OCT 01  & OCT 02    DAY TRIP TO HALONG BAY  and NINH BINH 

HALONG BAY

This UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE has a spectacular seascape, lush emerald and turqoise waters harbors more than 1600 mostly uninhabited islands and islets 

To most travellers to Vietnam, it is the unmissable place to visit ! Its worth a couple of days of your trip, and for those first timers, it recommended to spend a night on board the numerous cruise boats. 

glowing faces   or    is the neverending stairs turning pale  ...!

boarding .....

having meal in our cruise boat ...

how could I forget to bring my swim gear ?!!

Beautiful photos taken from 1000 steps up on the hill

Halong Bay located on North eastern Vietnam is known for its emerald waters and thousands of towering limestone islands topped by rainforest.

Junk boat tours and sea kayak takes visitors out ...this area is popular for hiking, scuba diving and kayaking and rock climbing...

NINH BINH 

next day OCT 02, 8am Tour agent , Peter picked us up at Hotel for another day out to Ninh Binh.....a UNESCO SITE. Few travellers make it to Ninh Binh , a mesmerising area, known locally as "Halong Bay on Land ", thanks to its magical riverine landscape, with sheer limestone mountains . The best way to get a sense of this UNESCO protected site is to get a paddle boat tour along its shimmering rivers and climing up to the top of its peaks to get a bird's eye view of the spectacular sight.

At Tam Coc , each boat is guided or row by a boat person using her feet , not hands.

This area houses largest number of Buddhist temples. Ancient temples are housed in caves which you can only reach via steep 300  or more stone steps.

A paddle boat tour in Trang An or Tam Coc is an essential Ninh Binh experience ... the boatman will paddle you along the gentle current , in the shadow of the enormous, jungle-covered karsts. The boat stops at temples and glides underneath grottoes along the way...

Experience the best of Ninh Binh with a day trip to Tam Coc and the enchanting Dancing Cave .

stairway to .......???

Titop Temple

I'm a bikey gang , cool shades !!!

the interesting thing about the paddlers her is they use their feet...all are handled very well.

View from the top ...

Located at the foot of a large mountain is Binc Dong Pagoda's ornate gate is one of the most iconic sights in Ninh Binh. Beyond the gate is a tranquil courtyard and a traditional buddhist temple.

Follow the stairs up and around the mountain for stunning views and look for 2 ancient temples embedded in the mountain dated back to the 18Th Century....

"Worth every moment" - Dancing Caves , Ninh Binh

The Pagoda is located at the Dancing Caves...One of the Peak climb is Dragon Statue but

 too many people lining up to take photos with the Dragon....

Entrance fee is 100,000 dongs. A stone staircase zigzags though the karst and is 500 steps to the altar to Quan An ( Goddess of Mercy )

gentle current among the jungle covered limestone

a friendly local in Ninh Binh....

After Indochine, the movie won an Oscar in 1993. Ninh Binh and its beautiful landscape became more famous after the movie, Skull Island. The film was filmed in some parts of Tam Coc.

at Tam Coc pier

After the boat ride in Tam Coc, Dancing Cave is the next spot that will definitely spoil your eyes, only 5km away from the pier. Hang Mua has its meaning as " Dancing Cave " because this site was previously set up as a place where the Tran King used to come to enjoy the dancing and singing shows performed in this cave.

To get to the caves, you will start with hard trekking with 500 steep steps. Once at the top, the magnificant panaromic view is all worth it !