Ninh Binh is a tourist destination that attracts not only local tourists. Almost visitors travel to Ninh Binh admire the beauty and tenderness of poetry. But also very spectacular with a series of scenic spots. Such as Trang An, Tam Coc-Bich Dong, Van Long lagoon, … Each Ninh Binh’s destinations all have extremely different and profound characteristics, creating a highlight to attract more and more tourists come to visit.
How Ninh Binh Is Unique?
If you come to this ancient land but you do not visit Trang An Ninh Binh tourist area. It will be indeed a huge omission. With its spectacular scenery, Trang An is a UNESCO-recognized cultural heritage site so many foreign tourists often want to explore this place. If you are still not sure which Ninh Binh belongs to, the answer is that Ninh Binh is a piece of land located between the three regions of the Northwest, North Central and Red River Delta. It only 90km away from the center of Hanoi capital. Perhaps because it is located in such a favorable location. This place is intersected by different cultures and also owns its World-Recognized Heritage.
Top Things To Do In Ninh Binh?
1. Trang An
If you come to this ancient land. But you do not visit Trang An Ninh Binh tourist area. It is indeed a huge omission. With its spectacular scenery, Trang An is a UNESCO-recognized cultural heritage site so many tourists want to explore this place daily.
To enjoy the view to Trang An. You will be sitting on a boat to admire the scenery and sometimes go through caves to admire the stones with fancy shapes. However, according to Trang An Ninh Binh travel experience, in the peak season here often crowded with thousands of visitor. You will even have to wait quite high to have a boat to go there.
2. Mua Cave
Besides the familiar locations, the Mua Cave is one of the most recently mentioned places in Ninh Binh travel guide. Many people fondly call this place the name “The Great Wall of China”. Come here, you will have to climb quite high, but once conquered, you will be overwhelmed by the majestic natural scenery of this land.
In particular, do not forget to take virtual photos here, make sure you will have sparkling pictures to see. Complementing the Ninh Binh Cave Touring experience in your trip. This beauty sport is one of the most famous one for photographer to take the panorama of Tam Coc picture.
3. Tam Coc Bich Dong
Tam Coc Bich Dong is also compared to Ha Long on land. Because it is covered with majestic mountains, lush green rivers gently flowing and immense fields. If you want to see the whole view of Tam Coc Bich Dong, you should venture to climb a high mountain. Especially from Mua Cave peak, make sure you will not regret somewhere.
Just like Trang An, Tam Coc Ninh Binh travel experience you will have to go by rowing boat down the poetic river and in turn admire 3 caves with successive mountains creating a picture of nature.
4. Hoa Lu Ancient Capital
Hoa Lu was originally an ancient capital of three Vietnamese dynasties. So it still retains architectural features from ancient times. Go to Hoa Lu ancient capital, you will visit the temple of King Dinh, King Le and other architectural works.
5. Van Long Nature Reserve Center.
According to Ninh Binh tourism experience of many people, there is also an extremely hot place that not everyone knows. That is Van Long. To enjoy the beautiful scenery here, you will also have to go on a boat and admire the limestone mountains with many different shapes such as Meo scratch mountain, Mam Xoi mountain, Mo Co mountain…
6. Bai Dinh Pagoda
Revealing to you, Bai Dinh Pagoda is the largest temple in Vietnam and also established with many records. Such as the temple with the largest bronze Buddha image in Asia, the pagoda with Maitreya statue in large bronze. Best one in Asia … Bai Dinh Temple is not only a spiritual place for you to pray for luck. But this place is also a huge and beautiful architecture.
With the scene like a fairy-tale place. Bai Dinh Pagoda makes anyone who comes here will feel the peace and tranquility in their souls.
7. 
Cuc Phuong National Park
It’s Vietnam’s largest National Park with many endangered species of plants and animals. Located deep in the Tam Diep mountain range. Cuc Phuong National Park is characterized by tropical, green rainforest year-round. In addition to the rich and diverse biological system, Cuc Phuong National Park also has a unique culture, characterized as this is the residence of the Muong community. The famous with the houses on stilts and terraced fields, upland rice mortars, brocade weaving looms, …
8. Am Tien Cave (Wonderful Love Coc)
Am Tien Cave, also known as the famous swordplay Tuyet Tinh Coc in Ninh Binh. It’s located in the ancient ruins of Hoa Lu. Most of the area of Am Tien Cave is flooded and surrounded by rocky cliffs.
9. Thung Nham Bird Garden
If you are a nature and animal lover. You will utter in awe at the beauty of Thung Nham bird garden. It is not an exaggeration to say that the place is an interesting natural picture. Few people doubt that this large ecological garden has up to 40 different species with about 50,000 birds. Visitors can slowly enjoy the feeling of sitting on a boat, slowly watching the flocks of white birds hovering in the sky screaming.
10. Hoa Lu Ancient Capital
Nearly 100km from Hanoi, Hoa Lu Ninh Binh is not only known as an ancient capital with many valuable historical sites but also a destination with many attractive landscapes waiting for you to explore.
When Is The Best Time To Travel To Ninh Binh?
Because it is in the humid tropics, the climate here is often hot in summer. But from June to end of August. It’s rainy season. According to Ninh Binh’s travel experience of many people, to have the most complete trip, you can start your journey at the following the times best time to visit Ninh Binh as below. January & February: This is the time when Ninh Binh enters the festive season so many people often choose to travel here. However, this time is usually quite crowded! April & May: At this time, the weather is dry, mild sunshine and sometimes still a bit chilly of spring. September: This is the time to step into the ripe rice season, the natural scenery as covered by the golden color of the fields. Moreover, at this time, the weather has lessened harsh sunlight, very suitable for you to explore Ninh Binh.
History Of Ninh Binh Province
According to the documents of the historian and researchers. It has been found in the book history – the name of Ninh Binh officially dating from 1822 (Minh Mang King). Prior to the name and place of Ninh Binh. This place is an ancient land where people lived very early from the Stone Age. But the vestiges remain in the Thung Lang (Tam Diep) dating sites 10000 years. In the Dang Dang (Cuc Phuong) 7000 – 8000 years ago. When Dinh Bo Linh finished 12 colonies, unified the country established Dinh dynasty (968-980) located in Hoa Lu, the land is called Dai Hoang.
Experiencing many historical paths, to the Nguyen dynasty this land was officially named Ninh Binh. Over the course of nearly two centuries, Ninh Binh has had at least 20 changes in administrative units, boundaries and names, but basically the territory and name of the name remain the same. like nowadays.
The ancient land of Ninh Binh was the capital of Vietnam in the period 968 – 1010 with three dynasties. Dinh dynasty, Le dynasty and Ly dynasty. It’s also very important military areas through historical periods. Currently, with a special position on transportation, terrain, cultural history and at the same time owns two world heritage sites and biosphere reserves in the world. Ninh Binh is now a hot tourist destination. Potential rich and diverse.
What To Eat In Ninh Binh?
Not only famous for tourist destinations. But Ninh Binh also makes tourists love by attractive specialties. If you are not sure what to eat in Ninh Binh, please note our suggestions as below.
1. Rice crust (com chay)
The very first dish is rice crust – the most renowned food in Ninh Binh. Totally made from white rice, the crust has a unique flavor that cannot be mistaken to any crust made in other areas. The crust has the light yellow of crunchy fried rice with the savor of rice and fat of salted shredded pork.
It is available for sale all around the province, from crowded streets to tourism destinations such as Bai Dinh temple, Trang An, Tam Coc, and even on the highway; therefore, it is easy to buy the delicious dish.
2. Kim Son raw Nhech fish salad
Being one of the most famous Ninh Binh specialties, the raw Nhech fish salad makes tourists ‘fall in love at first try’. The fish must be fresh, about 400g with fat white belly along with dark green back. Through meticulous process to make the salad not sickly, thus diners can feel the flavor of fried sticky rice, sour vinegar, cozy spice of ginger, pepper, chilli and lemongrass. To enjoy the best taste, visitors must eat the salad made in Ninh Binh.
3. Mountainous edible snails
The mountainous edible snails have become popular recently. This kind of snails is quite rare since they live in rocky holes and only go out for food in rainy season from April to August. They can be found in almost all mountains in Ninh Binh, but most of them live in limestone mountains in Tam Diep, Yen Mo and Nho Quan.
It is hard to catch them when they are still in the holes, so, catchers need to wait for them to crawl out of the holes in the early morning. Due to the tender, crunchy, sweet taste and herbal smell, they can be cooked with different ingredients to form various dishes.
4. Raw goat meat with lemon
The ancient Hoa Lu – the abundant land with numerous limestone mountains is an ideal place to grow goat for meat to make food, among of which, raw goat with lemon is the top highlight. Through a lot of stages to remove rancidity, the dish is served with edible leaves and fruits, especially ‘tuong ban’ (Vietnamese sauce made from soybean, rice, and salt). Not only is it delicious, the food is also nutritious and good for health.
5. Yen Mac fermented pork roll
Yen Mac is well-known for the traditional roll made from pork. The ingredients are simple but the making progress is not simple at all. By the skillful hands of the local, the roll remaining the pink color of raw pork combining with the white of sliced skin with both lightly sour and spicy flavor.
It is a good chance to enjoy the fermented pork meat while contemplating busy streets and chatting with friends
Diners should eat with guava leaves or fig leaves and fish sauce mixed with garlic and chili so as to enjoy the entire special flavor.
6. Sweet and sour soup of perch
This is a popular dish in the sunken fields of Ninh Binh. Every Vietnamese housewife knows how to make this soup, but the perchs in Tong Truong – a place with many caves, are different. Made from carefully chosen fish, the soup is a combination of sour pickles and fresh tomatoes and tofu.
The sweet and sour perch soup will blow away the summer heat and warm up your body in winter
7. Cellophane noodles with eel
Beside rice crust, raw goat with lemon, glass noodles with eel is also famous. Unlike eel in other areas, in Ninh Binh, the eels have pink brown back and golden belly while the meat is savory and firm. The food is served with banana flower to increase the savor and remove the sickly smell.
8. Fried crab with piper lolot
A rustic dish with country flavor that tourists should not miss is fried crab with lolot. Fat crab caught in fields cooked with shredded lolots will surprise diners from the first bite. In the past, this dish was only served in poor family, but these days, it has become a specialty attracting a lot of tourists.
9. Stew fish with Leichhardt pine
This dish is quite unique and unusual. Leichhardt trees are often found in streams or the footage of hills. Leichhardt pines are sour, fresh and savory, so they are used in sour soup along with tamarind and dracontomelon. However, the fruit is best cooked with fish.
10. Stuffed sticky rice balls
The list of Ninh Binh specialties is not complete if it does not have stuffed sticky rice balls. Typically, this dish is made from rustic ingredients, but in Ninh Binh, inside the balls, there are brown sugar, ground peanuts and chopped crossostephium chinensis leaves, which make it specific. Freshness and light sweetness, as well as flavor of the crossostephium chinensis leaves and grapefruit flower will become an unforgettable experience for tourists.
11. To Nhu rice noodles with soup and meatballs
Another special food of Ninh Binh is To Nhu rice noodles with soup and meatballs. As the name, the dish includes rice noodles, meatballs, veggies and soup. However, if other regions place all the ingredients into a big bowl, chefs in To Nhu put each ingredient into different plates for customers to eat until they are full. If you have a chance to visit Phat Diem church, don’t forget to try this dish.
12. Nho Quan sticky rice with ant egg
Nho Quan has craggy limestone mountains which are home of red wood ants whose eggs are used to eat with sticky rice. In every lunar February, the local begin to collect the eggs. To find the nest with most eggs, catchers have to observe carefully. After gathering the eggs, they wash them with warm water, let dry for a while, then mix with spices and cook. To the local citizens, the dish is a precious gift from the nature.
13. Gia Vien shrimp paste
Coming to Ninh Binh, tourists should try shrimp paste as a way to enjoy the unique Ninh Binh cuisine. The paste is made from fresh small shrimp, mixed with roasted rice flour, salt and water. After processed, the paste needs to rest for at least one month before cooked.
14. Lai Thanh wine
Being a specialty of Kim Son, Lai Thanh wine is named after Lai Thanh commune – the first place created this wine. From the best glutinous rice, clean water, good ferment and strict progress, the people here has made a kind of wine that the longer the wine is, the tastier it is.
15. Nho Quan wine drunk out of a jar through pipes (Ruou can Nho Quan)
Nho Quan wine drunk out of a jar through pipes is one of the special cuisines in Ninh Binh. Vacationers can come there to try or also buy for their friends, family as a gift. Ruou Can is poured into a jar, the size of the jar will depend on cutomers’ choice. Making wine is uneasy since it must undergo several stages: from selecting ingredient to processing and calculating the appropriate time – the most important step.
Not only is one of Ninh Binh specialties, the wine also belongs to the Vietnamese culture
The main ingredient depends on the region, it may be corn, rice or cassava, but the best is sticky rice. If the sticky rice is newly-harvested, the wine will be good. In addition, alcohol yeast is also crucial. It is made from the peel of trees mixed with chili powder, ginger powder, rice powder and water, then cut into smaller pieces and dried in 10-15 days, crushed and mixed with the dried mixture of cooked rice and rice hulls, which is kept in the vase in 1-2 days, then dried banana tree’s leaves are covered on the surface of the mixture in one month before the wine is ready to drink.
The longer the wine is kept, the better taste it has; each material has its own taste. Drinking ruou can while having a piece of com chay Ninh Binh (Rice Crust) is the best.