Today was a very hot day, exceeding 38c degrees, so it was only right to chill by the pool this morning and leave the longer tours of Ninh Binh for tomorrow.

The hotel has a great swimming pool and alongside that a carp pond, full of very well fed fish.

After a relaxing start, we decided to hire bikes from the hotel and went out to visit the Bich Dong Pagoda.

Our ride to this Pagoda took us through an area of beautiful paddy and Lotus fields, which in turn are surrounded by stunning mountains.

This charming cave temple complex is 2km west of Ninh Hai village.

Inside each cave temple were looming statues peering from the haze of burning incense.  

To access the pagoda grounds, you first cross a small green stone bridge over the adjacent lagoons strewn with Lotus. Passing through the “Triple Gate” entrance you are immediately transported into a world of ancient stone, wood and myth.

Legend has it that the pagoda was originally named Bạch Ngọc Thạch Sơn Đồng, which roughly translates as ‘white jade pagoda hidden in the forest’.

Hạ (lower), Trung (middle), and Thượng (upper) pagodas were constructed in the 15th century and were ‘lost’ for several centuries, before being rediscovered in the 19th century and are now maintained by the resident monks.

The Academy award winning film Indochine features many scenes shot at Bích Động Pagoda, enhancing its reputation in the same way the Hollywood Blockbuster “Kong Skull Island” made Tam Coc and Trang An internationally famous back in 2016.

After a refreshment break, we cycled on to Xuyen Thuy Cave, which sits underneath Buch Dong mountain. Sadly it’s often flooded and having cycled out to the entrance we decided not to chance it and instead cycled back to Tam Coc.

We decided to cycle on to Mua Caves, which was a 5km ride away, which due to the heat proved more challenging. We got to the entrance of the cave development, but given the rising temperatures and general fatigue, we decided to leave our visit until tomorrow when we are on an organised tour.

After an enjoyable cycle, we returned to our hotel for a swim and cool off, before heading out for our belated wedding anniversary meal. We have been married 26yrs as of 25th July. To celebrate we picked a great little Indian restaurant just around the corner from our hotel.

The food was excellent.

A classic order of chicken masala with naan bread and popadoms helped down with some Saigon beers.

It’s been a fun day and we are looking forward to a full days touring tomorrow starting at 8am.