Ninh Binh, Vietnam (November 26, 2025)
Today was one of the most memorable of my trip so far. I even wrote up a full review on Trip Advisor. Why? It was all the things. I was picked up on a luxurious bus and whisked off to Ninh Binh. Everything that was described in the full day packaged was exponentially better than I had imagined. The guide was awesome and gave me a full crash course in Vietnam geo-politics, history and economics. So even the bus ride was entertaining and engaging — for the better part of 2 hours!
But the first event was the boat. It was spectacular. The views were breathtaking — everywhere you looked. From the mountains in the distance to the blooming lotuses in the water. Even the grave stones were magnificent to look upon.
Yes, I love the hat they gave me to protect my face from the sun. Sure, I could have worn my own large brim hat, but when in Vietnam … Besides, it added to the whole day and certainly to all the pictures. Our guide flawlessly drove us with her FEET and legs the whole way — several miles. It was about a 2 hour journey from start to finish.
At the end, she asked me if I wanted to give it a try. Me? Of course!
Impossible! I have no idea how she did it with such ease and grace!
After giving it my best shot (and our guide having a fully belly laugh at my expense … all in good fun, of course), she suggested that I switch to arms just to see how I’d do.
Now we’re talking. This is what I know and did well … sort of
I impressed our guide who took a much needed break and allowed me to row for a bit. I got a good workout, but quickly saw why she used her feet. Rowing backwards was much more efficient, but left me blind to the other boats. She helped me navigate and we did already, but rowing with your legs has the other advantage of allowing you to see what’s up in front of you.
But what really blew me away was how she deftly navigated the water cave with big stalactites that would have taken our heads clean off if she didn’t navigate around them AND the other boats going through at the same time. SOOOO impressive. She earned that big tip at the end.
And can I just say that underwater caves are SO COOL! On my adventure around the world, I’ve had an opportunity to see many, many caves and I love them all in their own unique way, but there’s something about boating through an underwater fortress that stands out from the rest. It also helps that they light it up really well.
Next was a buffet lunch which was fine, but I wolfed it down so that I could spend more time on the free mountain bikes they provided. Essentially, I got to ride into town and then retrace part of the boat path on my bike on land. This was part of my “integrated exercise.” Start with rowing, then hit the bike for at least 30 minutes, and then do over 1,000 steps. Yep, you read that right. The next part is the “main attraction” even though if the day ended here I would have been thrilled. Did I mention that all of this cost under $50 USD (including lunch, transportation, entrance tickets, boat, bike and guides). What?
I took this picture from the top of Ninh Binh — it’s not downloaded!
I realize that I’m jumping the gun just a little bit, because before we take to the steps (many of which you can see pictured above) we first visited the temple associated with this area. That was it’s own educational experience where we learned more history. Like the city’s name “Hanoi” means “Inside the [Red] River.” And it’s where the capital was moved to when the original location (which might have been Ninh Binh or very nearby if memory serves) was getting two crowded and lacked the kind of “moat-like” defence that the rivers provide Hanoi.
Okay, NOW it’s time to hike up the 1,000 steps and get some epic views of Vietnam. And I’ll just say the ONLY regret is that I didn’t know to stay at the hotel that is at the base of Ninh Binh. It looks amazing. I had no idea that there was this playground built around the base of Ninh Binh.
So yeah, if there was just ONE thing I would like more of from today, it’s time. Especially time here at the base to explore and play. Instead, I went straight for the steps and spend all my time going up and down both sides of Ninh Binh and got some great pictures.
Last year when my family and I visited Bend, Oregon, we stopped at a McDonald’s for dinner before arriving at my brother and sister-in-law’s house (Jack and Nancy Robson). While we were waiting for our food, the young girl at the fry machine just about dumped hot oil all over herself. It was a scary moment. When her manager walked over to her she asked her to do something and the young girl replied, “Sure thing, just give me a moment. My heart just dropped down to my asshole.”
My family and I couldn’t stop laughing. Well, when I was taking those pictures at the top, you see I posed with a lean back front kick and lost my footing for a brief moment. Only then did I experience that exact feeling the young girl shared almost a year ago. It was a great reminder to SLOW DOWN and not ham it up for the camera when I’m several thousand feet up on a mountain in Vietnam. Turns out I was on a sheer rock cliff and hadn’t noticed. Phew. That would have SUCKED if I had lost my footing and took a tumble — all for the picture. Not worth it. I should know better at age 52.
