Nimh Binh, Vietnam

While in Hanoi, Papa and I did a lot of research…Actually, Papa did the research, but he did keep me informed!

We decided against going to Ha Long Bay, because (a) it was tourist central, and (b) because we felt we the South of Thailand was similar which we had already explored thoroughly.

Papa arranged for a private driver to take us to Nimh Binh in the morning, drive us anywhere we wanted to go, drop us at our Homestay, pick us up the next day and bring us back. The drivers name was “Sing” (I’m sure thats not the proper spelling). Although he didn’t speak a single word of english, Sing was very pleasant and more than happy to take us anywhere we wanted to go.

About 2 hrs into the drive we found ourselves on a bumpy unpaved road…I was eyeing my iphone which told me we were not necessarily going the best way, but nevertheless we found Cuc Phuong National Park. As we approached, we could tell this was going to be a special place. Mostly flat land, except for the Karst mountains that shot up from the ground at random. Unlike the relentless bustling of Hanoi, the only traffic here was when the road was blocked by a herd of water buffalo, or a flock of ducks. An obvious observation was made by the girls…”Look at all the butterflies”! By the time we exited the vehicle, we could see a steady stream of white butterflies… thousands, millions, maybe billions?? It was almost as if they formed a butterfly river, suspended 8 ft in the air, flowing and meandering continuously and without pause. Lisa shot an amazing slow motion video of Ellie skipping down the path, butterflies overhead. The girls must have felt like they were in some magical ferry land, at least they skipped, pranced, and laughed like they had found heaven on earth. Sing joined us in exploring the park, he too seemed like a child with a day pass to paradise, smiling and pointing at different things with an enthusiasm that is seldom seen in adults.

We visited a primate sanctuary where they raise endangered primates, acclimate them, and introduce them back into the wild. Gibbons, Lorries, and other primates. A guide took us from enclosure to enclosure pointing out the different species, some of the species had only a few dozen left on earth. Then he led us to a large partially enclosed forrest, where the primates were acclimating to living in the wild just before they were actually released…it was pretty cool to see. We then visited the turtle area and saw a similar set up. They take extremely rare species, some of which have less than 10 know to exist on earth. Breed them, and reintroduce them back into the wild. There was a tree in the park that was 2000 years old!!

It was an awesome place, and I’m so glad we were able to share the experience with Papa and Lolo.

Nimh Binh was only about 40mins away, so we started towards our homestay. It was to be just outside the village in a valley, but neither us nor Sing knew exactly how to get there. We called up the phone # and got Sing to call. Once we within a few KM’s we started seeing signs “Nimh Binh Valley Homestay”. We followed the signs going about 5km’s per hr on account of the huge pot holes in the “Road”, which was really just an unpaved pathway. We drove along side rice fields, and corn fields past cattle, and ducks. As we looked at the nearby karst upshoots, we noticed mountain goats way above and wondered how they got up there, and how they would get down. Eventually, our path took us narrowly between 2 mountains. As we past, we found a small lake surrounded 350 degree’s by mountains, and little straw huts lakeside…

The Nimh Binh Valley Homestay was breathtaking! Despite it being a straw shack, it was actually quite expensive (there was no mistaking its beauty, so it was in high demand). The 6 of us decided to all stay in 1 hut. It had a front balcony/porch, complete with 2 hammocks, fishing equipment, and a sitting area. Oh yeah, and a new wifi modem mounted on the wall. Inside were 2 queen beds, a refrigerator and a fan. The bathroom had hot water, and was open concept with only a half wall separating it from the lake. Nightfall quickly followed our arrival, and fireflies lit our way on the path leading around the lake.

We woke early the next morning to the to the spectacular view. Truly majestic. The early morning fog quickly lifted to reveal the mountains. We had a nice breakfast just in time for Sing to appear, ready to escort us for another day of adventure.

First up Hang Mua Peak, a nearby pagoda atop a mountain (and a small not so impressive cave with a tiger statue inside). Thankfully, this mountain had a staircase to aid in the ascent. A white staircase that could be seen from a mile away, it crossed back and forth from left to right almost like a bootlace does on an ankle high boot. At the top was a breathtaking 360 degree view of the region. “Look Daddy, people are paddling down the river” Ellie exclaimed looking way way down, “Cool” I replied…Bruce grinned, but said nothing.

middle aged local woman who was to paddle us down the river for a tour of the area.

The scenery in the North Vietnamese region of Nimh Binh is impossible to even imagine as a Westerner. I really couldn’t believe my eye’s it was so exotic and stunning. The journey down the river started off totally serene and relaxed, the guides floating us gently down the river while we tried to adjust to the reality before us. Then, we came to a point where I was starting to wonder…where are we going? It looked like we were heading straight for a mountain side, aiming straight for the limestone… but where the water met the the rock was black…Is it a cave? As we got closer…it is a cave! In we went, ducking at points so as not to crack my head on the rock above. We navigated in darkness through the cave… every so often a small light installed upon the ceiling until we saw the light… the natural cave went the entire length of the karst mountain. As we exited, after a period of eery and suspenseful darkness, we were re-illuminated by this mountainous landscape that looked like it belong in a “Lord of the Rings” movie. We looked behind… Lolo, Papa, and Ellie still there, smiling ear to ear.

We spent an hour or two going through these caves, visiting Pagoda’s on the riverside, and seeing some Pagoda’s way up in the mountain. One of the girls favourite parts of the trip was purchasing some fish food, and feeding the Koy (goldfish) at one of our stops.

The end of our tour was not as relaxing. We started out as just our two boats, but a group of other boats had caught and even passed us…Usually no big deal, but for some reason, passing us did not sit well with me. After a brief consult with Lisa, we decided to do something about it. “Stroke, Stroke, Stroke” Lisa and I picked up paddles and had at it, quickly gaining on the others… Bruce joined in, or at least tried… He picked up a paddle, and about 3 or 4 strokes into his attack….”CRACK” the paddle burst in half (Don’t mess with Papa)! It was up to us… We caught the lead boat, passed them, and crossed the finish in first… (Although nobody cared but me, lol).

We drove to one more mountain side pagoda, Bich Dong Pagoda, on the way back to the RDV (Rising Dragon Villa) in Hanoi as Papa and Lolo were only a short time away from ending their visit and continuing on a journey of their own.

All in all, our trip to Nimh Binh was one I’m sure none of us will ever forget.