Vietnam - Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Northern Thailand - page 137

less, tastefully furnished and comfortable rooms in the new wing. The restaurant serves
good Vietnamese and Western-style food (including complimentary breakfasts).
Information
You'll find a cluster of internet cafes on Ð Luong Van Tuy and several ATMs on Ð Tran
Hung Dao.
Getting There & Away
Public buses leave regularly from Giap Bat and Loung Yen bus terminals in Hanoi
(70,000d, 2½ hours). The bus station is on the east side of the Van River. Ninh Binh is
also a hub on the open-tour bus route.
Ninh Binh is a scheduled stop for some trains travelling between Hanoi and HCMC, but
travelling by road is faster.
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Around Ninh Binh
Tam Coc
Known as 'Halong Bay on the Rice Paddies' for its huge rock formations jutting out of
paddies, Tam Coc has breathtaking scenery.
The only way to see Tam Coc is by rowboat (per boat 1/2 people 110,000/140,000d) on the
Ngo Dong River. The boats take you through karst caves on this beautiful two-hour trip.
Boats seat two passengers (and have no shade); arrive before 9am to beat the crowds, as it
can be a bit of a circus thanks to the pushy vendors.
Tam Coc is 9km southwest of Ninh Binh. By car or motorbike, follow Hwy 1 south and
turn west at the turn-off.
Chua Bai Dinh
A vast (modern) Buddhist temple complex, Chua Bai Dinh ( 7am-5.45pm) attracts
thousands of Vietnamese visitors. Cloister-like walkways pass 500 stone arhats (statues of