🇻🇳 The Long Journey South

After spending lots of time in Northern Vietnam; partying in Ha Long Bay, trekking Sapa’s rice terraces and biking through the mountains of the Ha Giang Loop, we began our journey south towards Ho Chi Minh (formerly known as Saigon). With the object of catching the blog up with my travels a little (currently writing this from a bar in Luang Prabang, Laos) I’m going to keep the next few posts short!

Our first stop on this route was Ninh Binh! We’d taken a night bus all the way here from Ha Giang and as is the way in Vietnam we arrived at 3.30am! Thankfully the security guard let us pitch up on the sun loungers – it didn’t do a great deal of work on my tan but I was happy to have a bed that wasn’t on 4 wheels.

We spent the next few days mostly relaxing at the hostel after a busy couple of weeks in the north. If you’re reading this and heading out that way definitely have a look at Banana Tree Hostel – £5 a night, gorgeous setting next to a lake, and their mango shakes aren’t half bad either!

We did eventually venture out on a trek Jamie found out about, to find out why Ninh Binh is often referred to as ‘Halong Bay on land’. After 500 steps we were definitely hoping it would deliver on this reputation! Boy did it deliver though – you can’t ask for much more than beautiful panoramic views and giant dragon statues can you?