All things need to know before travelling to Trang An Eco Tourism Complex
Because of its inherent beauty and friendly people, Trang An Eco Tourism Complex has attracted a large number of tourists to choose it as an eco-tourism and spiritual destination every holiday. Let’s explore the beauty of Trang An with Origin Vietnam team through the article below to gain more experience for your trip!
1. Where is Trang An Eco Tourism Complex?
Trang An Eco Tourism Complex is located in 8 communes of Hoa Lu, Ninh Binh Province. The tourist area is about 7 km west of Ninh Binh City, about 96 km south of Hanoi city center and about 122 km from Noi Bai Airport – Hanoi.
2. How is Trang An Eco Tourism Complex Unique?
Trang An Eco Tourism Complex has an area of 2,168 hectares, is an eco-tourism area located in the middle of a limestone mountain system with many ecosystems of flooded forests, limestone mountain forests and many historical relics associated with the ancient capital of Hoa Lu.
The tourist area is famous for its majestic mountain scenery and beautiful limestone karst towers creating a mysterious natural cave complex. Along with that are long-standing cultural heritages such as temples and pagodas, combined with natural scenery to bring visitors a poetic and lyrical space.
Trang An Eco Tourism Complex has clear blue water reflecting the majestic, overlapping cliffs. The tourist area has 31 lakes and lagoons connected by 48 caves. Among them are water caves up to 2km long and each cave has its own beauty and possesses vivid and beautiful limestone stalactites.
3. When is the best time to travel to Trang An Eco Tourism Complex?
Trang An Eco Tourism Complex, Ninh Binh in Northern Vietnam, is located in a humid subtropical climate zone with four distinct seasons: Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter.
The best time for tourists to visit Trang An Eco Tourism Complex is in early spring, from January to March of the lunar calendar. At this time, the weather is not too cold, the sky is clear and there is little rain, so it is convenient to take a boat to visit the scenic spots. In addition, there are many festivals and pagodas at this time, so tourists can have more experiences.
Besides, the autumn season from July to September is the time when the golden rice fields are ripe, which is also quite ideal for visiting and exploring the beauty of Trang An tourist area. In addition, visitors can go here in June to admire the blooming lotus flowers.
4. How to get to Trang An Eco Tourism Complex?
4.1. Travel from Hanoi to Ninh Binh city
4.1.1. Travel by bus
Buses are the means of transportation to Ninh Binh chosen by many tourists from the North and North Central Vietnam. There are many bus companies from Hanoi to Ninh Binh every day with different schedules.
If departing from Hanoi, visitors can buy tickets at major bus stations: My Dinh bus station, Giap Bat bus station, Nuoc Ngam bus station to Ninh Binh bus station. Travel time between the two provinces is about more than 1 hour. Some reputable bus companies that visitors can refer to: Hai Thang, Anh Vu, Thuy Duong, Hoang Thin, Anh Dong…
4.1.2. Traveling by train
Ninh Binh is a province with the North-South railway running through it, so visitors can easily buy tickets and get here by train. The travel time is quite long due to having to go through many stations, but it can help visitors save money and experience a new feeling when taking the train.
For visitors departing from Hanoi, tickets can be purchased at Hanoi station with many trains at different times of the day. Trains from Hanoi passing through Ninh Binh: SE1, SE3, SE5, SE7 and SE19.
4.1.3. Travel by motorbike or personal car
Traveling by motorbike or private car is suitable for tourists who love to explore, this will definitely be the perfect choice. This form of transportation will help tourists be proactive about time, freely enjoy the beautiful scenery during the Ninh Binh travel journey.
For tourists traveling by motorbike, departing from Hanoi city center, go straight along Highway 1A to the South. It takes about 2 hours to reach the tourist destinations in Ninh Binh. Tourists traveling by motorbike should wear helmets and bring all necessary documents when participating in traffic.
For tourists traveling by private car, departing from Hanoi city center, follow Giai Phong street, pass Giap Bat bus station, turn and go straight on CT01 Hanoi – Ninh Binh highway. Travel time is about 1 hour 30 minutes to reach the tourist attractions in Ninh Binh.
4.1.4. Travel by plane
Ninh Binh is a province without an airport, so tourists from far away who want to travel here by air must buy tickets to Noi Bai International Airport – Hanoi.
Tourists buy tickets from their place of residence to Noi Bai airport by buying tickets online or at the ticket counter. Then, tourists choose means of transportation such as buses, motorbikes, cars to get to Ninh Binh.
4.2. Travel from Ninh Binh city to Trang An Eco Tourism Complex
Tourists from far away, traveling to Ninh Binh by bus or train can use the self-drive motorbike rental service to move freely or rent a taxi. Some reputable motorbike rental shops for tourists to refer to: Duc Anh, Duc Thang, Viet Dung… Tourists can go from Ninh Binh city to Trang An Eco-tourism Area by the following ways:
- Tourists depart from Ninh Binh city, follow Hai Thuong Lan Ong street for about 3km then turn right onto DT491. Then, go another 700m then turn left onto Trang An street and continue for another 3km to reach the tourist area.
- Tourists depart from Ninh Binh city, follow Hai Thuong Lan Ong street for about 1.5km then turn right onto Le Thai To street. Then, go about 1.5km then turn left onto Trang An and go straight for about 4.5km to reach the tourist area.
5. Discover the beauty of Trang An Eco Tourism Complex
Join Origin Vietnam to check out the famous tourist attractions that visitors should not miss in Trang An Eco Tourism Complex right below!
5.1. Explore the mysterious caves
When visiting Trang An Eco Tourism Complex, tourists will be able to sit on a boat floating on the water and explore unique caves. Some caves that are often visited by tourists:
5.1.1. Dia Linh Cave
Dia Linh Cave is also known as Chau Bau Cave and is nearly 1500m long. The cave has a beautiful stalactite system, rarely seen anywhere else with such a splendid appearance.
The stalactites in Dia Linh cave are still intact and sparklingly beautiful, and become even more sparkling when illuminated. In front of the cave is a charming landscape that makes visitors remember it forever.
5.1.2. Wine Making Cave
The Wine Cave has an underground water source that is more than 10m deep, with clear and naturally sweet water, very suitable for brewing delicious jars of wine. When entering the cave, visitors will feel the strong aroma of the jars of wine being brewed in the cave.
The jars of wine are stored right in the cave, absorbing the essence of heaven and earth, of nature, creating delicious jars of wine that captivate people’s hearts. Legend has it that because of its inherent deliciousness, court officials often came here to buy wine to present to the king.
5.1.3. Three Drops Cave
Ba Giot Cave has many stalactites with brilliant colors and strange shapes. What is special here is that the stalactites in the cave are still eroded by water, causing their shapes to continue to change, forming new shapes, bringing mysterious beauty.
Sinh Cave, Si Cave and Ba Giot Cave are associated with the legend of a sad love story. Legend has it that whoever comes to Ba Giot Cave and catches three drops of water from a stalactite in the palm of their hand will be lucky in life and find joy and happiness in love.
5.1.4. Light Cave – Dark Cave
Dark Cave is 320m long with a winding entrance, no light can enter so it is often called Dark Cave. Inside the cave there are many beautiful stalactites hanging down, looking quite eye-catching. The ceiling of the cave is relatively low so visitors should be careful to bend down when moving, avoiding collisions when passing through the cave.
Visitors move through Dark Cave to reach Bright Cave. The length of Bright Cave is only about 100m, the cave is straight so light can pass through the cave. When entering inside, the layer of sparkling stalactites, in some places can be up to 12m high, like a palace with a bright cave ceiling.
5.2. Visit famous spiritual and cultural sites
5.2.1. Trinh Temple
Trinh Temple, also known as Phu Dot Temple, has existed for over a thousand years and was built in the shape of the letter Dinh and is a place to worship the four meritorious mandarins of the Dinh Dynasty. These were generals who managed the king’s gold and silver vaults.
The temple has the architecture of a Vietnamese pagoda. In front of the temple are two bronze cranes guarding a smoky incense burner. This is a famous spiritual place where visitors come to burn incense and pray for peace every Tet holiday.
5.2.2. Tran Temple – Trang An
From the wharf, visitors climb 365 stone steps to reach Tran Temple, also known as Noi Lam Temple. The temple is the place to worship Saint Quy Minh Dai Vuong – one of the two generals guarding the Son Nam border and his wife, Hoang Phi Quy Nuong Nuong.
This is a very sacred ancient temple, where locals and tourists often come to pray for peace, blessings, and children. Although the temple is small, it contains many unique artistic values of stone carvings. The unique features are shown on the crossbeams, steps, columns, and eaves of the temple.
5.2.3. Phu Khong (Khong Palace)
Khong Palace is located in an extremely favorable position with its back leaning against Khong Cave and in front of it is a valley of clear blue water. This is the place to worship 7 loyal mandarins of the Dinh Dynasty. The palace is built in the shape of the letter Dinh and right next to it is a thousand-year-old fig tree, always providing shade for visitors coming here.
When coming to Phu Khong, visitors will be immersed in the ancient worship space, or discover historical anecdotes containing great cultural values. This place is one of the famous spiritual tourist destinations that visitors cannot miss when coming to Trang An.
5.2.4. Royal Palace of Vu Lam
Vu Lam Palace is part of Trang An Eco Tourism Complex with unique architectural works and majestic mountain scenery. Coming here, visitors will be surprised by the poetic and charming scenery. This place stands out with ancient houses with unique beauty and simple design. Here, many artifacts of great historical value of the feudal dynasty of Vietnam are preserved.
To get to Vu Lam Palace, visitors will sit on a boat and see interesting sights such as the temples of the kings, Lord Ang La, the Mother Goddess Temple, and mysterious caves. In addition to the opportunity to explore the unique history and culture of the Vietnamese people, visitors can also admire the majestic and poetic beauty of nature here.
6. Specialties at Trang An Eco Tourism Complex
Trang An Eco-tourism Area is not only famous for its beautiful landscapes but also for its extremely rich traditional cuisine. Let’s find out about the specialties here!
6.1. Crispy rice
When coming to Ninh Binh, tourists will see burnt rice sold at every tourist spot in the province. Ninh Binh burnt rice is elaborately prepared by mixing two types of dry rice and sticky rice together. Then, the rice is fried until it expands evenly, becomes crispy, golden and spongy, adding a little salty pork floss and special spices.
In particular, burnt rice brings a delicious, crispy, fatty flavor and the salty taste of shrimp paste. If you have the opportunity to travel to Ninh Binh, you should enjoy this burnt rice specialty or buy it as a gift for family and friends.
6.2. Mountain goat meat
Goats in Ninh Binh are raised naturally on the mountain slopes, so the meat is very firm, moderately soft, not too tough and has a characteristic aroma. What creates the special flavor of Ninh Binh mountain goat dishes are the traditional spices of the people here.
There are many dishes made from goat meat for visitors to enjoy such as: raw goat with lemon, stir-fried goat, grilled goat, grilled goat, burnt rice with goat sauce, goat cooked with plum wine, steamed goat, stewed goat, goat hot pot… Visitors can eat with raw vegetables, ginger soy sauce to enhance the flavor and sweetness of mountain goat meat.
6.3. Eel vermicelli
Eel vermicelli has long been a famous specialty of Ninh Binh. The special feature of Ninh Binh eel vermicelli is that it is made from vermicelli and fresh eel. The broth is simmered from eel bones and marrow bones for many hours, creating a sweet taste.
When eating, you will clearly feel the sweetness, chewiness, natural fatty aroma, not fishy of eel and often eaten with herbs, chopped banana flowers, a little lemon and chili spices, both delicious and strange. This will definitely be a dish that all tourists to Ninh Binh love.
6.4. Mountain snail
Mountain snails, also known as rock snails, are a famous specialty dish in Ninh Binh. The snail meat has a traditional medicinal taste because this type of snail often eats forest leaves and medicinal leaves, creating a unique flavor.
Mountain snails are prepared by boiling, steaming or stir-frying with fresh bamboo shoots, tamarind, lemongrass and chili and dipped in sweet and sour fish sauce. Snails have a delicious taste and many health benefits. Therefore, mountain snails are an extremely interesting specialty for tourists to try and buy as gifts.
7. Accommodation when traveling to Trang An Eco Tourism Complex
For the convenience of your trip to Trang An Eco-tourism Area, we have compiled the most prestigious and quality hotels and motels for your reference:
7.1. Hotels and motels in Trang An Eco Tourism Complex
- Tam Coc Family Hotel. Address: Team 3, Tam Coc, Ninh Hai, Hoa Lu, Ninh Binh
- Tam Coc Dream Hotel. Address: Ninh Hai, Hoa Lu, Ninh Binh
- Nam Hoa Hotel. Address: Ninh Hai, Hoa Lu, Ninh Binh
- Valatco Hotel. Address: Ninh Hai, Hoa Lu, Ninh Binh
- August Hotel. Address: Cau Vom, Ninh Thang, Hoa Lu, Ninh Binh
- Nam Hoa Hotel. Address: Tam Coc Tourist Area, Bich Dong, Hoa Lu, Ninh Binh
- Tam Coc Hotel. Address: Ninh Hai, Hoa Lu, Ninh Binh
- The Long Hotel. Address: Tam Coc Tourist Area, Bich Dong, Hoa Lu, Ninh Binh
- Yen Nhi Hotel. Address: Ninh Thang, Hoa Lu, Ninh Binh
- Duc Tuan Hotel. Address: Van Lam Village, Ninh Hai, Hoa Lu, Ninh Binh
- Lang Viet Co – Co Vien Lau. Address: Ninh Hai, Hoa Lu, Ninh Binh
- Thang Loi Motel. Address: 66 QL1A, Ninh My, Hoa Lu, Ninh Binh
7.2. Beautiful Homestays in Trang An Eco Tourism Complex
For tourists who love nature and plants, choosing a homestay is the most suitable choice. Origin Vietnam has compiled a list of Homestays with beautiful views, quality and amenities for tourists to refer to:
- Tam Coc Mountain View Homestay. Address: Ninh Hai, Hoa Lu, Ninh Binh
- Limestone View Homestay. Address: Ninh Xuan, Hoa Lu, Ninh Binh
- Independence Bamboo Homestay. Address: 479 B, Truong Yen, Hoa Lu, Ninh Binh
- Tam Coc River View Homestay. Address: Ninh Hai, Hoa Lu, Ninh Binh
- Lotus Field Homestay. Address: Ninh Xuan, Hoa Lu, Ninh Binh
- Ninh Binh Greenland Homestay. Address: Ninh Xuan, Hoa Lu, Ninh Binh
- Hoa Lu Backpacker Homestay. Address: Trang An, Truong Yen, Hoa Lu, Ninh Binh
- Nguyen Shack. Address: Ninh Xuan, Hoa Lu, Ninh Binh
- Ninh Binh Panorama Homestay. Address: Ninh Xuan, Hoa Lu, Ninh Binh
- Sierra Homestay. Address: Xuan Thanh, Ninh Xuan, Hoa Lu, Ninh Binh
- Tam Coc Westlake Homestay. Address: Ninh Hai, Hoa Lu, Ninh Binh
- Ninh Binh Valley Homestay. Address: Dong Cung, Khe Ha, Ninh Xuan, Hoa Lu, Ninh Binh
- Tam Coc Mountain Lake Homestay. Address: Ninh Hai, Hoa Lu, Ninh Binh
- Ham Rong Homestay. Address: Ninh Xuan, Hoa Lu, Ninh Binh
- Tam Coc Smile Homestay. Address: Ninh Hai, Hoa Lu, Ninh Binh
8. Some notes when traveling to Trang An Eco Tourism Complex
To have a complete, economical and wonderful trip to Hoa Lu – Ninh Binh, visitors should note some useful travel experiences below:
- Visitors should prepare hats, sunscreen and other personal belongings to protect themselves.
- Check the weather forecast before departure to avoid going on rainy and stormy days, which may affect your trip.
- For convenience when visiting the caves, visitors should bring a flashlight to admire the unique stalactites.
- You should book hotels, motels, and homestays at least 2 weeks before your trip to have more options and avoid running out of rooms.
- When visiting sacred places, visitors should dress modestly to show respect and not make noise that affects other visitors.
- Bring full identification documents for convenience when checking in for flights, checking into hotels, and renting cars.
- While traveling, you should pay attention to protecting public property and not littering at tourist attractions.
9. Places to visit near Trang An Eco Tourism Complex
In addition to Trang An Eco-tourism Area, visitors can visit other famous tourist attractions located in Trang An Scenic Complex such as:
- Bai Dinh Pagoda. Address: Gia Sinh Commune, Gia Vien, Ninh Binh
- Hoa Lu Ancient Capital. Address: Truong Yen Commune, Hoa Lu, Ninh Binh
- Tam Coc – Bich Dong. Address: Ninh Hai commune, Hoa Lu, Ninh Binh
- Thung Nham Bird Garden. Address: Ninh Hai Commune, Hoa Lu, Ninh Binh
- Hang Mua. Address: Khe Dau Ha village, Ninh Xuan commune, Hoa Lu, Ninh Binh
Trang An Eco Tourism Complex is a place that Mother Nature has bestowed with captivating beauty. Surely the experiences here will help you have relaxing, peaceful moments with majestic natural scenery.
If you are still wondering or questioning about this place, please contact Origin Vietnam – the leading tour operator in Vietnam. With a team of enthusiastic and experienced consultants, we will help you have the most interesting and complete journey.
