Ninh Binh

I have been itching to get out and experience more of the beautiful Vietnamese countryside before I leave in just a few short weeks. I love the vibrant atmosphere that is present in Hanoi, HCMC and, on a smaller scale, Hue, but I also have truly enjoyed my time spent in Vietnam's natural landscapes -- from the never-ending mountains peppered with green rice paddies in Sapa to the white sandy beaches and crystal clear waters of Phu Quoc island.

One natural landscape still on my list with only a couple of weeks to spare: Ninh Binh -- known for its towering limestone rock formations, picturesque traditional Vietnamese countryside and the Cuc Phuong national park.

The problem: I have no more vacation time.

The solution: My roomies very kindly agreed to go on two overnight buses almost back to back this past weekend to make this fun trip happen before I leave. We boarded the overnight bus on Friday night after work and stepped off the return bus in Hue on Monday morning in time for the start of the new work week. Success!

The result: While we were a little bleary-eyed for some of the trip and the food was not near as good as Hue (yes, I did have to throw one comment in here about the food:), the natural landscapes were just gorgeous. It was definitely a trip well worth the effort and lack of sleep :)