We had to change our plans today as it was Vietnam National Day weekend where the country celebrated their independence from France. We originally wanted to stop off in Phong Nha-Ke Bang national park and explore some caves but we couldn’t book any buses or trains in and out so decided to head straight up to Nimh Binh by train.
This time we managed to book a downstairs bunk and settled back to enjoy a 10 hour trip watching the scenery of Vietnam pass by our window. There were plenty of rice paddies being worked by the farmers, mostly by hand and dotted amongst them limestone mountains rose straight up from the ground to create a beautiful view. It was brilliant to fall back in love with train travel again and even though we had a two hour delay we arrived fresh and ready to go in Nimh Binh.
Our hosts at the guesthouse were three young, recently graduated students who helped us with a plan of what to do and where to go. So it was off on the scooters again for us but this time there was hardly any traffic and just some amazing scenery to admire. As we were riding along we found ourselves constantly stopping to admire the views. It’s just such a surreal landscape with the outcrops of mountains surrounded by perfectly flat areas of paddy fields.
We stopped at a place called Trang An along with hundreds of other Vietnamese holiday makers enjoying their long weekend. After we paid our money we were put in a four person gondola with another couple and set off down the river. Well I say down the river but the river was so still it was impossible to tell which way it was flowing, add to that the stillness of the air and it was a very relaxing cruise through some spectacular landscapes.
There were plenty of gondolas all winding their way in between the giant hills either side but it was very relaxing and serene. It wasn’t long before we entered the first of six caves we were to visit for the day. The cave ran for 320m through the bottom of one of the hills and there was at times just enough room for us as we crouched flat in the boat!
We had opportunity to get off the gondola and visit some temples or enjoy an ice cream. The route we took couldn’t have been designed any better as we followed a huge loop and before we knew it we were back on the home straight. At this point we heard a dramatic rumble of thunder behind us and our lady driver passed out some oars and took away our life jackets, presumably so they didn’t get wet!! The oars were so we could save ourselves from the downpour which was about to happen. We all paddled like mad and just made it to the end of our trip before the storm caught us.
We had little option but to deposit ourselves in a roadside restaurant and wait it out for a couple of hours.
The main reason why we had chosen Nimh Binh for a stop was to enjoy a view at Tam Coc which we had seen in many pictures. The scene in the pictures was an iconic Vietnamese scene. A river flowing through a valley surrounded by rice paddies and the karst mountains. We originally had thought we were going to catch a gondola down that river but our hosts assured us that Tam Coc was better enjoyed from a viewpoint as you couldn’t actually appreciate the view from the river itself. Who were we to argue.
The day so far had been a bonus but as the skies cleared we jumped back on the bikes and set off once again through the amazing countryside. Soon enough and after a few checks of the map we arrived at the entrance to the mountain we were to climb. We climbed the steps to the viewpoint and were rewarded with a pretty spectacular sight. We had hoped to enjoy a cooling breeze up on the top of our vantage point but the air was so still there wasn’t an inch of movement. Sated by the view and ready to get back on the bikes we spent the last hour of the day whizzing around on the bikes.
The whole area was certainly spectacular to ride around and we felt that it was a definite highlight of Vietnam so far. T
You know you are in for a great day when this is the first sight you see just 2 minutes down the road.
Some Vietnamese enjoying their long weekend.
The start of our gondola ride and even though there were many many other boats it was still very peaceful.
Heading towards our first cave. We were to go the whole way through, under the mountain in front of us.
It was pretty spooky in the caves.
The light at the end of the tunnel!
Some shots of the scenery as we paddled our way around the river.
Back on the bikes and post storm the spectacular views just kept coming
At some points we were stopping to admire views almost as often as we were actually driving.
The steps to climb to the view of Tam Coc. It was incredibly hot and humid at this point.
Ta Da! The iconic view! The water levels were a little high so we didn’t get the definition of the yellows of the rice paddies but I still find it amazing how flat the valley floors are.
The view back and you can see how flat the area is and how the karsts rise out of nothing.
Cooked goat was available on the side of the road, unfortunately we had already organised dinner back at the guesthouse with our hosts.