I am a sleepy head. There is no doubt about it. And as a girl who can sleep through thunderstorms and my brother’s snores, I have no justification for that comment. But surprisingly, there is still one thing that can wake me up at 5 a.m. and get off my blanket despite the cold weather of Northern Vietnam in February. Yes, I’m talking about one of Vietnam’s UNESCO World Heritage Sites – Trang An Complex, Ninh Binh.
About Trang An Complex – The Land of Peacefulness and of Kong
Trang An is a magical landscape that has a geological age of about 250 million years, located in the North of Vietnam just 2 hours from Hanoi, the capital city of Vietnam. The landscape of Trang An, Ninh Binh was created by the change in the earth, climate, and sea. Degradation Sea brought in hundreds of valleys, caves, and lagoons. Furthermore, the lagoon is home to many wetland ecosystems, limestone forests, archeological sites, and cultural and historical sites. You probably have already seen Trang An’s lagoons and mountains in the infamous movie Kong – Skull Island, which brought the great attention of many people to this Northern destination of beautiful Vietnam.
Transportation to Trang An Complex and Accommodation
Options for Moving to the Place
Transportation to Trang An, Ninh Binh is accessible in Hanoi. In fact, you can travel to Ninh Binh and visit Trang An either by bike or by bus, coach, etc. Most vehicles can be easily hired in Hanoi. Additionally, there are a lot of tourism agencies that sell travel packages and deals to Ninh Binh. I highly recommend you bargain when dealing prices with them.
Ideally, the cost of transportation to Ninh Binh from Hanoi should come in the range of VND 200,000/day for a bike and VND 600,000/day for a car. Also, you can rent vehicles in Ninh Binh to drive to Trang An. The fee range is also similar to the cost in Hanoi.
Budgeted Stays at Ninh Binh
By the way, the cost of accommodation is affordable too. Absolutely, it depends on the type of accommodation, as everywhere else in the world. In case you want to find some good budgeted choices, I figured out some for you below:
Trang An Complex Grottoes Tour
It’s a Must-do Experience
Back to the information about how Trang An was able to wake me up at 5 a.m. It was because if I had been late, I would not have a seat in 1 of the 2,000 boats that serve tourists in the place. Indeed, the most valuable experience at Trang An is to float through the place’s most picturesque landscapes by boat in the Trang An Grottoes tour, rowed by locals.
To witness Trang An’s infamous lagoons, river, and hidden historical shrines among the trees, you have to start from Trang An’s boat deck. There are 2,000 boats awaiting you and more than 12,000 tourists at peak times. I traveled to Ninh Binh, Trang An in the “Tet festival“ (Lunar New Year). Therefore, it is not the best time to travel to famous tourist attractions in Vietnam, because the number of people who travel there at the Tet festival is insane!
Actually, the Best Suitable Time and Places to Go
No worries, I have heard from the local inhabitants of Trang An that the best time of the year to visit Trang An is in July or August. Only then, the Trang An, Ninh Binh’s weather is very comfortable. It is not too hot or humid, and also not too cold and dry. The amount of visitors is also moderate, not over-crowded like when I traveled to Trang An in Tet.
Ninh Binh and Trang An Landscape Complex consists of many different spots to discover. If you are the one who seek serenity and tranquility feelings that are hard to get in the city, you can visit Trang An Grottoes tour, Ninh Binh, and Trang An – Tam Coc – Bich Dong Scenic Landscape. On the other hand, if you want to pursue your quest to learn Vietnamese History, you should visit the Hoa Lu Ancient Capital, and the Hoa Lu Special-Use Forest, or embark on a spiritual path at Bai Dinh Pagoda where many ASEAN regional-record artifacts exist. Just an extra tip, Bai Dinh Pagoda is the largest one in Vietnam that also holds many records in Southeast Asia.
Final Words
Ninh Binh, Trang An gave me the most amazing feelings. I felt small among the vastness of nature and felt giant among the historical structure that was built on the vertical cliffs of Ancient Trang An’s mountains by my ancestors. Besides that, I felt serenity in the foggy weather of Ninh Binh in spring and felt astonished listening to the historical events that happened in this Northern land of beautiful Vietnam.
Reminiscing about the beautiful landscape of Trang An makes me want to become a poet, let’s finish this off with small poetry in the style of 6-word poem:
Trang An, once went, never forget.
IF YOU LOVE THE BEAUTIFUL LANDSCAPE OF VIETNAM, DON’T FORGET TO PIN TRANG AN TO YOUR TRAVEL BOARD!
