One of our best memories and trips this year was to Hanoi and parts of North Vietnam. Our day trip to Trang An and the Ninh Binh (pronounced Ning Been) province cruising through a river, caves and temples with a stop at Skull Island used for the King Kong movie set was quite an adventure. Read all about this long but worthy day trip that also included a stop in the country’s largest pagoda complex.
Getting There
The day trip started with hotel pickups in Hanoi and we made our way to Trang An which was about two hours away. Luckily, we were on an air-conditioned and comfortable bus. We passed through towns and many rice fields along the way which was a great insight into some parts of the country.
Exploring The Bai Dinh Pagoda
Our first stop was the Bai Dinh Pagoda. This was Southeast Asia’s largest pagoda complex with several Buddhist temples, religious structures, a lake and parks.
We needed to ride an electric car from the entrance to the first temple because of the large area. Since we couldn’t cover everything and would take days to do, our tour guide took us to the lower level and a few structures instead.
The compound has an original old temple and newly created larger temple. Many visitors come here from all over Vietnam to pay their respects, pray for good luck and for the resident monks to tell them their fortunes.
We really enjoyed seeing the 500 carved Arhat (enlightened person in Buddhism) stone statues around the pagoda’s pathways. It was interesting to see so many of them.
The local villages carved these unique statues. They had various poses and facial expressions including some fun and whimsical ones.
Most of the statues had black spots in various areas, particularly the knees and bellies, from visitors rubbing them for good luck. Of course, we rubbed a few of them as we walked along the corridor.
One of the most imposing structures that was visible from many places was the Bao Thap Tower or stupa. Visitors can go up to the 13th floor of this structure to get the best view of the complex from a height of 328 ft. (100 m). Unfortunately, we didn’t have enough time to even get close to the base of the stupa.
The Great Bell
We also visited the “Great Bell” within the complex. A multi-story wooden structure housed this impressive bell. It was huge and weighed up to 36 tons.
You can see its massive size compared to my son in this photo. The bell tower provides a close-up look of the “Great Bell” but also beautiful panoramic views of the area.
Kuan-Yin Hall and the Golden Buddha
The first building we entered was Kuan-Yin Hall. There was a remarkable bronze and golden Buddha statue with 1000 eyes and arms here and flanked by two cranes.
Our guide told us that she was an underwater king’s daughter who was made into a Buddha after her death. Though, there were a couple of statues here that were carved from one large tree that were also quite extraordinary. The left photo was one of them.
The Buddha Dharma Lord Temple housed another massive golden Buddha statue. This one was a bit blinding and hard to imagine how they built it. Its background was very ornate and regal. We found some gifts and a lot of incense from many worshippers in front of the statues.
Our group spent about two hours here. I wish we had a bit more time since the other structures looked interesting including a pagoda and even bigger Buddha statue higher up, the old pagoda on the mountain slopes and some natural caves to explore. They told us the monks lived higher up and also came down once in awhile.
Many of the tour groups, including ours, stopped at a local restaurant which looked more like a large dining hall. We had a Vietnamese-style buffet lunch with many options from fruits, vegetables, meats (including goat) and dessert.
There was something there for various taste buds and even picky eaters like my teen daughter. Drinks were not included but were quite cheap and with various beer, juice and soft drink choices.
Cruising and Visiting Trang An Landscape Complex
It was a short 15-minute ride to the entrance of Trang An. This whole area was so picturesque and looked like ideal postcard scenes at almost every turn.
Trang An has been designated a Scenic Landscape Complex and a part of the UNESCO mixed world heritage site. It is filled with lush forest, rice fields, natural caves, rivers and surrounded by mountains and karst limestone formations.
The best way to see the area is through a traditional sampan or rowboat cruise along the Sao Khe River. Our 2.5-hour river cruise here was one of the highlights of our Vietnam trip. It was also one of the best day trips we’ve ever taken and definitely an unforgettable adventure.
Most of the rowers were women and it was so amazing to watch them effortlessly row 4-5 people along the river for miles, in the heat and humidity and navigating through caves and small islands.
Our rower actually allowed my husband and son to help her row a few times at the wide areas. They can attest to how difficult and grueling it was even for a short time.
There were several routes along the river but all visit caves and temples along the way. I guess our tour group had a pre-determined route based on our time restriction. For the most part, they tried to keep the groups together and the rowers formed a sort of formation to follow each other along the river,
It was a relaxing trip and a wonderful way to enjoy the scenery. We were surrounded by an extensive karst system which are defined as land area made of limestone formed from the Earth’s crust movements.
We found an enchanting landscape of many limestone islands, towering cliffs, verdant valleys, caves and impressive formations. There’s a reason this stunning area has been called the “Halong Bay on Land”. It was so green everywhere and even the water was clear to see algae and small fish.
It was really hard to stop taking pictures during our cruise and the one day trip we took the most photos. There were so many lovely areas and in some places, pictures can’t truly capture its beauty.
The Temple
It was a pleasant surprise to hear music while we were cruising the river. We passed by this temple with a trio of performers including a singer. Her soothing voice and song fit right in with the tranquil environment. It was certainly a memorable experience.
The Limestone Caves
My kids’ favorite part of this river cruise was going through the four limestone caves. It was a fun journey through these natural caves as we sometimes had to bend down to pass through some areas. The rock formations were so beautiful and unique.
We’ve visited our fair share of rivers but these caves were unique with beautiful formations. Some areas even had shiny stalactites.
Once again, we were in awe of the women as they expertly rowed us through some narrow passageways. They enlarged to allow these boats to pass through.
King Kong Skull Island
One of our stops was surprisingly to the movie set of “Kong: Skull Island” (about King Kong). We’ve never seen the movie but familiar enough with King Kong.
We saw over 30 cone-shaped straw structures that resembled a village. I wish they had signs to tell us what the structures were and their purpose for some of us who didn’t watch the movie.
There were also some other props to make it look like a working village. We also some people dressed in costumes based on the movie’s fictional tribe by the structures to add a little bit of authenticity.
We also found guns and an American aircraft propped up by the river. It looked out of place amidst the mountains, rock formations and lush tropical background.
This short break provided a nice break for us and the rowers. Though, this reconstructed movie set will soon be removed to preserve the area and avoid potential damages to this UNESCO World Heritage site.
Of course, a rock formation was here that looked a lot like King Kong’s profile. Can you see it?
That may have just been a coincidence and may precisely be the reason why this area was used as part of the movie set. But, you can still see this rock despite the movie set going away in the future.
Tips for Visiting Bai Dinh Pagoda and Trang An
- Book a tour. The best and easiest way to see these attractions is by booking a tour that includes these two places. Many of the tours include pick-up and drop-offs at many lodging places in Hanoi, lunch, electric car at the pagoda, river cruise, a tour guide and an air-conditioned bus.
It’s possible to use local transportation to get to these places but it’s more convenient with tours. Prices are very reasonable and average between $30-$40 USD for a whole day. Pre-book a tour online or at one of the many agencies around Hanoi.
- Restroom Breaks. We had a quick stopover at an arts and crafts building that also sold many souvenirs, snacks and drinks before getting to the pagoda. Be sure to use the restroom facilities here. Several handicapped individuals do beautiful embroidery here. They were incredible to watch and with such amazing talent.
- The boat boarding area in Trang An has clean and modern restroom facilities and several vendors selling drinks, food and snacks. There were also some benches to sit by the river to watch all the action.
- Bai Dinh Pagoda is a religious complex. Wear appropriate clothing that covers shoulders and knees especially inside the temples.
- While the entrance to the Bai Dinh pagoda complex is free, it is a very long and possibly hot and humid walk from the car park to the complex. The electric cars are plentiful but cost about 30,000 VND roundtrip. This was included in our tour price.
- Ticket area in Trang An also has restrooms, snacks, rest areas that looked out into the river
- Bring a hat, sunscreen, plenty of water.
- Bring a travel pillow and eye cover. The bus rides can get quite long.
- Don’t forget to tip. While most of the entrance fees and other costs are included in the tour price, please bring some cash to tip the tour guide, driver and especially the boat rowers in Trang An.
*Have you visited Ninh Binh Vietnam?
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Where to stay in Hanoi
- Hilton Garden Inn Hanoi – We stayed at this hotel for six nights and really enjoyed it. We had adjoining rooms with the kids. The rooms were spacious. The location was in the French Quarter area surrounded by cafes and restaurants. Their buffet breakfast was delicious with so many varieties. The hotel staff were all so friendly and treated us so well. Bonus to have a free washing machine and dryer. The price is great for everything it offers.
*See other hotels to stay in Hanoi.
*Read our tips for visiting Hanoi.
Book these tours in Hanoi and to Ninh Binh!
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This looks like an amazing trip! What hotel did you stay at, and/or recommend?