If you happen to be based in Hanoi and been wanting to take a quick breather over the weekend, Ninh Binh would be an ideal place to go. From the capital, it only takes less than two hours to get to this paradise. If you're a fan of amazing natural landscapes and underground rivers, this is the perfect getaway for you.

awesome view at Trang An Valley Bungalow

Places to see

TRANG AN

another mandatory shot when taking the boat tour in Trang An

Ninh Binh is known for its karsts formation amid rivers and plains. This unique beauty garnered much attention as the iconic film Kong: Skull Island was shot here. So you'd know that the itinerary would include the Kong Island shooting locations but the only way to see them is by boat.

COST

This tour costs 200k VND with different choices based on durations and locations. Each boat must carry at least 3 passengers so if you happen to go alone, you'd have to wait for the slots to be filled in or you can pay for the rest of the seats.

DURATION

Since I didn't have much time, I chose the 4-hour tour which highlights boating through the underground rivers and caves and passing by the famous Kong Island. Several temples were also part of the tour by which time local tourists would pray or light some candles.

SITES

At each stopover, refreshments and snacks are sold but there are no restaurants where you could sit down and enjoy a full course meal but you do have ample time to grab some snacks and walk around.

There were some parts of the tour when I just chose to stay in the boat because there wasn't really so much to see and do. Instead, I enjoyed a chat with the boatwoman who spoke Vietnamese all throughout our conversation. I mostly used translator app to respond to her but luckily I picked up some of the words she said. Most locals are really friendly and accommodating.

Here's some relaxing shots of my boat tour in Trang An.

TIPPING

Don't forget to tip your boatman/woman before ending the tour. Tipping is considered polite and a manifestation of gratitude and appreciation.

HANG MUA

This is also a must-see! It's like a vast mountain resort with an overlooking view and an easy hiking trail. I was even wearing my platform sandals going up to the peak.

It only costs 100k VND for the entrance fee. You could also enjoy local food served in the restaurants and cafes within the place.

Hang Mua Peak

There are 2 peaks with a small viewing deck that could get crowded during peak seasons. Summer seasons in Vietnam tend to be really hot and humid and most of the trails are not shaded so be ready with some sun gears.

panoramic view | Hang Mua

Also, before leaving don't forget to drop by the lake with huge water lilies. This place is panoramically amazing.

a conversation with the frogs | Hang Mua

Getting there

The cheapest way to go if you're on a DIY tour is either by bus or by train. Unless there's a national holiday, it would be convenient and cheaper to buy tickets at the bus or train stations but this might be a little challenging if you don't know basic Vietnamese.

In this case, booking tickets online might be a better alternative. As for me, I also find it convenient to book a train ticket on the website because I can pick a seat and pay using my card.

Another popular option is the limousine because it could take you directly to Trang An where the major attraction is located. You can also book for this online.

If you're on a tour package, the transportation is the last thing you'll worry about. That's pretty much covered with your package most of the time. There are many travel agencies in Hanoi that offer great deals for a day trip in Ninh Binh.

Where to stay

Again, booking websites could be your bestfriend in finding a great accommodation. There's a good range of options from boutique to luxury hotels in Ninh Binh but should you want to stay near the main attractions, pick a place somewhere in Trang An or Tam Coc.

I had an awesome stay at Trang An Valley Bungalow. I loved how the cliffs are also your bathroom walls so you're literally sleeping at the foot of enormous rock formations.

loving these cliffs at Trang An Valley Bungalow

Check out some random videos I took during this trip

Taiwan cradles a plethora of budget-friendly hostels and BnBs so finding the perfect accommodation that suits your budget and needs should be as easy as pie.

TIPS!

Booking a place to stay is often a requirement upon entering Taiwan with a tourist entry visa. Upon arrival you will most likely be asked by the immigration officer (IO) to show a proof of booked accommodation.

Get paperless!
I used to print on paper the reservation details but I found it really inconvenient and impractical when you can just use your phone. I worry that my phone would die so I won't be able to show my documents but really it was just 'me' being paranoid.

Get an app on your phone for hotel bookings so it'll be more convenient for you to open your reservation details especially when an IO asks for it. I usually save a screenshot on my gallery just in case I won't get internet connection yet.

Read the reviews!
Before you feel giddy with paying for a place to stay, it's imperative to read reviews and view photos to get a glimpse of the place. Most of the time negative comments are true and can really cause an inconvenience even how trivial it was presented.

I experienced booking on a hostel because it was cheap and the location was excellent. There were great feedback from guests. Although I've read some negative comments, I disregarded them thinking these were just trivial matters that can be overlooked or perhaps the guests who left the feedback were 'just too picky'. Guess what, I was wrong. I learned.

Pay when you stay
Opt for 'pay-when-you-stay' accommodation if possible. If anything comes up unexpectedly that would necessitate for a change of hostel, it would be easier by then to cancel your reservation without charge. Some may charge for cancellation a day or two before your expected arrival. Although it's not always good to be a 'joy reserver' or so they say, I don't want to risk being charged on my card.

I'm sharing my reviews and experiences with the budget accommodations in Taiwan. I toured around two cities in Taiwan for a week and stayed in three different hostels.

Mini West Hotel - TAICHUNG

YAY! 💯

✅ economical - it was just around 10 USD per night with breakfast
✅ breakfast included - not as overwhelming as a buffet but it was a generous perk with the price you pay
✅ location - there's a bus station right in front of the hostel; it's a walking distance to nearby bus stops for other destinations; near convenience stores and 24/7 food places.
✅ cleanliness
✅ spacious bunkbeds - it was like a mini bedroom; sheets and pillows were comfortable and clean
✅ privacy - although it's a shared room, each bed has roller blinds
✅ reception - you can check in anytime
✅ staff - accommodating and friendly regardless of the nationality; I'm a bit observant about how staff treat their guests because I had an experience of being ignored or not attended to right away because some white guy came in - this toxic Asian mentality!

NAY ❌❌❌

❌bathrooms are shared with both (all) sexes

❌going up or down the upper bunkbeds maybe a little uncomfortable due to its vertical ladder
❌no shoes inside is okay but sharing slippers is not

Angel's Hostel - TAIPEI

YAY! 💯

✅ economical - it was just around 10 USD per night
✅ free snacks - chips and there's a coffee machine (not free though); they've got a kitchen and laundry services for guests
✅ location - it's a 3-min walk to Ximen metro station and Ximending, a famous night market in Taipei
✅ vibe - it gets a little crowded at the lounge area but the warm smiles and laughters are priceless moments of a backpacker's experience
✅ staff - friendly and can converse in English
✅ bunkbeds - comfortable and the staircases are awesome; unlike other bunkbeds, they don't have vertical ladders, they've got mini staircases so it's comfortable to walk up or down

NAY ❌❌❌

❌cleanliness in the bathroom
❌shared toilet - toilet is situated outside the hostel; it's shared with the other tenants of the building; some parts of the toilet needed repair

Neosoho - TAIPEI

YAY! 💯

✅ excellent location - it was a 2-min walk to Taipei Main Station which connects to the airport line and other major cities and counties in Taiwan
✅ economical - it was just around 13 USD per night
✅ wide lounge area with dining tables and computers

NAY ❌❌❌

❌cleanliness - sheets and pillow cases were unchanged; the bunkbeds are dusty especially the upper ones; the curtains atop the cubicles were torn and dusty; toilets lack maintenance

❌privacy - when you get the upper bed, it would be so awkward to see other guests and even more uncomfortable to see people sleeping in the next cubicle.
❌bunkbeds - uncomfortable, too elevated (upper beds) that you'd hit the radiator or lights with your head; vertical ladders with little to no space to land your feet on; it was a horrible yet funny experience falling 2 steps from the ladder!

The reviews were made with all honesty and are actually based on my personal experience. Yours may be different. Feel free to react and interact!

The Golden Bridge is a newly opened attraction that had instantly drawn hundreds of tourists every day. It is situated inside Ba Na Hills, a huge amusement park in Da Nang, central part of Vietnam.

Golden Bridge | Ba Na Hills | Da Nang

It's actually quite far from the major cities of Vietnam. I know most tourists would visit Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City upon entering Vietnam. Even if Da Nang has its own international airport, its destinations/flights are limited. On this note, it's more convenient to travel from the major airports of Vietnam to Da Nang.

Travelling from Ho Chi Minh or Hanoi to Da Nang? Read more about it here.

You can quit thinking about long travel hours in sleeper buses or trains and just - read on.

How do you get to the Golden Bridge?

The Golden Bridge is right inside Sunworld Ba Na Hills. You have to take at least 2 cable car rides to get to this majestic view.

You have to buy a ticket for the cable car rides. The ticket cost for unlimited cable car ride is 700,000₫ (30USD). You don't need to buy tickets to get inside Ba Na Hills but you'd have to pay extra for museums and other rides.

Once you get the tickets, you'd have to take a little stroll and follow the signage leading to the cable car station. The escalators may seem endless so it feels exciting to finally get to the part when you have to take a 25-minute cable car ride over jawdropping landscapes and thickets.

The first stop will be the French Village. You can walk around the area since most of the attractions are just surrounding the French Village. You may also go directly to the cable car station called the Louvre Station to head to The Golden Bridge. It's a short ride this time. Walk through a lobby and you'll see right through the glass walls the huge hands that seem to cradle a golden bridge.

Travelling from Ho Chi Minh or Hanoi to Da Nang? Read more about it here.

Where is Ba Na Hills?

Ba Na Hills is a mountain resort which is an hour-drive from Da Nang City center. You can take a taxi or a private car. I tried using my Grab app but it took a long time for a driver to respond so I negotiated with a driver I met just after I disembarked at the bus station. I made quite a fair deal with a Grab driver for 600,000₫ good for 4 people from my hotel to Ba Na Hills. It was early in the morning so we've arrived in less than an hour.

Do I need a guide inside the resort?

Absolutely not! Just make sure you know where you could buy the tickets and you can stroll around all by yourself. Make sure you get yourself a map so you won't waste time getting lost or walking aimlessly. Although I've seen some guided group tours, mostly comprises Koreans and Chinese, a lot of tourists just freely walk around enjoying the place at their own pace.

Are there food places?

The last thing you'd worry about is where to eat. Food stalls can be found everywhere that it's almost impractical to get the lunch buffet ticket.

I was lured at getting the lunch buffet for only 200,000₫ (9 USD) along with my cable car ticket since I thought it was quite cheap. The buffet was literally huge. There were an overwhelming vareity of food to choose from that I eventually lost my appetite roaming around the buffet area. There were other Asian cuisines but the menu was mostly Vietnamese food so if you're into the Vietnamese cuisine, this is the best option for you.

Honestly, I enjoyed food stall hopping around Ba Na Hills more than the lunch buffet. I found quite a variety of delectable food choices from snacksize nuggets to fresh fruit juices.

Is there a hotel in Ba Na Hills?

Yes. It's a four-star hotel that cost up to 200 USD/night for a double room. It's recommended if you choose to explore more of Ba Na Hills and avoid the crowd. Most tourists though only take a day tour and stay in the city center for more nighttime activities. There's a wide range of choices of hotels in Da Nang may it be a luxury hotel or backpackers' choice for as low as 7 USD.

When is the best time to visit?

Generally, the northern provinces of Vietnam experience four seasons. Be prepared with your sun screen and shades if you plan to visit from May to September. December is probably the coldest month so prepare your jumper or jacket. For the rest of the months, the weather may be rainy or warm. Rain gears will be a neccessity especially in September or October. The climate system has drastically changed over the years so better check the weather forecast. There might be rains in early January. The view at the Golden Bridge can be very foggy especially when it rains so some tourists complained about not having a clear view nor a good photo of it.

During the Vietnamese New Year Holiday (Tet Holiday/Chinese New Year), tourists would flock the resort. Going there early like around 7 AM would be a good idea to avoid the crowd.

How much will you spend?

Depending on your needs, you may spend 80 USD to 400 USD. Choosing a hotel at the city center is quite economical.

Here are the major expenses you might want to consider:

Hotel: 150,000₫ to 7Million₫ (7 USD - 300 USD)
Transportation (to and fro Da Nang - Ba Na Hills): 600,000₫/25USD (one car good for 4)
Ba Na Hills cable car ticket: 700,000₫/30USD
Lunch Buffet: 200,000₫/ 9USD
Snacks (sold at food stalls) - 30,000 to 70,000

What are the places to see in Ba Na Hills?

Ba Na Hills is a mountain resort with different fantastic themes or stations perfect for picture taking, sightseeing, and whatever that feeds your imagination.

Some of the impressive stations you shouldn't miss:

French Village - FREE - you'll get to this right after the first cable car ride. This is the biggest attraction. Inside this enormous themed parks, you can find a wax museum and a fantasy park with rides that are great for kids.
St. Denis Church - FREE - right inside the French Village

Wax Museum - 150.000₫ /person - get to meet some famous personalities up close + a jurassic doze of anthropology, paleontology and history
Fantasy Park - varied rides for kids (ticket costs vary)

The Golden Bridge - FREE - cross the bridge and get to a garden with more huge body sculptures.
Pagoda and the Gigantic Buddha - FREE - it's quite a long walk from the Golden Bridge but it's a great place to relax your feet while looking over a thick vegetation covering the mountain slopes.

Flower Garden - FREE - a jawdropping landscape of colorful flowers
Maze Garden - FREE - found in between the Golden Bridge and the Flower Garden. I was literally lost and I almost cried because it felt like the maze was unceasing. Luckily, I found the exit or entrance. lol!

Although you could get a brochure map once you get there, here's Ba Na Hills map for your reference.

Mui Ne is a perfect holiday destination situated in the southeast of Vietnam. The most common jumping-off point when you're headed to Mui Ne is Ho Chi Minh City. It only takes a four-hour bus ride from HCM to this paradise.

Places to See (Day Tour)

The tour kicks off at sunrise so you should jump start at 4 AM. In my case, I stayed at Long Son Beach and from there the van left at exactly 4AM for the White Sand Dunes where a crowd of tourists anticipates the magnificent sunrise. Although I'm not a morning person and I just had less than 2 hours of sleep on a 'real bed' (after I traveled on a night bus), I truly enjoyed the trip to the sand dunes. The scenic landscapes in rich orange hues seemed to stimulate my lethargic mood. The car windows were rolled down and the wind surged like it was drowning me.

5 Destinations: 1 Day | Vietnam

1st stop: White Sand Dunes

The throng of tourists seemed like ants against the overwhelming vastness of the sand dunes. As we arrived, a couple of tour guides or staff greeted us with some sort of offers for going up the sand dunes. For us to see the sunrise, we had to reach the highest point of the desert. Going up is no easy task. The best option was to take the ATV ride. Hiking is an option but we would have missed the sunrise if we took that option.

Sand Dunes | Mui Ne

ATV ride | Mui Ne

There were two options for the ATV ride, each bearing a different price tag.

Option 1: Take the ATV ride to and fro the highest point of the desert - 500,000 VND / 21USD / 1100PHP good for two

Option 2: Take a ride to and fro + get to drive the ATV - 1M VND / 43USD /2200 PHP good for two

To spice up the experience, I tried the sand sledding which was totally invigorating. An old couple was offering a sand sled for 30,000VND. I thought my facemask could prevent the sand to get in my face but I was wrong. There was sand all over me!

After about 45 minutes of strolling and gliding on the sand, the ATV guy picked us up and drove us down the desert.

Climbing up was a struggle for my weak knees but it was awesome.

the smiles in between struggles

2nd stop: Fishing Village

From the White Sand Dunes, we travelled about 30 minutes to the Fishing Village. If you're a fan of fresh seafood, this is the right place for you. This place is basically a marketplace of seafood situated on the beach. This is where you meet local vendors and fishermen.

Fish Village | Mui Ne

It's just sad to note that most people come there just to drop by or to see the place and not really to buy. Most tourists there are travelling from far places and buying fresh goods wouldn't be an ideal thing to do.

This stop was rather quick. I was actually imagining of dining in one of the restaurants there and enjoying a sumptuous seafood buffet but we had to hasten for the next destination.

Fish Village | Mui Ne

3rd stop: Fairy Stream

The idea of walking barefoot and walking across the stream really delighted me. This is my favorite part of the itinerary. Though it was scorching hot and the streets could have burnt our soles if we walked longer, I (with my friends) left my sandals in our van and crossed the street, walked down to the entrance of the stream, barefoot!

At the main entrance of the stream, there were makeshift shops selling fruits, refreshment, and souvenirs. Entrance fee is at 30,000VND.

The stream seemed unending with its rich orangey colors. The best experience was the squishy feeling of the tangerine mud against my feet. I enjoyed every bit of it! The trail ended with a mini waterfall. Yes, it was literally small unlike the gigantic ones I've seen in the Philippines.

Don't worry, if you forgot to grab a drink at the start of the walk, there are restaurants and cafes alongside the stream so you could take a break anytime. The trail is really easy and safe. The only thing you have to be prepared of is the heat of the sun.

I took my best travel photos here!

Fairy Stream | Mui Ne

4th stop: Red Sand Dunes

The heat of the sun felt like it was on full blast. We couldn't stand the heat for more than 10 minutes. We had to hurry up as it was unbearable to walk on the desert. It was around 10:30 AM and we couldn't withstand the scorching heat of the sun. We took a few photos and stayed at a refreshment area just along the road.

the scorching hot Red Sand Dunes | Mui Ne

This stop is the nearest to our resort and we made it back to the resort just in time for lunch.

Finally, I'd like to add one more place in the itinerary although this wasn't really part of the tour package. Even though I just stayed there for less than a day, I definitely recommend this not-so-typical beach resort with the coolest island vibe.

5th stop: Long Son Mui Ne Beach - Campground Resort

Definitely a must-visit! I always travel on a budget and looking around some cheap hotels in travel websites has become more of a habit for me. My friend, who travelled with me, found this resort online. Honestly, we booked this place because of the price and its high ratings and not for its features or ammenities - and it didn't disappoint! The vibe and the service, not to mention its affordability, made this resort a top-rated one.

Till our next laag!*

*wander, saunter

Places to see

TRANG AN

HANG MUA

Getting there

Where to stay

TIPS!

Mini West Hotel - TAICHUNG

YAY! 💯

NAY ❌❌❌

Angel's Hostel - TAIPEI

YAY! 💯

NAY ❌❌❌

Neosoho - TAIPEI

YAY! 💯

NAY ❌❌❌

The reviews were made with all honesty and are actually based on my personal experience. Yours may be different. Feel free to react and interact!

How do you get to the Golden Bridge?

Where is Ba Na Hills?

Do I need a guide inside the resort?

Are there food places?

Is there a hotel in Ba Na Hills?

When is the best time to visit?

How much will you spend?

Here are the major expenses you might want to consider:

What are the places to see in Ba Na Hills?

Places to See (Day Tour)

1st stop: White Sand Dunes

2nd stop: Fishing Village

3rd stop: Fairy Stream

I took my best travel photos here!

4th stop: Red Sand Dunes

5th stop: Long Son Mui Ne Beach - Campground Resort

Till our next laag*!

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Till our next laag!*