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Trang An Family Homestay Review: A Quiet Ninh Binh Homestay for Families
The Trang An Family Homestay is a small, family-run homestay in Ninh Binh, northern Vietnam, about two hours south of Hanoi by train.
We stayed for three nights in October 2025 and found it to be an inexpensive, good-value base with a pool, a free breakfast and some of the kindest hosts we met in 100 days of travelling.
It suits families who want somewhere quiet to rest between days out, rather than nightlife on the doorstep.
In this review we cover:
Whether to stay in Trang An or Tam Coc
Getting there, cost and check-in
The room, the pool and the free breakfast
The hosts, the free bikes and what's nearby
Whether we'd recommend it for families
Ready to book? You can check availability and prices on Booking.com or read more guest reviews on TripAdvisor.
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Trang An or Tam Coc: Where Should You Stay in Ninh Binh?
Most families visiting Ninh Binh end up choosing between two areas: Tam Coc and Trang An. They're only a short drive apart, but they feel quite different.
Tam Coc is the busier of the two, with a main strip of restaurants, bars and tour agencies. We went there for dinner one evening and it was noticeably livelier than Trang An.
Trang An on the other hand is much quieter, more rural and surrounded by farmland and limestone hills, with a smaller handful of restaurants on its main street.
Tam Coc | Trang An | |
Atmosphere | Lively, busy in the evenings | Quiet and rural |
Restaurants | Lots of choice | A handful on the main street |
Crowds | Popular with day-trippers | Calmer, fewer tourists around |
Best for | Families who want things to do on the doorstep | Families who want rest between days out |
Neither is a bad choice, and taxis between the two are quick and easy. If you want buzz, go for Tam Coc.
If you want your kids to wind down in a pool after a hot day of sightseeing, Trang An is the better fit. That's why we chose it.
How to Get There
We took the sleeper train from Hanoi to Ninh Binh station, travelling in a four-berth soft sleeper cabin, which worked well with the girls. It's worth getting the sleeper room even if you don't plan on sleeping, as it's great to have a bit of space and relax.
From the station, the homestay is roughly 12 km away, and we simply booked a Grab car straight there. It was quick, easy and cheap.
Getting Around
Grab is Southeast Asia's version of Uber, and it's one of the best things to happen to travel in the region. You book everything in the app, see your driver and their licence plate before they arrive, and know exactly what you'll pay before you get in.
How Much Does It Cost?
We booked through Booking.com, and the stay was around $30 CAD per night, which we thought was incredible value, especially with breakfast included for all four of us.
Prices change with the season, so check current rates on Booking.com for your dates.
Arriving and First Impressions
The homestay is small, so there isn't a check in as such. You just head up to the reception, show your ID and they take you to your room.
For the first two nights of our stay I'm pretty sure we were the only guests. Even when it's full, there aren't a lot of rooms, so I can't imagine it would ever feel particularly crowded.
The hosts speak good English and were welcoming from the moment we arrived. They gave us their phone number so we could message them any time, which turned out to be very useful (more on that below).
The Room
Our room had two huge double beds, each easily large enough for two adults, so there was plenty of space for our family.
The room was basic rather than luxurious, typical of family-run homestays across Vietnam and Southeast Asia, but it was clean, comfortable and well maintained. The bathroom was much the same: simple, practical and spotless.
The air conditioning worked well, perhaps a little too well. The room got quite cold overnight and the beds only came with a sheet, so we asked for thicker duvets and the hosts brought them over straight away.
The room also had a kettle and a couple of electric bug-zapper rackets. The rooms were spotless throughout our stay.
The Pool
The pool is the centrepiece of the homestay, and it was the girls' favourite part of the stay. In Vietnam's heat, a pool makes a huge difference with kids, and having one to come back to after a day of sightseeing was much needed.
It's especially lovely at night, when fairy lights around the pool light it up, that meant that the girls could swim after dark.
Our room was right beside the pool, so we could sit outside and keep an eye on the girls without getting in ourselves (not that we often managed to stay out).
Free Breakfast
Breakfast is included and served à la carte. You order the night before from a short menu and it's made fresh in the morning. It's simple food, but it was good, and it set us up well for the day.
The girls went for banana pancakes, while I ordered bánh cuốn, a traditional Northern Vietnamese breakfast of steamed rice rolls stuffed with pork.
There were also a couple of savoury noodle dishes and fresh smoothies, and the passionfruit smoothie was delicious.
Bánh cuốn made our list of the best food in Vietnam, and it's well worth trying here. I seem to remember that breakfast ran from 6:30 to 9 am.
The Hosts
To be honest, the wonderful family that own the homestay are what make this place. They were friendly, helpful and happy to share local advice. They recommended the Mua Caves viewpoint and the Hoa Lu night market, and both ended up being highlights of our time in Ninh Binh.
Three moments stand out:
The late-night air con rescue. Around 11:30 one night, we switched off the air conditioning by accident, thinking it was a light switch. We messaged the hosts, and they came over right away and fixed it, with no fuss whatsoever.
The duvets. When the air con ran cold, extra duvets for the girls arrived without a second thought.
The send-off. On our last morning, they checked that the right taxi had arrived, helped load our bags, and said goodbye with hugs all round.
Free Bikes and the Fields
The homestay has plenty of bikes you can borrow for free, which is a great way to explore the quiet roads and farmers' fields around Trang An.
We wanted to borrow the bikes, but they didn't have one small enough for Evelyn to ride safely. Most of the bikes appeared to be adult-sized or suited to older children, so families with very young kids may run into the same issue.
We didn't end up using them, but if the sizing had worked for us, a family bike ride around the area would have been a great way to explore.
Even without bikes, the farmland around the homestay is lovely to wander through.
Location and Things to Do Nearby
The homestay is about a two-minute walk from Trang An's main street, through a few back alleys. These are quite dark at night, so bring a phone or flashlight to light the way.
The main street has a number of restaurants, mostly Vietnamese places that also have a few Western dishes on the menu. On our first night we had bún thịt nướng (grilled pork with rice noodles) and a chicken phở.
One of the girls tried a pizza at one of the restaurants and it was not great, to say the least, so we generally stuck to the Vietnamese food, which is the better bet anyway.
If you need inspiration, our guide to the best food in Vietnam covers the dishes our kids loved.
Nearby Attractions
The homestay makes an easy base for Ninh Binh's main sights:
Trang An boat tour: A rowing-boat trip through limestone caves and karst scenery, and a must-do in Ninh Binh. Read about our Trang An boat tour.
Mua Caves: A steep climb to a viewpoint over the rice fields and river, with some of the best views in Ninh Binh.
Bich Dong Pagoda: A pagoda built into the limestone cliffs near Tam Coc.
Hoa Lu night market: A fun evening out with food stalls and a lively atmosphere.
Would We Recommend the Trang An Family Homestay for Families?
Yes, and we'd happily stay again.
Across our 100 days, we mixed pricier stays with cheaper, local ones, and we wanted the girls to experience a simple, family-run homestay like this one. It delivered exactly that: a quiet base, a pool the girls loved, a good free breakfast, and hosts who went out of their way to help.
It won't suit everyone. If you want nightlife on the doorstep, Tam Coc is a better fit. And if you're after a polished, hotel-style experience, this isn't it. The rooms are basic, and part of the charm is that it feels like staying with a local family rather than at a resort.
If you have three nights or more in Ninh Binh and want a good-value Ninh Binh homestay, we'd recommend it.
If you're ready to book your stay, you can check availability and pricing or browse more guest reviews on TripAdvisor.
A little bit more about us....
We're a Calgary‑based family that travelled for 100 days, documenting each step so other families can get an honest, real‑life look at long‑term travel with kids.
You can browse the full 100‑day daily diary contents list here.
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