Why this UNESCO-listed landscape is a serene alternative to Ha Long Bay
The sound of cicadas, the gentle sound of paddles, crystal clear water surrounded by dramatic limestone karst peaks, floating through lantern-lit caves.
This might be a typical description of Vietnam’s Ha Long Bay, visited by 2.2 million international arrivals in 2025, but as you might guess from the title of this story, it is not.
I’m in Ninh Binh, less than 100 kilometers south of Hanoi, and while the rocks jutting from the tranquil landscape are as imposing as those in Ha Long Bay, the karst towers here are surrounded by lakes, rice fields, villages and forests.
Sitting in a traditional wooden sampan, I paddle through the Trang An landscape. During our 2.5-hour track, we pass high karst islands, forests, temples and at one point a juicy pink water lily field.
In the summer heat, other boats are easily recognized by their canopies made of colorful sun umbrellas. I only lower mine when the boats are swimming towards the many spectacular caves and we all lean forward to clear the rock safely.
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The landscape in the Trang Red River Delta, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is a relatively new tourist attraction in Vietnam. Official tourist tours in Trang An began in 2014, when it became a UNESCO site. It was only in 2020 that independent kayaking became an option. This late start has allowed Ninh Binh to learn from experiences in other Vietnamese tourist destinations and hopefully retain the qualities that make this region so special.
It’s not a tourism utopia, but if I compare it to my cruise experience in Ha Long Bay, the difference is stark. Here the water is clean, the environment is sheltered and garbage-free, and the atmosphere is calm.
In Ha Long Bay, the water had an oily sheen from oil, there was garbage floating next to the boat, and huge cargo ships blocked the view of the horizon. Yes, that trip was ten years ago and although my negative experience was just bad luck, development has continued apace and the damage caused by pollution still makes headlines despite efforts to improve the tourism experience and protect the environment.
Ninh Binh is not under the same environmental pressures as Ha Long Bay and is also better at dispersing visitors. During the four days I spent there, I biked, took a boat, visited pagodas and ancient cities, climbed mountains, experienced a little of traditional village life and culture, ate in small family restaurants, and drank ice-cold beer by the lantern-lit riverside.
My e-bike tour guide Nga Tran, who has a master’s degree in sustainable tourism, knows that many people will see Ninh Binh’s growing popularity as a chance to make easy money. He is hopeful that nature-focused tourism that supports local villages and cultures will be supported.
She is doing her part by organizing a cooking lesson and lunch with a local family that we enjoyed as part of our tour, to help create demand for authentic and sustainable experiences.
While cycling through the countryside, we pass sun loungers lined up along the river near a local guesthouse.
Watching the sunset over the rice fields in Ninh Binh is now the number one evening activity and may remain so for a long time.
DETAIL
VISIT
Boats going to Trang An Landscape Complex leave Trang An pier starting at 7 am. The last boat leaves around 15.00. Adult tickets cost 250,000 VND ($14). Tam Coc offers a shorter but equally scenic journey. The ticket office at Van Lam Pier in Tam Coc opens at 7.30 in the morning, the last boats leave at 3.30 in the afternoon. Rent a bike or e-bike and tour independently, or join a guided bike tour to combine culture and scenery. To see Vietnambiketravel.com
FLY
Vietnam Airlines offers nonstop flights from Melbourne and Sydney to Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City starting at $475 one-way. To see vietnamairlines.com
TO STAY
A superior room at Pullman Ninh Binh costs USD 130. To see pullmanninhbinh.com
The author was a guest of Pullman Ninh Binh.
