Ninh Binh Panorama — Hotel in Ninh Bình Province

We arrived at sunset, the golden glow accentuating the beautiful panorama. Getting there was a bit of an adventure but one well worth it. We rented a motorbike and the last bit is on a small rocky road they made special to access the homestay. For those not comfortable riding for themselves your hosts can pick you up. The homestay is held by two lovely sisters that decided to leave the city to come live in this haven of peace. In the main bungalow/building they keep a restaurant, the girls (and husband!) cook some delicious meals, I recommend the coconut chicken and tamarind beef. They have free WIFI. There are only a handful of bungalows and two rooms so it stays nice and quiet. We stayed one night in a room and one in a bungalow. The room is very decent, the bathroom shared and they have hammocks outside for some extensive stargazing. The bungalow is well worth paying extra. The bungalows are well built and you have the possibility to privatize your terrace so you can relax without the view of others. Unfortunately for us it started raining heavily after a boat ride at the Van Long nature reserve so we headed back, where we enjoyed Ninh Binh's beauty but on a sheltered bungalow terrace at the...

We loved our stay at Ninh Binh Panorama homestay. The place is run by a whole family, and everyone in the family was constantly doing work to make it even more beautiful. It’s about a 20 minute walk to a section of the village with little restaurants and shops, although most guests seemed to be on scooter or bikes. Given my family composition (three kids of 6, 4, and 0), we walked, but it was a beautiful walk across rice paddies and farms against breathtaking scenery. It’s hard to describe how nice it is to wake up in that kind of location. Truly incredible.||||The food at the restaurant was excellent. We had two dinners there and both were great. And the family was very nice to my kids, making us feel right at home.||||The accommodations were perfectly adequate for our family size. The bungalows have bamboo walls, thatch roofs, and hot showers. Not a ton of interior space apart from he beds, but the outdoor sitting room is really nice, and we only had one suitcase, so it was fine. They don’t have AC, but the fans and open windows kept us comfortable at night despite the 90-plus...

This is our second trip to Vietnam, and, while that definitely does not make us experts, we have visited a number of places and stayed in a variety of lodgings. This, by far, has been our favorite. Our hosts and their children have been so kind and welcoming. The daughter plays piano in the evenings, and it’s beautiful to listen from the patio of our bungalow. Nearby attractions, UNESCO World Heritage sites, at Trang An and Tam Coc, are accessible by bike (free from the Homestay). But the genuine joy of the places lies in just being here. The landscape is stunning, the private bungalows charming, and the food (OMG the food!) is the best we’ve had in any fancy restaurant or on any street. Fresh ingredients are gathered from local farmers — duck eggs, bananas, vegetables, chicken — the taste of all so full of flavor and delicious. Our hosts do not advertise this as ecotourism, but we believe it definitely qualifies. Staying here is authentically life in Vietnam. And it...