S1 E58| Sunset at Bich Dong Pagoda and A Scenic Bus Ride in Ninh Binh, Vietnam

In this episode, we spent the evening in Ninh Binh visiting the famous Bich Dong Pagoda. Our homestay hosts, a kind Vietnamese family, made us feel at home and even helped us with bikes and scooters — but this time we decided to walk to the pagoda for sunset.

Bich Dong Pagoda is built into a limestone mountain, with multiple levels connected by caves. To reach the top, we walked through a bat-filled cave and emerged just in time to see the rocks glowing in the twilight. Visiting during early mornings or at sunset is ideal, since it’s cooler and far less crowded than mid-day. Entry is free, with only a small parking fee if you arrive by bike.

The entrance to Bich Dong, with its lotus ponds and stone gate, has been a popular Instagram spot for years — and for good reason. The temple grounds were peaceful, and we loved capturing photos in this picture-perfect setting.

Back in town, we enjoyed fresh dragon fruit, a local avocado smoothie, and simple Vietnamese fried rice for dinner.

Later, we talked about the crazy bus journey we had this morning. We boarded a local bus with no passengers on board, that turned out to be quite the adventure. At first, it felt unsafe, but soon we realized the driver was simply stopping along the way to pluck fruits from roadside trees! Watching him climb onto the bus roof and toss fruits down to fellow passengers was both hilarious and memorable.

This day in Ninh Binh perfectly blended serenity at the pagoda with the quirks of everyday Vietnamese travel.