Ninh Binh (Tam Coc, Trang An)

Why Honeymoon in Ninh Binh?

The province sits 95 kilometres south of Hanoi in the Red River Delta, reachable in under two hours by car or express train. The limestone karst formations are around 250 million years old, and over millennia water has carved caves, underground rivers and the kind of scenery that appears on every Vietnam postcard.

Tam Coc is the classic experience — a 90-minute sampan ride through three caves on the Ngo Dong River. Hang Ca, the first and largest, is 127 metres of near-total darkness with ceilings just two metres above the water. The rowers steer with their feet, a technique unique to Ninh Binh. Trang An offers three longer routes through up to nine caves and three temples, including the preserved film set from Kong: Skull Island — 10 hectares of rattan tribal tents among the karsts.

Beyond the waterways, Bai Dinh Pagoda is the largest Buddhist complex in Southeast Asia, with 500 stone Arhat statues lining a three-kilometre corridor. Hoa Lu, Vietnam's first independent capital from 968 AD, has 10th-century temples still standing among the limestone. And then there is Mua Cave — 500 steps up a mountain to a dragon sculpture viewpoint that delivers the most photographed panorama in northern Vietnam.

Best Time to Visit

Late May to early June is the golden rice season — paddies shift from emerald to brilliant gold in a single week and are harvested within days. September and October bring a second golden harvest. November to January is dry and cool with clear skies. Avoid July and August for heavy monsoon rain.

Getting There

Ninh Binh is 95 kilometres south of Hanoi, about 1 hour 45 minutes by car via the expressway or 2 hours 15 minutes by train. Six daily trains run from Hanoi station. We arrange private car transfers for all our honeymoon packages.