Van Long Natural Reserve and its Authentic Countryside

Rowboat ride, interaction with the local population, bike ride to Thung La Temple.

8:00 AM: Depart for Ninh Binh, passing through the picturesque countryside of the Red River Delta. After a two-hour drive, you will reach Thung Lau Temple, where you will meet a typical farming family and share a cup of tea and their stories about rural life.

Optional 10 - 15 km bike ride through villages along the dike. You'll be treated to stunning landscapes, featuring rice fields, lakes, and limestone mountains. The route along Cut Lake offers views of magnificent karst scenery. Several stops will allow for beautiful photos or encounters with the locals.

Visit Thung La Temple, which dates back to the 11th century and is accessible via stairs (a slight incline) with appropriate attire required. You will meet the Temple Guardian and have the opportunity to interact with him. Following that, enjoy a 20-minute drum performance.

Lunch will be served at a local family's home or in a local restaurant.

In the afternoon, take a rowboat ride in the Van Long Nature Reserve, an exceptional natural site renowned for its flooded ecosystem. The boat ride will last approximately 2 hours in total (round trip). You will be completely immersed in a wild landscape where limestone cliffs appear to float on the clear water like islands, and birds take flight from the treetops perched on the cliffs to create a magical spectacle.

This location is a fabulous spot for bird-watching, with white storks and, if you're lucky, you might even catch a glimpse of the critically endangered Delacour's Langur, a primate belonging to the Cercopithecidae family.

After this lovely sampan cruise through the Van Long Reserve, you will return to Hanoi, with a stop for a visit to the beautiful Dich Long Pagoda.