We arrived in Vietnam just prior to the Tết (Tết Nguyen Đán) holiday. Tết is a Vietnamese holiday which occurs over the first seven days of the Lunar New Year. It is the most important holiday in Vietnamese culture and means “festival of the first morning of the first day.” Most Vietnamese are on holiday for the entirety of Tết. Most shops, restaurants and other businesses close.
We had completely forgotten about Tết until quarantine – when our fellow travelers mentioned it in passing. Once we realized there would be a huge holiday, not long after our release, we started dreaming of the beach. But with a COVID outbreak, and not knowing the country very well, we opted to stay closer to home (Hanoi). We also did NOT want to get stuck in another quarantine if the area we were traveling to went into lock down.
So, instead of the beach, we took a quick weekend trip to Ninh Binh City and Trang An. Ninh Binh is about two hours south of Hanoi. We figured two hours was close enough to hop in a car and drive home to Hanoi if the COVID situation deteriorated but also far enough from the city to feel like a break. We rented a car from a car service (MOLO), stacked the kids on the seats (no carseats, this is Southeast Asia after all), and started our vacation. Ninh Binh (pronounced “Ning Bing”) is known for its beautiful green rice fields and limestone cliffs.
View from the mountains above Mua Caves. 
Limestone cliffs along Trang An Landscape Complex.
Google says the best time to visit Ninh Binh is from late March through early June when the rice is grown and getting ready for harvest. The mature rice paddies blanket the countryside and create a palette of bright greens. We arrived in Ninh Binh just as the rice was starting to sprout and plan to return when the rice paddies are ready for harvest.
While in Ninh Binh, we visited Bái Đính Pagoda complex, Hoa Lư ancient capital and Trang An grottoes (by paddle boat). It was beautiful-but the kids mostly enjoyed the pool at the resort.
đồng chí Quentin Lee. (Comrade Quentin Lee). 
The water was COLD. 
Lounging. 
“Roopie.” 
Looking chic.
Bái Đính Pagoda complex was massive. It is the largest complex of Buddhist temples in Vietnam. We visited the complex late in the evening of our first day in Ninh Binh. I wish we had set aside more time to visit. The complex has both ancient and newly constructed temples. It also has many, many steps. Which the kids did not like. We also had a fairly hot day. Which meant popsicles, of course!
The many, many, many golden buddhas caught Emmeline’s eye. 
Templed-out. Too many stairs.
Hoa Lư was the capital of Vietnam in the 10th and 11th centuries. It is a beautiful old temple complex comprised of an inner and outer citadel and surrounded by rice paddies and limestone mountains. It was smaller than Bái Đính and easier for the kids to navigate. It had some truly beautiful architectural pieces in the king’s throne room. Ancient carved chairs for the mandarins (Vietnamese public officials who served the king) and a throne litter used to transport the king, carried by four royal escorts.
Entrance to Hoa Lư. 
Emmeline! 
Humoring his mother by posing for a photo. 
Exploring. 
A sniper was tailing us. 
Water Buffalo. 
More popsicles.
Our last outing was to Trang An grottoes located in the Trang An Landscape Complex. The landscape complex is a UNESCO world heritage site. Our guide told us that the site is usually overrun with tourists. Several thousands a day in peak season. However, with COVID, there were fewer visitors. This was the highlight of the trip for me (and Quentin). If you want to read more about the landscape complex you can visit their UNESCO page: https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1438/
Mua Caves. 
Mua Caves. 
A pagoda at Trang An grottoes. 
Winnie and I. 
Jack, our tour guide. 
Quentin Lee, King of the jungle.
Will Travel with Toddlers 