Is Ninh Binh Vietnam's Most UNDERRATED Destination? 🇻🇳 Things to Do + Eat

This is amazing, this is beautiful, this is kind of like what it would happen in a Hallmark movie. Vietnamese Hallmark movie. Oh yeah. Ninh Binh, two hours south of Hanoi, and possibly the most underrated place in all Vietnam. Most people fly straight past it. They see the highlights of Hanoi, maybe Da Nang, and call it a trip, which means this, the limestone karst, the rice fields, the ancient temples, the local farms, mostly gets left for the people who do their homework. We, of course, did our homework. Oh my god, that's nuts. It looks so good. This is exactly what I imagined when we planned to come to Vietnam. We have two days in Ninh Binh, a list of things to do that we're not even sure is possible, and a group of 12 travelers who are counting on us to experience this region the tourist local way. The story begins at 9 30 a.m in the quiet town of Ninh Hai. So we arrived to Ninh Binh. This is the second day with our group tour. We also have to mention that and we're having such a great time. We left Hanoi behind and honestly, from what I see so far, this is way more our style to be out in nature. We were talking with the guide and she said it's very important. I mean, Hanoi is a great city, but you know, with 10 million people, it could be a little bit crowded. She really enjoys whenever she goes to the countryside of Vietnam to explore this part of their country. I mean, 75% of this country is mountains and hills, so we have to see this area. And we're starting this morning with a gorgeous bike ride. Now, you guys, as we mentioned, we're on a group trip. So some of this stuff, if you're planning your own itinerary, we're going to try to leave comparable tour options similar to what we're doing in the description. Okay, let's start this day. The route takes us out of town and straight into the rice paddies. Limestone cliffs on one side, farms on the other. That is something. So beautiful with the cliffs. So, so peaceful and everything is flat. What are you ladies thinking about this? You guys enjoying it? It's a good way to start the day. Three words to describe this place, go. Calm, beautiful, and the best freaking morning ever. Eventually, the route leads us to a small temple at the edge of the cliffs, built to honor a local war hero. You know what I like is that they build a temple, but it's synchronized with the nature. Like they don't remove everything. They leave exactly. They leave the rocks. They leave the trees. Everything is like preserved exactly. And of course, Phuong is still with us from the last episode. And we have not stopped asking her how to say things in Vietnamese. Okay. We're working on it. Lunch, however, that we can handle. This is SpiceGarden Tam Coc, conveniently located next to our bike rental spot. And the menu comes out family style. Today, we've got a spread of banana flower salad, rice crackers, spring rolls, ah yes, and goat. The speciality of the area. So we finally got your goat. What's your guys' favorite thing you've tried over here on this table? Now, one thing you should know is Ninh Binh is rural. Things are spread out, so you need a car, a scooter, or an organized tour. English is also less common out here than in Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City, so you'll probably rely more on Google Translate. And without data, navigating a place like this gets complicated fast. That's why we use Olafly. They are our go-to eSIM provider, and they partnered with us on this video. You can scan the QR code before you leave home, and you have data at the moment you arrive. And for us, we had great speeds everywhere we went in Vietnam. Now, here's the part worth paying attention to. If you're on a long trip or you travel often, Olafly also has monthly plan options. So the light plan gives you a hotspot and a set amount of data. And then they also have the unlimited plan, which includes unlimited data, a hotspot, and a number for texting. And you can cancel these at any time, so there's no contracts, and it's really flexible. For people like us, who are always somewhere new, the math on the unlimited plan starts to make a lot of sense. Plus, their plans include this cool feature called Always On, which gives you one gigabyte of emergency data every month for life, even if you cancel. And you guys already know, Code Tourist to Local gets you 5% off of any Olafly eSIM, and we tested out our code on the plans. It'll actually get you 10% off, so save your money with that code. We'll also leave a link for you down in the description. After that amazing lunch, it is time to do some more exploring. So right now, we're going to a river, and we're going on a little boat to keep exploring this place. I'm so excited. It's two of us per boat, and from what I see right now, we should have some amazing views. Hi, guys. Good luck. This is Tam Kok, one of the two main boat tours in Ninh Binh. The other is Trang An, which is larger, longer, and UNESCO-recognized. Tam Kok is shorter, a lot more intimate, and takes you directly through the rice fields. Phong recommended it for our group, and honestly, it's hard to argue with this view. It's not hard to see why people call this the Inland Halong Bay. Limestone carts rise straight out of the water on both sides. The rice fields stretch out between them. It's the first time in days where things have actually slowed down. This is incredible. I was a little worried it would be too busy because of the line, but once you get out here, there's way more space. This valley was once the seat of Vietnam's first independent dynasty. Over 1,000 years ago, emperors ruled from here. The karsts were their palace walls. One thing to keep in mind is Tam Kok boats fit two people plus a rower. Budget around 150,000 dong per person, roughly $6, and tip your rower. And speaking of which, that is a creative way of rowing. I mean, I knew they needed to row, but I never imagined it's going to be with the feet. I mean, it's very clever. It just surprised us. It just surprised us. Look at that. We spent an embarrassing amount of time watching this before we remember we were supposed to be looking at one of the most beautiful landscapes in Southeast Asia. 10 out of 10 technique. Uh-oh, that's going to lose him some points. That's a one out of 10. Nine out of 10, holding the umbrella. 10 out of 10 because they're actually talking to each other, gossiping. What about him? It's very good. It looks pretty winded though. 8 out of 10. You have to be careful about the paparazzi because there's a lot of people in their boat trying to take you a photo and then they will sell it to you in a big price. So weird because all these people, they're waiting for taking photos. Yeah. So funny. This is actually much longer than we expected to be out here and it looks like we're about to go through some small little caves. It looks so good. This is exactly what I imagined when we planned to come to Vietnam. I'm so happy. If I wanted, I can touch this one. I won't do that. I wanted to go in this one, like the Rambo. I cannot tell you Jules how lucky we are because of this group that we have with us traveling. Best group. They're all so funny, so kind, and they're getting along with each other so good. From the first minute. It's amazing. It's like we're best friends from years, you know? Yeah. It's so good and it's making this trip very very special for us. I'm remembering why there's something so special about group travel. You have instant friends who just all get it, even though we all are from completely different backgrounds and ages, and having a guide have all the restaurants ready for us, guiding us around. You don't even have to think. You just show up. This has been so easy and not stressful for us. We've been making videos on the internet for almost 12 years and somehow strangers who found our channel as recently as three months ago trusted us with their vacation. That still doesn't feel real. We have one more group trip this year to Morocco in September with just five spots left. We'll leave a link in the description if you're interested in joining us. How did you like it? That was fun. Yeah? I have never seen something like this. Right? Yeah. This is a unique experience. I know. This place on the planet is inspiring. I know. So gorgeous. How was it? Good. Good? Yeah. Yeah. I couldn't understand a word she said. No. They were talking talking and we're like yeah. I couldn't figure it out. Apparently the King Kong is not a Vietnamese word. They filmed King Kong. So our guide, we managed to get that information. Nice. And Izzy got to practice her Vietnamese. Yeah. You're becoming an expert. I did not go over well. I said what is your name? He said my name is and then I immediately forgot it. Yeah. In English. That happens to me too. We actually got off the This place was built in the 13th century to honor the kings of the Tran dynasty, the rulers who repelled three Mongol invasions and kept Vietnam independent when most of Asia was falling. So this is Tai Vu temple and it is a lot less visited, a lot quieter, and typically something only locals know about. Really cool that we got to stop by here. A lot of decoration, a lot of like fruit, water, beer, Coca-Cola, all the things offering, you know. It's so, it's smaller than a lot of temples, but it's one of my favorites. So beautiful. And yet there are a few things here that stop you in your tracks. There's a man in the corner playing a danh bao, Vietnam's traditional one-string instrument, except his is electric and I'm not entirely sure how to explain this, but it kind of sounds like heavy metal in a 13th century temple dedicated to war heroes. Actually, that tracks perfectly. In every single temple that we're visiting, they have these like karma lessons. Like if you do these during this life, in the next life, something is going to happen, you know, and it's like good and bad things. A lot of examples over here. Blindly supporting mediocre people as if they were virtuous, it's like a rock band, leads to becoming an ordinary person with little ability. Being disloyal to your country, in fact, results in lonely, useless, unskilled life. I don't know, that looks like a pretty good life to me. We were doing that a couple of minutes ago. As it turns out, that temple is new compared to some of the history in this area. After all, before Hanoi was the capital of Vietnam, there was Hoa Lu, and this is what's left of it. The temple of Emperor Dinh Tien Hoang is built on the exact ground where the royal palace stood. In 968, that emperor did something nobody had managed to do in nearly a thousand years. He unified a country that had been tearing itself apart under a dozen different warlords and declared independence from Chinese rule. He chose this valley as his capital specifically because the karst surrounding it made it almost impossible to invade. In 1010, the next dynasty moved the capital north to what is now Hanoi. Hoa Lu became ancient history overnight. We just received a history lesson and also a politics lesson. It was amazing. She knows a lot. The flag that you see over there is the old flag of Vietnam, and it has the different colors representing the different elements. Each color represents each element, but there are five. So beautiful. I don't think any of us prepared our storage enough for this trip because we're all taking videos of everything. Luckily I brought an external charger for my phone because it's already on it. I was totally not sure what to expect with Ninh Binh, but this is one of the most beautiful places we've ever traveled to, and definitely not one that you should skip if you're coming to Vietnam. I think everybody's just amazed right now. Do you like this more or Hanoi more? I prefer this. Yeah, it's more calm. Yeah, it's more relaxing. I do love the city. Yeah, it's good to have both. What do you think of Ninh Binh? You like it? I love it. I love the nature like in the city, right? Yeah. Like you said, controlled chaos. Yeah. Ninh Binh is a lot more peaceful. Yeah, it is. It's my style. I think we needed it. In just an hour and a half, the sun is gonna set, so we don't have any time to waste. Alright guys, what are we doing now? Amazing race. Amazing race? It feels like it. The real amazing race. Our plan is to hike the mountainside of Mua Cave, one of the best viewpoints in Ninh Binh, looking out over the rice fields and cars we've been moving through all day. It's one of the most popular spots in the area. Entry is around a hundred thousand dong, roughly four dollars, and the climb itself is about 30 minutes each way up a stone staircase carved into the mountainside. And we have exactly 30 minutes until sunset. I'm not resting, I'm just taking a photo over here. So apparently there's 500 steps. I think we're about halfway right now. Martin has been the real MVP this trip because not only is he hiking, but he's taking photos of everyone else. So we had to carry the big heavy camera up. And I'm doing weights while I'm doing it. We did it to the top and it wasn't easy. No. If you have that question in your mind. Oh but the group has been such champs. They all did it and the second half is a lot harder because the stairs are bigger and slipperier. That's correct. But whenever you see the view on the top, it's totally worth it. Yeah and we actually, there's a bunch of people crowded looking over at the sunset right now, but we actually went kind of behind the temple to a place. Behind the scenes. Yeah. Don't go all the way up to the dragon though, it's dangerous. There's no guard rails, but over here I think is a good spot. It's kind of hidden. Perfect. Where the temple is, stay there. After a full day of biking, boating, temple hopping, and raising up 500 steps at sunset, we most definitely needed somewhere good to sleep tonight. But for that, we picked Emeralda resort. There are actually two Emeralda resorts in Ninh Binh, so we'll have the QR code on screen and a link in the description so you know exactly which one we stayed at. There's multiple pools, lots of three-line paths to get lost down, and after yesterday's hike, a few members of the group made a very sensible decision and booked themselves into the spa. We respect that completely. Our guide told us this one is one of the nicest hotels in this part of the country, and she was right. It's a gorgeous property. Our group was already exploring the property. We had dinner last night, and today we have an amazing breakfast full of fruits. I'm liking this place. And as tempting as it is to spend all day here by the pool, we actually have a very fun and meaningful activity lined up today, and it might be the one I've been most excited for on this whole trip. Who's ready to go rice farming? So cool. So we were on the bus, and the guide saw these. Hello's here to the side so we can get off to take photos. I'm so happy. Whoa. Xin chào. All the work still by hand, not by the machine, like you. So the farmer, they spend there in the water. It's a very muddy rice fields. I mean, my mother always wear the bare feet, because it's easier for walking. And if you wear the boot, the boot can be stuck in the mud. It's very, very difficult for moving. And my mother, the maximum she made from the farming is about 600 American dollars per year. Wow. Maximum. Normally the rice she made from the her husband. And some for the chicken farm, or duck farm, or pig farm from her, maybe. So that's why all the work for the farmer in Vietnam is by having the different farms at home. Every farmer in Vietnam have a duck farm, chicken farm, pig farms, and the water buffalo farms. Not big like those. One pig, one water buffalo. And when the pigs are very big, they sell them for the bigger monies. So all the farmers in Vietnam, they're busy all year round. We're getting ready in order to get to the field. So we're putting this. I'm upset without socks. So it feels weird. I look like Beyonce. It looks great. You guys signed up for the tourist local experience. This is it. So for context, when we heard fishing on a local farm, we pictured fishing lines, maybe a rod, a bucket. Instead, outcome these large basket traps. Fung demonstrates how to use it. And we watch very carefully and understand absolutely nothing about what that is supposed to accomplish. So this basket I found out is for fish. We'll see how this works out. And then before we can process any of that, a few members of our group got selected to carry a bamboo balance across their shoulders, the kind you've seen in every photo of Vietnamese farmers loaded with the rice we're about to plant. And then there's this thing. Still don't know what it's that for. For context, this local farm opened their doors to us to give us a real look at what life on the farm is like. And this is not available to the public. So you won't find it on any booking sites. But we'll link a similar option below if you're looking to get down and dirty like we're about to. Wow, you look fantastic. Actually, let's have a little bit of Latino charm. Yeah. Rico suave. I think secretly everybody was waiting to use this type of hats, you know, so stereotypical from here from the rice fields that we needed to do it. Yeah. First, we catch our fish. The idea is simple. Wait in. Use the bucket to trap the fish. Stick your hand in to grab them and put them into your fish purse. Oh, of course, Isabel. How many have you caught so far? Two with a lot of help. Are they in the basket? They're in the basket. I don't know if you can see them or not. Wow. Oh, my God. Wow. That's crazy. Oh, my God. That's nuts. Can you put them in my bucket or something? Yeah, throw it in there. First, the fish purse. How many have you caught? Some people are more comfortable with this concept than I am. Alexis and I discover simultaneously and without prior discussion that we have a deep and previously unknown fear to picking up fish. The locals find this very funny. And he'll get tired. I can't do it. This is a little too much. You got it. You're doing fine. I know we got to eat. What do I even grab? The fish. Grabbing the whole fish. OK, I could do this. This is really I'm learning. I don't like that. Whoa. Oh, it was small. It almost went into yours. At least I tried it. I tried. Have three. Oh, really? No, of course not. I haven't. Where are you? Don't run away from me. No, but it's going to it's going to it's a slippery. Whoa. You caught that all yourself. All myself. It's on camera. All myself. Yes. Thank you. Holy. Is she good? She's good. Good. Then we move into planting the rice, which is luckily a lot easier. Oh, that's a great photo. OK, this is a great, great activity. I mean, it's hard to fish. And it's also we are learning how hard it is to put the rice over here. But I think it's super fun. We are appreciating a lot more, you know, the lunch that we're going to have. I don't know. We've been doing this for a while now. And this job, as lucky as we are to have it, can be isolating in ways that are hard to explain. Weeks away from home, friendships that are harder and harder to maintain across time zones. Sometimes the sites start to blur together. Film, edit, post on to the next one. But you know what we always remember? The people, the experiences. That day, we tried catching fish with our bare hands, while 12 strangers from the Internet laughed around us. As wonderful as travel is, I think it's actually community that we've been craving the most. And while some of you look to us as the self-proclaimed experts who help you plan your trip, we found that it was these viewers who were inspiring us most on this trip. The way they entered the mud without hesitation, asked the most thoughtful questions to our guide. The 23-year-old and the 70-year-old, knee-deep in the same field, planting rice the same way Vietnamese farmers have been doing for centuries. For one moment, it felt like tourist to local, this thing we've been working on for 12 years, became a real tangible concept that we could see. And that maybe, just maybe, this is a really good thing. You just got a soup, but you cannot eat it by yourself. You eat it with this rice cracker. And it's a special food from Ninh Binh. Exactly. We're getting used to, every single time we're eating, that they bring like 10 dishes. You have to grab a little bit of everything. You haven't finished your plate and they bring you another one. It's crazy. Lunch on the farm was delicious. And let me just say that rice tastes different when you know what went into planning it. We take the rest of the afternoon off to relax at the hotel. And at sunset, we grabbed the resort's bikes to join the rush hour traffic as the sun sets. At the sunset in Vietnam, are you kidding me? This is kind of like what will happen in a Hallmark movie. Right? Yeah. Vietnamese Hallmark movie. Oh yeah. Xin chào, Xin chào, Xin chào. So as we roll past these limestone cliffs one last time, we already know that this is one of those trips that will stick out for us. So dear viewer, promise us this. Say hello to strangers in the local language. Eat the dish you can't pronounce and decide if you like it later. Get in the mud, literally, if you have to. Ask the questions that feel too personal. You'll be surprised how often people want to answer them. Keep your guides well. Take local transportation. Get up at 6am to see how a city feels before anyone else is awake. And when presented with the opportunity to embarrass yourself, take it. Because the sights will blur together eventually. The experiences, like today, won't. Next week, we're heading to Halong Bay and we have a feeling the best is still ahead. So long, travel well, and make the world your neighborhood.