I found Emeralda Ninh Binh Resort while researching hotels for my Vietnam trip. When I came across the photos, I was very surprised that there is such an interesting place in this region. And so, even without planning a few days of stay in Ninh Binh, I decided to include in the itinerary, two nights at Emeralda Ninh Binh Resort.
Spending these days in Ninh Binh made my experience in Vietnam a deeper immersion in the country’s culture. I highly recommend the hotel and this experience to anyone who likes this type of trip!
Emeralda Ninh Binh Resort
Location
The Resort is located in the rural area of Ninh Binh. It is surrounded by breathtaking landscapes and at a distance of 15 km from the city center. From Hanoi, it is approximately 100 km away.
Most tourists explore the region on day trips from Hanoi. After my experience there, I strongly recommend a two-night stay to calmly enjoy the tours in the region and the comfort of the Emeralda Ninh Binh Resort.
How to get
We list some options on how to get to Ninh Binh from Hanoi, the capital of the country: taxi, bus or train.
TAXI
Taxi is the fastest, most comfortable and most expensive way. From Hanoi Airport to the Resort, taxis can be found for an average value of 1,000,000 VND per person. I do not recommend renting a car, as the country’s traffic is very chaotic and the roads are precarious.
TRAIN
It is an economical option and offers several schedule options. The company Doung Sat Vietnam is responsible for offering this and many other routes. The train journey takes about 2h30min and costs an average of 80,000 VND each way, depending on the time of travel. However, after arriving at the train station, it is necessary to transport yourself to the Resort, which is located almost 20 km from the city.
BUS
The Hoang Long bus company also offers more economical options. The journeys cost an average of 150,000 VND As with the train, those who go by bus to Ninh Binh also need to transport themselves afterward to the Resort.
Ninh Binh was my first destination in Viet Nam and I arrived in the country via Hanoi airport. Faced with this situation, I analyzed that the best way to get to the Resort would be by taxi. So our taxi left the airport and dropped us off at the reception door. The trip took 2 hours and we paid 1,000,000 VND.
The return to Hanoi was different. In order to save money, we considered other options and the one that was most worth it was a local minibus that passed along the Resort road and dropped us off in the center of Hanoi. Hotel staff guided and helped us as no one on the minibus spoke English. The return trip took 1h30min and cost 80,000 VND.
The hotel
The Chinese-style building with an immense double-ended ramp is your first impression of the Emeralda Ninh Binh Resort. The entrance already gives access to the reception, where we were welcomed and checked in having a tea served by the attentive staff. The reception space is very large and full of armchairs and sofas. Regarding the employees, it is worth mentioning that we were very well attended from the exchange of emails to the period of stay.
The hotel has an immense green area, which is where the rooms are distributed. In addition, there are two restaurants and two swimming pools: one outdoors, overlooking the mountains, and one indoors, which is heated. As it is a very extensive area, we noticed that there is constant maintenance, especially in the area of the gardens.
We stayed in the simplest room category, the superior double room. A ground floor room and extremely spacious, with a huge bed and pillows. Like the bedroom, the bathroom also had a very comfortable size and amenities in exclusive containers.
At night the Emeralda Ninh Binh Resort is totally transformed by the lighting and everything is even more beautiful and charming. Some little lights, which look like Christmas lights, point the way on the paved accesses that connect the rooms to the restaurants, swimming pools, and reception.
the surroundings
The surroundings of Ninh Binh are visited by tourists, mainly on day trips from Hanoi. And as the Resort is far from the city, it is possible to buy tours in the region. There are many options available, and our choice was a tour to Bai Dinh Pagoda, Trang An and Hoa Lu Ancient Capital.
In addition, Emeralda Ninh Binh Resort is situated on the edge of the Van Long Nature Reserve, a beautifully preserved green area. The Resort offers a bicycle rental service, which at the time cost 200 VDS per person. Then, it is possible to walk around on your own or take a boat tour offered by locals.
As the region is very calm and there are few tourists, the locals are very friendly and curious. Right at the beginning of our bike tour we were approached by local vendors and I ended up buying a traditional and very well made Vietnamese hat for 100 VDN
