When I was researching what I wanted to see in Vietnam, Ninh Binh and Tam Coc were high on my list. I wanted to see the rice patties in Ninh Binh. Everything was as expected, and I was very satisfied with what I saw.
My first stop was Hang Mua. You basically hike up to the top and are rewarded with these views.
Next it was time to take a boat ride on the Tam Coc river. The boaters row you with their feet which is interesting. This place is magical. The images do not capture the awe you will feel being surrounded by such grand natural beauty.
Heading back to Hanoi, we watched the My Village show at the Hanoi Opera House.
The show is about an hour long and is basically an acrobatic exhibit using bamboo sticks.
For dinner, we decided to have French food at the Metropole – Le Beaulieu. It was a nice change after having local food everyday for about 2 weeks.
I had the Alaska crab for starter and veal for main. It was nice to see them doing tableside preparations for things like lobster bisque.
Overall, the dishes were nicely presented though they lacked Michelin level refinement. Taste was good but not outstanding. Overall 7/10. It was nice to see this type of French cooking in Vietnam and they were clearly trying (tableside prep – crepes, lobster bisque etc).