Ninh Binh

प्रकाशित: 22.11.2022

We continued our journey to Ninh Binh by bus.

Upon arrival, our beautiful private bungalow awaited us in a lovely homestay, located a bit secluded in Tam Coc. The accommodation was truly stunning, with a great pool right outside our door and a shower with a glass wall (yes, we really missed that - pure luxury, as most showers consist of a drain in the middle of the bathroom, causing the entire bathroom to flood).

Fortunately, our sleeping arrangement for the next three nights was such a stroke of luck (only €6 per person per night!!), and we both felt very comfortable there, as Anna's cold was quite evident upon arrival. Therefore, we took the next few days to take care of her health and recover from our busy travel schedule. The owner of the homestay was super sweet, just like her little daughter with the nickname Pumpkin. A traveler from India drew a beautiful portrait of the little girl. There was a small garden in the courtyard with succulents and fruits like pomelos and star fruits. The owner spoke very little English but still wanted to interact with us. She communicated with us using a small translation device, and we were able to have interesting conversations. Among other things, she showed us how to peel and slice a pomelo and we got to taste it. She also regularly provided Anna with ginger tea and tissues.

On the first day, we slept in and took it slow. In the afternoon, we drove into the city of Ninh Bin on our scooter, had something to eat there, and then explored Tam Coc on the scooter for a while. There was a big wedding with a lot of karaoke singing taking place near our accommodation. We took a short walk there and were invited by the wedding party, which we politely declined.

On the next day, we didn't leave the bungalow area. Anna recovered from her illness, and Emilie enjoyed a day of relaxation without any plans.

On the last day, we rode our scooter to Ninh Bin and took a 3-hour canoe trip on the river. We went through several kilometers of caves in the water (Emilie experienced a similar feeling of claustrophobia as on the night bus) and passed beautiful palm trees, mountains, and temple complexes. In the evening, we took the night bus to Hoi An. Our hostess bid us farewell with a pomelo and hugs (translated quote: 'You each have two valuable pomelos, take care of them!' She was referring to our breasts).

While waiting at the bus station for the delayed bus, we struck up a conversation with Emilie's acquaintance Luke from the previous night bus. Amused, he told us that Emilie accidentally cuddled up to him while sleeping. However, she doesn't remember anything about it. Since Luke happened to be staying at the same hostel as us in Hoi An, we teamed up and even managed to get comfortable single sleeping spots on the bus, making the long journey more bearable.