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Likened to an inland Halong Bay, Ninh Binh's attraction is in its limestone karst topography.

The town itself is fairly unremarkable, but as you head further out into the countryside, there is a chance to see rural Vietnam at its best.

With rivers that snake through cave formations and farmers tending their fields with water buffaloes, the scenery around Ninh Binh is compelling. Although spectacular, Tam Coc is the most notorious of the region's caves for being a tourist trap, swamped by over-zealous vendors peddling their wares.

For this reason we avoid it and visit other equally impressive cave formations, where local guides will gently row you through a network of waterways out into lakes dwarfed by limestone mountains. Cycle along raised paths that criss-cross paddy fields. You can also visit the remains of the ancient citadel and temples at the nearby settlement of Hoa Lua, once the capital of Vietnam, as well as exploring the Cuc Phuong National Park.

Within a two-hour drive of Hanoi it is possible to visit Ninh Binh as a day trip, but we would encourage you to stay a night or two to unearth this intriguing and charming area.