Ninh Bình is a popular tourist spot as it’s only a couple hours south of Hanoi. The main attractions are not in the city itself, but to the east of it. It’s an area with many caves, temples and waterways. Contrary to most visitors, I arrived from the south, having spent about a week away from built-up areas. It was nice to be in a busy place again.
It’s sometimes said among travellers in Vietnam that there isn’t much worth seeing between Huế and Hanoi. This is actually true if you’re following the coast. I met a fellow from Vinh, whom I asked about things to do there. He said there wasn’t anything, aside from Uncle Ho’s hometown nearby. That’s why he lived in Huế. However, on the western side of Vietnam you can find one of Vietnam’s greatest natural blessings: Phong Nha – Khe Bang national park, home of Vietnam’s biggest cave system, including Hang Son Doong – the biggest cave in the world.
If you enter Vietnam through Ho Chi Minh city, you may be taken aback by all the concrete and highways, and think as I did – ‘where are all the rice fields and stuff?’ Well, there are plenty in Bình Định province. I’d spent most of the previous day driving past rice fields. I woke up in Quảng Ngãi on Saturday the 9th of April, and was still to pass quite a few fields before I arrived in Hội An.
Quảng Ngãi town wasn’t great for me – it seemed like part of the highway and not like the idyllic villages I’d been passing through. I wasn’t there long though.
Twist and Click 