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Ninh Binh
Ninh Binh
A blend of history and nature exploration near Hanoi, with Vietnam's ancient capital and a mini "Great Wall"
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All Ninh Binh Adventures
Love letters from our guests
5
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45 reviews
The cooking class was a great experience, it’s very easy to follow along and quite intimate when we went there was only the two of us in the class which made it personal and allowed us to learn a lot!
The staff are very hospitable and kind, all of them making sure we’re having a good time and taking an interest in who we are etc.
Liam
Staying with Thanh was the highlight of my trip. I arrived at 7 a.m., and he kindly allowed me to check in right away. He then arranged a driver to take me to several local sights.
The next day, we joined Thanh for a guided tour, where he led us away from the busy tourist areas and showed us stunning landscapes—hiking in the morning and exploring by bike in the afternoon. He even took me to play badminton, which was a fun and memorable experience.
All the meals prepared by his wife were delicious, and the rooms were beautiful and spotlessly clean. I can wholeheartedly recommend staying here.
Ellinor
Excellent tour!! The curation of activities and pacing was exactly what our group of 6 was looking for and enjoyed every minute of it! Our tour guide Danny was super informative and made it such a fun, friendly experience that it felt like we were hanging out with a friend. Definitely recommend this tour if you want just a little more than other tours!
Cindy H
Nice tour to see Ninh Binh for the day, i liked the fact we left early to beat the traffic!
Adam
My two kids (9,12) and I did this experience and overall really enjoyed it. The kids LOVED it, despite being the only kids in the workshop. You will get wet and muddy. They gave us farmer clothing to change into, so I suggest bringing a change of undergarments as those will get potentially wet and muddy depending on water levels (water was quite high when we did it) or you could wear your swimsuit underneath and change afterwards. Bring a bag for wet items.
After arrival, we changed into farmer clothes, then got to meet the water buffalo, feed her grass, and sit on her. It wasn't so much a ride, as sitting and maybe she'd walk a bit while eating. This took a bit to get through as it was 1 by 1. Then we tried out rice planting. It's not the time of year for it, but we got to learn the technique and try anyway. Mud was deep and water high--it was quite hard, but fun. We had plastic boots attached to plastic pants for this (but there were holes, so you still get wet). Next up was fishing with the bamboo cages. Both my kids caught fish, so that was fun.
There was relaxing time next and you could go under the little waterfall if desired or into the cave. There isn't really swimming, as the water is just part of the rice fields/fish areas and quite muddy bottom. But the waterfall was fun.
Next was cooking--we learned to stuff and roll spring rolls and betel leaves for frying and got to eat fresh fish as well. They also made steamed rice pancakes stuffed with mushrooms. My kids got to help make them, and loved that. After the meal, you had time to go in the cave or explore and relax a bit.
My main complaint is the group was too big. We had about 14 people--6 of us English speaking (us three, a singleton, and a couple) and then a group of about 8 French speaking people all together. 14 was too much for the buffalo part as it took a while and made for some crowded areas on paths. The listing said up to 10 guests, which was not accurate. I think 6-8 is the ideal amount, unless all in one group.
Bring a change of undergarments and a bag for wet items.
Carrie
Our Guide was fantastic, really enjoyed to see his farming life happens. Finishing with the cooking class was really fun and the food was exceptional.
Would highly recommend
David McGilvray
It was amazing! Our guide Minh was informative and very personal.
Lisa
Was able to from local dishes what we wanted to learn to make… food was delicious and so much of it.. we were able take away leftovers… then the support After the cooking class is exceptional, I can ask
Any questions about the cuisine and cooking techniques afterwards too. Additionally it was pouring when we arrived and we were saturated, the hospitality was outstanding. Huyen gave me a spare set of clothes while drying mine out, really felt part of her family. Absolutely recommend this cooking class.
Jasmine
Only the good stuff
