Viewpoint Đầm sen Hang múa — Attraction in Ninh Bình Province

If you're looking for a mix of adventure, culture, and stunning views, Viewpoint Đầm Sen at Hang Múa in Ninh Bình is where it's at! 🌿 Nestled in Vietnam's "Halong Bay on land," this spot offers a killer panorama of lush green rice paddies, winding rivers, and the rugged beauty of nature 🏞️

I came with a tour guide and visited three different spaces, and only had an hour and 15 minutes to explore which is basically the amount of time it took me to climb all the way up the dragon steps, and back down. From the top I saw the Ricefield and noticed people walking through them. If I could do this again, I would stay here longer, no need to get rushed by a tour guide. If you’re in town, just come on your own and spend an entire day here. Beautiful place to meditate, walk, reflect, journal, and just people watch.

Fun Fact: The climb to the top involves conquering 500 steps! 😅 But don't worry, it's totally worth it. Legend has it that the area around Hang Múa was a favorite spot for the ancient kings of Vietnam, who would visit to enjoy music and dance performances (Múa means "dance" in Vietnamese). So, while you're huffing and puffing up those steps, imagine you're following in royal footsteps! 👑 🎵 🐉

Pro Tip: About midway through the climb, you'll hit a fork in the road. You can either go left or right. The right is supposedly an easier path, but if you're up for a bit more of a challenge, take the left—it’s slightly tougher but absolutely magnificent. That’s where the top of the dragon is 🐉 💪 I chose the left and took my time because it can get rough, but the views were so worth it. Plus, you can take as many breaks as you need. Conveniently, there's a vendor at the midway point selling refreshments and souvenirs, so you can refuel before making the final ascent.

Though my phone was at full storage capacity 📱 and I couldn’t take any pictures, I honestly didn’t mind. The experience was breathtaking, and I truly enjoyed just living in the moment. 🌅

Once you reach the top, you'll be rewarded with a stunning 360-degree view. And here's a pro tip within a pro tip: time your visit for sunrise or sunset—the scenery I’m sure is absolutely magical! ✨ Whether you're a photography enthusiast 📸 or just someone who loves epic landscapes, Viewpoint Đầm Sen Hang Múa is a must-see on your Vietnam...

Pro: The viewpoint itself is really beautiful and there are different spots where you can take nice pictures. Just the way up is exhausting, but doable. Because it is a known viewpoint in Ninh Binh, i would recommend coming early in the morning or late in the afternoon (what we did) to have less people there. Con: Since we were riding our own motorcycles, we also needed a parking slot. There are a lot of places to park, but you have to drive all the way behind the ticket counter for the official parking slot. When we arrived, a man in uniform was jumping in front of us, blowing a whistle and telling us that we have to park here. A woman then jumped in front of my motorcycle and I started discussing with her. She said only Vietnamese people were allowed to go further. When I saw other Europeans on a bike behind her, she said they would sleep here and she didn’t let us go even after minutes of discussing. In the end we were so insecure that we parked there and eventually got scammed by these really disrespectful people, because parking there was more expensive (the price was still okay, but we were really annoyed realising they lied to us). When we came back, they tried to stop other people and got mad at us telling them that they were allowed to go further. We all were really...

If in Ninh Binh, you definitely need to make a trip to Hang Mua. With quite a bit of hard work and climbing, you can get up two viewpoints.

Upon reaching, there's a parking spot right outside the entrance. If riding a bike in, it will cost 5K. At the entrance, there's a counter to purchase entrance tickets which are priced at 100K. Then proceed to make your way through the gantry where you'll hand your ticket to a member of staff. Soon enough you'll see a sign for the toilet. It seems like that's the only toilet on the grounds. On your right is a lotus garden which is great for photos. Once ready, head straight to begin climbing. Do note that the difference in height between each step can be rather large. From time to time, take a pause to look outwards. The view is incredible. Eventually, you'll come to a fork, where one path leads to a peak with a dragon statue, and another a shorter peak. It might take around 5 to 10 minutes to reach each peak from here.

Once you're gotten down, there's a cave that you can enter. But there isn't much here. There's quite a number of places you can sit down at to have...