasting four different kinds of rice wine.
Visiting a farm and learning about local gardening practices.

June 7, 2026 – Sunday

An electric scooter adventure.
Visiting Catholic churches in a town about 30 kilometers away.
Discovering a remarkably harmonious church complex – a Catholic church built with Vietnamese architectural elements. We listened to chanting, then Vietnamese Christian hymns accompanied by an organ.
The church garden itself felt like pure Zen.
A slow journey through extreme heat and wonderful sights.
More wandering late into the night to unwind.

June 8, 2026 – Monday

Just another ordinary day in paradise.
With beautiful photographs.

June 9, 2026 – Tuesday

A full-day cycling trip.
Riding on little-used roads and through wonderfully chaotic traffic.
In the evening, meeting a talented Indonesian singer-guitarist and discovering a new favorite bar.

June 10, 2026 – Wednesday

Workday.
Followed by a three-hour boat trip in the Tràng An area.
Passing through ten caves by boat, visiting three beautiful temples, and traveling through the landscape of King Kong’s world – an unforgettable experience.
In the evening, we watched one of the King Kong movies together.

June 11, 2026 – Thursday

Workday.
After work, we went for a long walk around the area.
We headed for a viewpoint in the nearby hills. For some reason, I decided to do this hike wearing flip-flops. Climbing rocks and ladders was quite an adventure – especially since it had been raining all day and everything was slippery.
In the evening, we watched another King Kong movie together.
Up until this point, we had been extending our stay three days at a time. Moving on came up regularly in conversation, but every time we reached the same conclusion: this place was simply too beautiful to leave.

June 12, 2026 – Friday

It was supposed to be a workday.
I decided otherwise.
We rented bicycles and ended up cycling 40 kilometers while also walking another 11.
We finally visited the magnificent pagoda complex that we had only seen from a distance back on May 29.
We knew it would be a long day. In the end, it turned out to be even longer than we expected.
After twenty kilometers of cycling, the next challenge was deciding how to explore a huge complex that combines modern and traditional pagodas.
The actual visitor area begins one or two kilometers from the entrance. Walking there is not allowed.
You basically have two options: take an electric shuttle and explore the grounds on foot, or let the shuttle carry you around the entire complex. We chose walking.
We also bought tickets that included access to the tallest pagoda in Asia.
I could easily write for hours about this place, but I will spare you that and simply list what we saw.
A gigantic temple known as the “Three Gates,” filled with enormous statues and extraordinary grandeur.
At the entrance, two monks asked our names and where we came from. They immediately wrote the information on three pieces of paper, handed them to us together with two bundles of incense sticks, and marked three temples on a map. Our task was to place the papers, light the incense, and spend a little time meditating at each location. We treated it as a fun treasure hunt because at first the map was not easy to understand. In the end, we completed the entire little ritual.
We walked through an open corridor lined with thousands of Buddha statues. The walls were filled with small alcoves, each containing a stone figure. Every statue was different. The sheer number of them was breathtaking.
We saw Vietnam’s largest bronze bell, weighing seventy tons. Incredible.
Next came another enormous temple. Unfortunately, photographs cannot really capture the experience.
There was also a lake – or perhaps more accurately, a giant pool – where we spent some time sitting by the water.
Another temple measured 2,000 square meters, with a ceiling height of thirty meters and gilded bronze Buddha statues weighing one hundred and thirty tons. We felt very small standing there.
My phone simply cannot capture that kind of scale.
As a small contribution, I bought a roof tile and wrote my name on it. In a tiny way, a part of me will remain there forever.
We visited a beautiful viewpoint within the complex. One of the attractions was a mirror placed on a table, allowing visitors to create fascinating optical illusions with the towering pagoda in the background.
Then came yet another massive temple with a thirty-five-meter ceiling and fifty-ton statues. By that point my eyes were already dazzled by all the gold surfaces I had seen throughout the day.
Finally, we reached the pagoda itself. We took the elevator up and descended through a deserted staircase that was still under construction. And what happened in between…
The view was unbelievable. From the 13th floor we could see in every direction for miles across the beautiful landscape. Lightning flashed in the distance. It was one of those moments that simply stay with you.
Slowly, darkness arrived. The complex remains open until 9 PM, but once evening came, everything closed and everyone left. From seven until nine, we wandered through the enormous grounds almost completely alone.
We discovered another cave temple.
We visited countless smaller pagodas, all beautifully illuminated.
Bats flew above our heads along the stone pathways.
The evening portion of the trip was every bit as magical as the daytime one.
We still had a twenty-kilometer ride back ahead of us, after stopping for dinner.
Along the way we stopped at a small shop to buy water. A Vietnamese boy approached us and asked if he could practice speaking with us. Once he started talking, he never stopped. His English was remarkable, and he fired question after question at us without hesitation. He spent about ten minutes talking with each of us. At the end, his father gave us both an ice cream. I loved that moment. I hope the boy heard what I told him: keep going, buddy – you’re doing great.
Back at the hostel, we finished the day with a long foosball session.
Naturally, I lost every game. 🙂

June 13, 2026 – Saturday

Hang Múa.
I am taking that name with me.
A realization was born there. I will write about it another time.
For the previous two weeks we had been looking at this mountain temple almost every day from around our accommodation. It was always either too early, too hot, or another program got in the way. Today, we finally climbed it.
We walked there. Just a few kilometers.
Before the climb, we visited the famous lotus fields stretching out below the mountain. The sheer number of lotus flowers growing there was astonishing.
After climbing five hundred steps, we reached one of the crowded viewpoints, then climbed even more steps to reach the other one. There were crowds there as well. LOL.
The view made me forget all about the people. At the top, I climbed onto the back of the dragon statue. Soon others started copying the idea. As we say in Hungary: one fool makes a hundred.
We also found another cave that had already closed for the day. Apparently, around here everyone leaves after sunset, but the sites themselves remain accessible.
On the way back we stopped for dinner. One item on the menu immediately caught my attention: burned rice. Not fried rice. Burned rice. As it turned out, it is a Chinese dish. I have absolutely no regrets about trying it. The crazy Chinese lady cooked it wonderfully. LOL.

June 14, 2026 – Sunday

Workday. I swapped it with Friday.
We spent a slow and peaceful day together.
A long walk.
A good dinner.
A good conversation by the river.
We were spending our final days together.
During the night, we watched a World Cup match. Germany won.
I was cheering for the other team.

June 15, 2026 – Monday

My last day in Ninh Binh.
I worked during the morning.
After lunch, we set off on one final adventure.
Another three-hour boat trip through Tràng An. We wanted to see the alternative route as well.
This route included the longest tunnel beneath the mountain. Nearly one kilometer of ducking your head while drifting through darkness under solid rock.
We even saw the exact rock formation that almost certainly appeared in one of the King Kong movies.
We shared the boat with a very friendly Vietnamese couple. It was a pleasure talking with them.
We celebrated our final day of cycling and boating with a pizza together.
Later, we visited our favorite bar, where I said goodbye to my Indonesian singer-guitarist friend.
We watched the second half of a football match.
And then we said goodbye to each other.