Dave’s family came to Ninh Binh, around 90 kilometers to the south of Hanoi, on Monday, the second day of the Lunar New Year, where they visited tourist attractions like Thung Nham Cave, the UNESCO heritage site Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex and Tam Coc-Bich Dong.
Ninh Binh, home to the ancient capital of Hoa Lu during the reign of the Dinh Dynasty (968-980), was overlooked by foreign tourists for years until "Kong: Skull Island" was filmed there in 2016, giving it a global reputation.
Dave sits on a boat along Tam Coc-Bich Dong, part of the UNESCO heritage site Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex.
"Local people are familiar with foreign visitors and many can speak English, making travel more convenient for foreigners like me," Dave said, explaining why his family chose Ninh Binh as their first destination for the Lunar New Year.
Boats carry tourists along the Ngo Dong River in the Tam Coc-Bich Dong area, around seven kilometers from Ninh Binh Town, the capital of Ninh Binh Province.
Dave said he could easily find restaurants serving both local specialities and Western food in Tam Coc-Bich Dong.
Dave’s family enjoyed local dishes such as goat meat, a specialty in Ninh Binh.
"The goat dishes are skillfully prepared by chefs in Ninh Binh, and it no longer has a bad taste, but is very delicate and soft," Dave said.
One thing Dave didn't like in Tam Coc was local vendors clinging to foreign tourists to force them to use tourist services or buy local products at expensive prices.
"Sometimes this can ruin a trip. I believe that besides the natural beauty and hospitality, attitude and interaction with local people are also very important," he said. "For tourists, these things have a lot of impact on visitors' feelings, deciding whether they want to return to that place or not."
A two-hour boat tour winding down the Ngo Dong River past paddy fields and stunning caves costs VND150,000 ($6.39) and requires at least four passengers for a trip.
The trip goes through three beautiful limestone caves, including Hang Ca, Hang Hai and Hang Ba.
Ca is the largest cave in Tam Coc. It is 127 meters long and more than 20 meters wide, followed by Hai Cave, which is about 60 meters long. Ba Cave, about 50 meters long, is the smallest, but considered the most beautiful one in the area.
