a morning walk
The next morning after our adventures in Hanoi, Huong showed up at my place again. I overslept even though she had told me to wake up early so got a bit mad but we made it out just fine. I had banh mi, Vietnamese baguette, for breakfast and it was really filling, I regret getting two as I could barely finish the other one.
Huong handled the logistics for this trip, she was calling a local company in Vietnamese and was able to get a ride for us towards Trang An, a Unesco World Heritage site.
While waiting for the bus, we around the nearby Thong Nhat Park. I really got to see the life of the Vietnamese people here. A group of women were doing some salsa, fishermen were trying to get a catch, and old people doing taichi. It was a really energetic yet peaceful vibe this morning as we walked around the lake.
trang an
We got on a really good bus with wide comfy seats and free water. I didn’t expect such a nice transportation going to Trang An. We had some other people with us too so it wasn’t exactly a private transfer but it sure felt like one.
The main thing to do in Trang An was to go on a river boat ride. This place was surrounded by giant limestone karsts, reminiscent of El Nido and Vang Vieng but it had its own special charm to it. Our boatwoman was very strong as she rowed our boat of 4 people. We had two people with us in the back, we didn’t know them that well yet but we did share some jokes and light conversations a few times.
What makes Trang An unique was its series of caves and grottoes, some caves were so narrow it was quite suffocating. We had to bend down so our heads don’t hit the stalactites. Some caves had ancient artifacts in them as well, such as pots and sculptures.
Trang An also had a very spiritual vibe as we could see temples nestled on top of the cliffs, some on the islands on the river, and some tucked away deeper into the valley. The boat stopped by a few of these islands and we were able to see just how intricate the designs of these temples were.
how to get to trang an from hanoi
While we somehow ended up getting on a very comfy bus thanks to Huong’s local knowledge, there are still various ways to reach Trang An, the journey usually taking around 2-3 hours no matter which way you choose to go with:
Car or taxi: Rent a car or hire a taxi from Hanoi to Trang An. Your accomodation might be able to also help with arranging
Train: Take a train from Hanoi to Ninh Binh, which is the nearest train station to Trang An. From Ninh Binh, you can take a taxi or motorbike taxi to Trang An.
Bus: There are several buses that operate between Hanoi and Ninh Binh. From Ninh Binh, you can take a taxi or motorbike taxi to Trang An.
Motorbike: If you’re an experienced motorbike rider, you can also rent a motorbike in Hanoi and ride to Trang An. This is what the friends we made in Trang An did.
Tour: There are plenty of tours running from Hanoi for Trang An and Bai Dinh, you can join one through here if you are interested.
making new friends and life choices
We did end up become friends with the people behind us as we cruised along the river. Justin from San Francisco who was originally from Hong Kong and Kevin from Switzerland.
They told me about their life and how much they traveled like their trip to Bolivia and other countries and they were doing it for months at a time. Such a thing sounded impossible to me at that time, I always had the idea that traveling was expensive but they were just staying in guesthouses, couchsurfing, hostels all these things that I had no idea about. It made such a strong impact on me and right there and then I decided to try to emulate that lifestyle and see as much of this world as I can while I’m still young.
Vietnam was the first time I travelled solo and that moment right there ignited such a strong sense of wanderlust in me that it changed the course of my life. That wanderlust still remains with me to this very day even after 40 countries, perhaps stronger than ever.
They invited us for have lunch after our trip around Trang An. Everything was quite spontaneous at that point, we really didn’t have any other plans so we just went with it. They had scooters and Huong and I rode behind each of them, I was with Kevin and Huong was with Justin. Huong suggested a restaurant to try goat meat, they kindly treated us.
a spontaneous trip to bai dinh
After lunch, one thing led to another and they invited us to go see the tallest pagoda in the area, Bai Dinh. Kevin and I were leading and I was navigating Google Maps while he drove. The speed was really exhilarating, the wind blew hard against my face but I was really feeling this amazing sense of adventure, these were things I have never done before in my life, making friends on the fly and going on a road trip the same day was quite thrilling and I was just so happy.
We arrived at the Bai Dinh temple complex, it was huge. Not much people at all, it was only us which made it really spiritual. We went through the temple grounds and through a labyrinth of endless monk statues, there was a man-made lake as well. There were plenty of temples scattered around housing giant Buddhist deities. The pagoda was indeed very tall at 100m (330 ft). We paid to climb up and the views were well worth it with a golden Buddha statue enshrined at the top floor.
I would have loved to stay longer but it was getting late and I had to catch my flight back to Tokyo that same night so we pardoned ourselves and tried to find our way back while getting lost a few times in the sprawling temple complex. In the end, we made it outside a bit out of breath and bought some coconut juice. Funnily enough, we ran into the guys again and had a commemorative photo.
how to get to bai dinh from hanoi
We were lucky to have been able to catch a ride for free but from it’s also possible to reach Bai Dinh from Hanoi almost following the same route as going to Trang An, it also takes the same time around 2-3 hours as they are both in the same province of Ninh Binh.
Car or taxi: Rent a car or hire a taxi from Hanoi to Bai Dinh.
Bus: You can also take a bus from Hanoi to Ninh Binh, and then take a taxi or motorbike taxi to Bai Dinh.
Train: A train runs from Hanoi to Ninh Binh, which is the nearest train station to Bai Dinh. From Ninh Binh, you can then take a taxi or motorbike taxi to Bai Dinh.
Motorbike: If you’re an experienced motorbike rider, you can also rent a motorbike in Hanoi and ride to Bai Dinh.
Tour: There are plenty of tours running from Hanoi for Trang An and Bai Dinh
Trang An is pretty close to Bai Dinh, reachable around 30 minutes or so, but transportation can vary. There might be some cabs or motorbikes in the area to take you there. In our case, we just rode with our newfound friends.
last meal on hanoi streets
It was a bit scary as we didn’t have signal and we actually didn’t know how to go back to Hanoi from where we where. It was the middle of nowhere but Huong made some calls and while we waited for a long time eventually our ride came and I was able to relax knowing that I wasn’t going to miss my flight.
We had our last meal together on the streets, eating bun bo hue on these tiny stools and tables with the rest of the locals. I didn’t expect my Vietnam trip to be this good but it was definitely too short and I planned to come back. I said farewell to Huong but not for too long.
