Nam Ninh 4N3D Review 🌸
First time traveling by train from Vietnam! For those who have been to China or visited Nam Ninh multiple times, here's my review of a super fun train journey. This was the main reason I chose to return to Nam Ninh this time. And yes, I went on a tour, haha!
📍 The Train:
+ Duration: Approximately 13 hours. It sounds long, but I boarded the train at 9 PM and slept soundly until 9 AM the next morning. + Amenities: 4-berth sleeping compartments. Clean bedding, super new interiors. There are 2 separate restrooms. There's also a spacious area for brushing your teeth and washing your face.
- Pros: Comfortable sleeping berths are a big plus. The train ride is smooth, so it's great for those who get motion sickness.
- Cons: You'll have to go through customs and immigration in the middle of the night, which takes about an hour.
📍 The Hotel:
I stayed in a local 5-star hotel right in the city center. It was only 3km from the night market, about a 15-yuan taxi ride.
The rooms were spacious, airy, and clean. They had Western-style toilets and 2-prong power outlets. The city view was great!
📍 Food:
Most meals were provided as part of the tour, including one hot pot meal. The tour meals were plentiful. I especially loved the fried eggs and various vegetable dishes. The best part? The food wasn't overly spicy, which was perfect for me! Generally, food in China can be a bit oily, but I found the food in Nam Ninh quite palatable. So, if you're worried about spicy Chinese food, this tour is a good choice.
📍 Sightseeing Spots:
🔰 Tương Tư Hồ Trấn: This is an artificial ancient town. It's small, with some photo spots, but I wasn't that impressed because it's so small.
🔰 Nam Ninh Chi Dạ: This place is a food street, kind of like Hoi An's Ancient Town but grander. There are performances, food stalls lined up. It has to have at least 100 stalls. It's super beautiful at night when the lights come on (it's a bit far from the center, maybe 20-30km).
🔰 Binh Tay Night Market: This night market is near my hotel. It's also a food street, but more down-to-earth. Mostly food stalls, with all kinds of food imaginable. There's not much shopping here, just for foodies! It gets really crowded – you have to squeeze your way through!
🔰 Thanh Tu Son Park: This park is vast. So expansive and green, with lots of photo opportunities.
🔰 Tam Ngo Nhi: A shopping street. This street is mainly for clothes, shoes, and accessories. It's for shopping, not an ancient town, so I didn't find too many photo spots.
🔰 Thai Binh Ancient Town: I loved this place. When you take pictures here, everyone knows you are in China. Ancient architecture, many photo spots, many cafes, and a large area that would take all day to explore. There are also some shops that rent clothes, but it was too hot the day I went, so I skipped it.
🌸 Conclusion:
For around 4 million VND, the train experience was great. The hotel and food were excellent. You can freely explore the night market at night!
#namninh #tournamninhtauhoa
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