After the tourist minefield that is Hanoi, Ninh Binh is a genuine breath of fresh air. Despite the number of sightseeing spots around, the town itself remains fairly unnourished – no souvenir shops or backpacked safes here, just a congenial base for seeing some extraordinary rural landscapes by day, then unwinding at night like the locals do with bia hoi beside the local brewery.
And what landscapes abound: golden-green rice paddies, majestic limestone formations, snug villages, conical- hated farmers and benign water buffalo all the postcard – perfect elements of the Vietnam countryside. Best of all, it’s possible not to see another tourist while you’re traversing the country lanes (though everyone tends to bunch up at the sights).
This is not to say that Ninh Binh is completely unsullied. With a massive road leading to the Trang An Grottoes, the gloomy bulk of a cement factory on the outskirts and the construction of what aspires to be the largest Buddhist temple complex in Vietnam when it’s finished, the balance between preserving the landscape and exploiting it is getting more precarious. See it before the tour buses take over.