Nguyen Shack Ninh Binh

The staff were the best part, so friendly, welcoming, helpful, supportive, and funny. I’m sure others will feel that hospitality too. The food was nice, and the portions always felt like too much for one person. I’m so happy I stayed at this lovely homestay. The setting is beautiful, with mountains, a lotus pond, two hammocks outside, farm animals on the way in, and sometimes dancing frogs on the floor. It’s also well located, just a few steps from Mua cave. You can borrow a bike for free, and cycling around is highly recommended. I left with a very good impression and will check out another Nguyen Shack. Thanks for the great service :)

If privacy matters to you, I’d recommend choosing a bungalow. The cheaper rooms are close together, and you can hear even a whisper. Also, the shared bathroom can be seen through the door, which faces a walkway used by all the bungalow guests. Everything else was great. The staff were always friendly and helpful, and breakfast was included with lots of dishes to choose from. My room wasn’t large, but it had two hammocks where I could relax and look out at the beautiful nature. The staff said most guests were from the Netherlands, France, and Spain :)

The bikes are basic and could be better, but we still managed a 15 km ride on them. For more privacy, it’s worth renting your own bungalow. We had a lovely view, and it was a great spot for visiting the Ninh Binh area. The staff were very nice and generous with their time, breakfast was wonderful, and the laundry was even free. We were there in December, and mosquitoes weren’t a problem.

Breakfast runs from 6 till 12, so it works for all kinds of schedules. We took the Trang An boat tour at 7 am, which was the best thing we did. We ended up with a private tour and no other tourists. The location is beautiful, and the bamboo hut was lovely. It’s back to basics, and relaxing in one of the hammocks was great. The staff were really nice, and the food was delicious.