Van Long Nature Reserve
Van Long Nature Reserve
4.5
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Very beautiful landscape, they have about 9 wonderful caves.
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- Geraint L21 contributionsLet your troubles drift away....A great way to spend an hour in the peace & quiet of gently being rowed through the dramatic scenary. We were lucky enough to see a monkey, climbing uo one of the sheer cliffs & then a real treat, a kingfisher, we saw a flash of blue as it flew away & then were lucky that it landed close by to give us a photo to treasure. Be sure to tip your boat capt well, they earn their money thats for sureVisited March 2023Traveled as a coupleWritten March 15, 2023
- kenny.10 contributionsPeaceful boat ride away from touristsBrought here by Ninh bình private day trip from Ha Noi as alternative boat ride in Trang an. Very calm, peaceful wetland surrounded by huge mountain range. On the ride we saw varieties of birds. We only met 2 other boats on the way back. Our guide said as it located a bit far from all the main sights in Ninh Binh so no tourist buses around. We didn’t see the langurs here but we heard the sound of them. So if you have time, recommend do this boat tour.Visited September 2023Traveled with familyWritten October 11, 2023
- Bodil M9 contributionsGreat experiencePeaceful paddle- boat tour through this rare and wonderful nature. Was lucky to see a monkey sitting anong the trees and also a little snake. But more than that was the peacefulnes gliding through the nature this way the best. We only met a few other tourists here.Visited November 2023Traveled as a coupleWritten November 29, 2023
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
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lorenzocaratti
Siem Reap, Cambodia10 contributions
Sep 2022 • Couples
Looking up lonely island, we thought it would be a great place to visit. The price is ok but the experience left us bored. The boat lady asked us money at the end (no added stuff). We gave her a tip and she continued to ask for more. Lost its spirit... honestly, we've seen much more beautiful with identical landscapes in the northern-eastern parts of vietnam.
Written September 20, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
kenny.
10 contributions
Sep 2023 • Family
Brought here by Ninh bình private day trip from Ha Noi as alternative boat ride in Trang an. Very calm, peaceful wetland surrounded by huge mountain range. On the ride we saw varieties of birds. We only met 2 other boats on the way back. Our guide said as it located a bit far from all the main sights in Ninh Binh so no tourist buses around. We didn’t see the langurs here but we heard the sound of them. So if you have time, recommend do this boat tour.
Written October 12, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Bodil M
9 contributions
Nov 2023 • Couples
Peaceful paddle- boat tour through this rare and wonderful nature. Was lucky to see a monkey sitting anong the trees and also a little snake. But more than that was the peacefulnes gliding through the nature this way the best. We only met a few other tourists here.
Written November 29, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Viking1910
Birmingham, United Kingdom61 contributions
Jul 2014 • Family
We walked the 500 m from our hotel to the "tourist marina". 20 m away is the ticket booth where you can buy tickets for the boat trip. Don't buy the trip through hotels or tour operators as they charge more. We got to the marina ( just a few steps leading to the boats from the road), at 8am and had the whole boat ride, one and a half hours without seeing another boat. We went through a beautiful cave, lotus flower beds and the most peaceful scenery. The dragonflies were spectacular.
Written August 9, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
HTH17
Singapore, Singapore153 contributions
Apr 2012 • Family
Even as we drove into Ninh Binh area from Hanoi, we saw the roads and surroundings were covered with grayish dust. Our guide told us this is an area for cement factories. And where do they get the raw materials from? The limestones from those beautiful formations we came to see. Without judging whether it's right or wrong (maybe the local economy really needs this, and cement has to come from somewhere, I suppose), it still depressing seeing whole mountains-sides being carved and excavated.
Van Long was indeed less touristy - we saw only 3 other boats when we were there. The 1.5 hour boat trip to a little cave and back was nice enough if you ignore the smokes stacks from the nearby monstrous cement factory. The cave was only big enough for us to row about 30 meters in, before we had to turn back - so it was a bit of an anti-climax. We were told Van Long was a more natural tour because they used bamboo instead of steel boats which were used at Tam Coc. They just did not mentioned that the inside of the bamboo boat was covered in cement so it did not leak. So much for being natural.
We also stopped at the pier of Tam Coc as part of our tour. It was indeed more crowded and they did indeed use steel boats. But we saw very nice pictures of Tam Coc compared to what we saw in Van Long. So maybe Tam Coc was more touristy and crowded for a reason.
It's probably not worth going out of your way to get there especially if you have been to Halong Bay or Phang Nga caves in Thailand. But looking on the bright side, it was good educational value for our kids to see how nature can be destroyed by human development.
Van Long was indeed less touristy - we saw only 3 other boats when we were there. The 1.5 hour boat trip to a little cave and back was nice enough if you ignore the smokes stacks from the nearby monstrous cement factory. The cave was only big enough for us to row about 30 meters in, before we had to turn back - so it was a bit of an anti-climax. We were told Van Long was a more natural tour because they used bamboo instead of steel boats which were used at Tam Coc. They just did not mentioned that the inside of the bamboo boat was covered in cement so it did not leak. So much for being natural.
We also stopped at the pier of Tam Coc as part of our tour. It was indeed more crowded and they did indeed use steel boats. But we saw very nice pictures of Tam Coc compared to what we saw in Van Long. So maybe Tam Coc was more touristy and crowded for a reason.
It's probably not worth going out of your way to get there especially if you have been to Halong Bay or Phang Nga caves in Thailand. But looking on the bright side, it was good educational value for our kids to see how nature can be destroyed by human development.
Written May 21, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Saskiaphilipp T
Amsterdam, The Netherlands51 contributions
Mar 2015 • Couples
The day we visited Van Long was pretty cold and rainy. Therefore we were not really in the mood for a boat ride but after having done it, we don't regret it at all. First of all it's probably one of the cheapest attractions around Ninh Binh with just about 45.000 VND admission fee per person and a little tip for the boat people. For that you get a 1.5 hour boat ride through an astonishing landscape that is pretty impressive and looks very mystic when it is foggy like on our rainy day. During the boat ride we were even able to spot some langurs (monkeys).
Great is also that there were almost no tourists or any people at all, compared to Trang An, which was pretty crowded as we passed it earlier that day.
Great is also that there were almost no tourists or any people at all, compared to Trang An, which was pretty crowded as we passed it earlier that day.
Written March 9, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
mostlyharmless
Singapore, Singapore1,261 contributions
Nov 2011
We traveled to the Van Long nature park from Hanoi, which was a 2 - 2 1/2 hour drive from Hanoi. The roads deteriorated the further away from Hanoi you were, so a reasonable tolerance for traveling is required. Once you arrive, the breathtaking scenery of the Van Long reserve takes your breath away. Aged limestone hills in a karst landscape, surrounded by fields of water and reeds. The pictures probably say more than any words would do. We boarded a bamboo boat, and were rowed through the landscape in peaceful serenity. The route taken was a circular route leading to a submerged limestone cave, and then returning to the embarkation point. It's obvious that the 1 hour row only scratched the surface of the area available, but it was still a lovely experience.
The site was much less touristy than many other sites we visited in Vietnam. Although, having said which, about 30 mins after we arrived, a larger group of visitors also embarked on the rowing expedition, which made it slightly less serene. My suggestion would be to arrive early in the morning!
We traveled here with Footprint Travel (http://www.footprintsvietnam.com), who organised everything from prompt pickup in Hanoi, the rowboat experience, a visit to Hoa Lu temple and return to Hanoi, all within a day. I have nothing but praise for Footprint Travel, who provided a really professional experience for us.
Recommended, but if you're traveling from Hanoi, remember the journey to and fro may be tiring.
The site was much less touristy than many other sites we visited in Vietnam. Although, having said which, about 30 mins after we arrived, a larger group of visitors also embarked on the rowing expedition, which made it slightly less serene. My suggestion would be to arrive early in the morning!
We traveled here with Footprint Travel (http://www.footprintsvietnam.com), who organised everything from prompt pickup in Hanoi, the rowboat experience, a visit to Hoa Lu temple and return to Hanoi, all within a day. I have nothing but praise for Footprint Travel, who provided a really professional experience for us.
Recommended, but if you're traveling from Hanoi, remember the journey to and fro may be tiring.
Written December 10, 2011
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
tuananhhoang
Hai Phong, Vietnam680 contributions
Sep 2015 • Family
I have been there sometime with colleagues for inspection but only recently, i took my family there in late September. This time is best for visiting the area because of the beauty of the weather of Autumn. We took a boat ride in a pure natural atmosphere, breathtaking surrounding, clear water, beautiful landscape, cheerful boat rowers. It it a memorable experience to my kids. Recommend this trip for natural lovers.
Written October 13, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Emma10801
New Rochelle, NY373 contributions
May 2015 • Couples
This is definitely a peaceful and beautiful setting for a row boat ride.
You ride up through a channel and then into a cave and out the other side. The woman that rowed our boat stopped at the other side of the cave, and I've seen from some recent postings that we probably could/should have continued on further. I thought that day perhaps we were supposed to go further because we passed someone coming back through from the other direction. But it was one of those "unseasonably hot" days and I'm not sure that it was horrible that we stopped.
I did think that day, though, that the ride was shorter than I had expected, and from looking at the photos I think we did actually miss a reasonable amount of scenery - so I wish we had continued. That said, instead of continuing on, the woman rowed into the shade just inside the cave and gave my wife a neck massage. Since her neck was particularly bad that day and she was really suffering from the heat, I think that she still would vote for the massage over the longer trip.
I have to say that I am torn in general about whether or not it was worth it to drive all the way from Hanoi to visit this area (even though we also had a really nice bike ride while we were in a nearby spot). I got swayed by the sites that call Tam Coc the "Halong Bay" of the interior -- but to be honest, this area doesn't hold a candle to Halong Bay. Perhaps I would have been less disappointed if we hadn't already seen Halong Bay, or if it was a little closer to Hanoi (ore we had been able to stop on our way to somewhere else), OR if it wasn't so near the end of our 3 week trip -- but in general, I was really pretty disappointed with this whole area.
I had the stereotypical Tam Coc photo of the multicolored rice fields along the river - but we never saw anything even close to that. I was thinking afterwards that maybe all those shots were taken from an airplane and that no one actually ever sees those scenes from the river level.
I think I was also overly swayed by a Trip Advisor writer who said that she had been on all 3 boat rides in this area and that this was the best and the least crowded with tourists. All other things being equal, we generally prefer to take the road less traveled -- but I feel like we might have just taken the wrong road on this one.
You ride up through a channel and then into a cave and out the other side. The woman that rowed our boat stopped at the other side of the cave, and I've seen from some recent postings that we probably could/should have continued on further. I thought that day perhaps we were supposed to go further because we passed someone coming back through from the other direction. But it was one of those "unseasonably hot" days and I'm not sure that it was horrible that we stopped.
I did think that day, though, that the ride was shorter than I had expected, and from looking at the photos I think we did actually miss a reasonable amount of scenery - so I wish we had continued. That said, instead of continuing on, the woman rowed into the shade just inside the cave and gave my wife a neck massage. Since her neck was particularly bad that day and she was really suffering from the heat, I think that she still would vote for the massage over the longer trip.
I have to say that I am torn in general about whether or not it was worth it to drive all the way from Hanoi to visit this area (even though we also had a really nice bike ride while we were in a nearby spot). I got swayed by the sites that call Tam Coc the "Halong Bay" of the interior -- but to be honest, this area doesn't hold a candle to Halong Bay. Perhaps I would have been less disappointed if we hadn't already seen Halong Bay, or if it was a little closer to Hanoi (ore we had been able to stop on our way to somewhere else), OR if it wasn't so near the end of our 3 week trip -- but in general, I was really pretty disappointed with this whole area.
I had the stereotypical Tam Coc photo of the multicolored rice fields along the river - but we never saw anything even close to that. I was thinking afterwards that maybe all those shots were taken from an airplane and that no one actually ever sees those scenes from the river level.
I think I was also overly swayed by a Trip Advisor writer who said that she had been on all 3 boat rides in this area and that this was the best and the least crowded with tourists. All other things being equal, we generally prefer to take the road less traveled -- but I feel like we might have just taken the wrong road on this one.
Written September 30, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
pw0867
Saint-Lambert, Canada641 contributions
Dec 2014 • Family
This place is spectacular. Breathtaking (low) mountains and some caves that the river passes through. You ride on a skiff through crystal clear water and really drink in the tranquility and unspoiled nature of the place. Birds are abundant, and although we weren't lucky, apparently there are a species of monkey that live in the nature reserve. The water flows through some caves (looowww ceiling - watch your head) and the rower needs to use a stick to keep the skiff moving.
This was truly amazing, and really made you feel how special the area is. Thank goodness it's a reserve. There is no high pressure sales on the river (see Tam Coc review) - just polite service.
Some interesting facts - the fee you pay to get in goes to the government. The rowers exist pretty much on tips and although I may not have understood, I think get a salary of 35 000 VND every couple weeks. As well, there is a queue, and they are only allowed to work one day every 2 weeks, so this one day is pretty important to them to make money. Please tip well (our rower was 70 years old, and had to keep doing this to survive)
This was truly amazing, and really made you feel how special the area is. Thank goodness it's a reserve. There is no high pressure sales on the river (see Tam Coc review) - just polite service.
Some interesting facts - the fee you pay to get in goes to the government. The rowers exist pretty much on tips and although I may not have understood, I think get a salary of 35 000 VND every couple weeks. As well, there is a queue, and they are only allowed to work one day every 2 weeks, so this one day is pretty important to them to make money. Please tip well (our rower was 70 years old, and had to keep doing this to survive)
Written December 23, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Roger N
Bedlington, UK685 contributions
We are in Ninh Binh for a few more days and I wonder about the practicality of going here. My wife would not go on a boat so the options would involve either is there somewhere to walk without using a boat, or is there somewhere she could sit while I went on one?
Roger N
Bedlington, UK685 contributions
Sorry we are in our 60s and my wife walks with a stick... so it’s definitely somewhere for her to sit and watch the world while I wander for a bit. Should have said this clearly in my question
EefDK
Ghent, Belgium9 contributions
Hi! Looks amazing!
How to arrive to this beautifull place? What was your base village to discover Ninh Binh? Thanks!
Evelyn
Wags1963
Melbourne, Australia101 contributions
Hi
You can take a bus from Hanoi to Ninh Binh
Takes 2 hours and when there we just hired a driver and car
THEhotel can organise one for you
It’s pretty cheap
i will do on this sunday .can i ask you sth what time they close and how much it cost ? 4.30pm still open?
Jan-Olof O
Malmö, Sweden236 contributions
They closes at 05:00pm every day! The boat tour takes about 30 minutes! There is one entrance fee to pay 40 000 VD per person and a fee for the boat 60 000 VD. The Delacour langur can bee seen in the mountains to the right just before entering the cave! Coming out of the cave again the mountains are on the left hand side. Look carefully up in the mountains about 100 meters away for the Delacour langur. Thereare also some birds in Van Long Nature reserve! I did visit in the middle of the day birding is probaly better in the late afternoon.
Lilpieceofhaven
Singapore, Singapore26 contributions
Hi, I am going in Nov and will be coming here right after our cruise ride in Halong. I am concern the family needed some food after the long journey. Any food places near here?
john2146
Newcastle, Australia112 contributions
Plenty of food and drink available at stands in Van Long. Restaurants close by too.
Eric T
Island of Malta, Malta5 contributions
Hi, we'll be staying in Tam Coc for a couple of days, then in Vang Long for another couple of days. How easy is it to go from Tam Coc to Vang Long (with luggage then...)? I saw it's a 20 km ride. Our hotel can provide us with a car ride, but the price is pretty high (well, relatively of course!). How did you do it and how much did you pay? Thanks.
kyy0te
Silver City, NM22 contributions
I don’t know if my answer will be very helpful, because our experience was part of a package tour provided by our homestay host that included bicycling, boating, cave tours, and the Van Long boat tour of the Nature Reserve. All of this over the span of one day cost the two of us $58. We weren’t in Tam Coc but a village I think was called Gia Sinh (near the Bai Dinh Pagoda). Our host (Scott at Ninh Binh Family Homestay) arranged all our transportation while we were there so I can’t really break it down into any specific cost. It seemed to me that transportation among the villages might be difficult to arrange without the help of someone local. Good luck and best wishes for happy travels!
Pavluna
Prague, Czech Republic143 contributions
Can anybody compare Trang An boat trip and Van Long Nature Reserve? In terms of nature beauty, but also how crowded are these two places at the weekends? The ticket per person in Vang Long is 150.000VND per 2 hour trip and in Trang An the trip takes around 3,5 hours, but I guess is more expensive?Thank you.
Ninh Binh Family Homestay
Gia Sinh, Vietnam39 contributions
Hi there. Trang An is definitely more beautiful than Vanlong. The Trang An boat trip is 200.000VND/person (approx 9USD), one boat is for 3-4 persons, boat ride takes 3 hours. Vanlong boat ride is only 1.5 hours. Trang An is more crowded during the weekends. However, there are hundreds of boat so you don't have to wait. If you have any other questions, contact Tommy Pham (Tommy's Service in Ninh Binh). He is a reliable tour advisor in Ninh Binh. Cheers! :)
58MichelS
Geneva, Switzerland25 contributions
Nous irons au vietnam en novembre 2016. Nous sommes un couple seniors de 70 ans. Quelle est la meilleure solution pour se deplacer depuis hanoi a ninh binh wt la rserve van long Et ensuite direction Hue. . Peut on y aller sans guide si on parle francais et anglais ? Merci josiane
Aalita
Pamplona, Spain240 contributions
Good morning Michel, I think that Vietnam is awesome. It´s a perfect place to spend an beautiful holidays. When i was there, to go from Hanoi to Ninh Binh i take a shuttle bus. But i should prefer a train, because the bus was around Hanoi one hour taking new travelers. From Ninh Binh to Hue or Da Nang i went again in sleeping-bus because the train was full two days before. So if you can, buy the train tickets 5 days before your trip to Hue. We slept in Tam Coc in an beatifful, family and comfortable hotel: Anna Tham Hotel. Amazing people. I´m so sorry for my bad English.
Kind regards,
Alejandra.
Joyrida
Palm Coast, FL21 contributions
Is there a nice place to stay in Ninh Binh which would allow us to see Trang An Grottoes, Mua Caves Van Long Nature Reserve and Bich Dong Pagoda? How many days would it take to see all these things from Binh Binh?
Alienz011093
Hue, Vietnam26 contributions
I think 2 days is sufficient (two attractions per day).
About the place, the city of Ninh Binh is the best choice. There is a good amount of hotel and cateing options there. The city is located between all attractions: Van Long (north - 15 km away), Binh Dong Pagoda (southwest - 8 km away) Trang An (west - 7 km away) and Mua Caves (southwest - 5 km away)
Colette B
Lyon, France382 contributions
Bonjour Jacquie, nous partons la semaine prochaine pour le viet nam et avons prévu de dormir 2 nuit à Tam Coc Garden. Savez vous si la réserve est accessible à vélo ? faut il faire les grottes Trang An ? accessibles en vélo ? Quels conseils pourriez vous me donner ? Merci beaucoup et à bientôt.
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Claim your listingVan Long Nature Reserve - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)
Frequently Asked Questions about Van Long Nature Reserve
- According to Tripadvisor travelers, these are the best ways to experience Van Long Nature Reserve:
- Private Ninh Binh Full Day visiting Van Long Kenh Ga depart from Hanoi Center (From $134.62)
- Van Long Natural Reserve- Hang Mua( Mua Cave) Full Day (From $150.00)
- Picturesque Vietnam tour (From $1,914.11)
- Cuc Phuong and Van Long Full Day Tour with Trekking and Boating (From $83.34)
- Private Van Long Floating Village and Kenh Ga Geyser Day Trip (From $118.00)
- Hotels near Van Long Nature Reserve:
- (0.37 mi) Emeralda Resort Ninh Binh
- (0.08 mi) Van Long Green Hotel
- (0.59 mi) Van Long Family Homestay
- (0.44 mi) Van Long Resort
- (6.01 mi) Bai Dinh Garden Resort & Spa
- Restaurants near Van Long Nature Reserve:
- (0.60 mi) Tuan Tu Local Restaurant
- (0.56 mi) Ngoc Phuong Restaurant
- (0.34 mi) Emeralda Organic Restaurant
- (0.37 mi) Sen Restaurant
- (0.50 mi) Golden Rice Restaurant
Van Long Nature Reserve Information
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