One of the stops I’ve been most excited to get to is Ninh Binh, where I had read about stunning landscapes and access to rural Vietnam.

This morning, I hopped on a train that carried me from Hanoi to Ninh Binh, and then I took a taxi to the town of Tam Coc within the Ninh Binh Province, which is where I am staying.

Almost as soon as I had found my homestay and dropped off my bag (and eaten some goat phở), I rented a bicycle and pedaled out the Bich Dong Pagoda. This pagoda is not too far outside of Tam Coc, and the scenery along the way was stunning. I made a mental note to check out the rice fields I was passing on my way back into town.

Once I had payed to park my bike, I walked over to the stone bridge and through a gorgeous gate into the first level of the pagoda. The buildings here had a simple design, but they looked magnificent with the backdrop of the mountains behind them.

Then came the climb. There are technically four separate pagodas here, each on a different level of the mountain and separated by a staircase. The first of these sets of stairs was the easiest to climb, simply located on the side of the mountain.

These led to a pagoda recessed in the face of the mountain. The pagoda here was quite stunning, featuring – as they all did – a shrine inside and the smell of incense in the air.

There was a small entrance to the left of this pagoda that led into a cave and, eventually, to another set of stairs. Midway through this climb, I was very thankful to have a flashlight on my phone, as the cave had become pitch black and I couldn’t see my hand in front of my face. The staircase ended and turned into a path through the cave, with the sound of bats echoing throughout.

This path then brought me to the mouth of the cave, the next pagoda, and some magnificent views.

One more very uneven set of stairs up the face of the mountain led to the final pagoda and, after admiring the views, I retraced my steps and made my way back down the mountain.

Back at the base, I walked around the gardens admiring the tranquil oasis they offered.

As I had planned, on my way back into Tam Coc I stopped by some of the rice fields to admire the scenery. Ducks and fish and other creatures scattered as I came close. The jarring mountains jutting up against the flat, reflective rice fields offered some beautiful landscapes.

I am excited to be in this area of Vietnam, and I look forward to more exploration tomorrow!