A day trip out of Ha Noi can take you many places. After seeing Ha Long Bay we had heard about an inland version which was called Tam Coc, which is 90 km south of Ha Noi.
The first stop on our tour was to the temple of Dinh Tien Hoang which was in Hoa Lu the ancient capital of Vietnam. The place is partly left in ruins while other parts like the temple are still standing.
ABOVE: Carved wooden work, so beautiful.
BELOW: Roy being a tourist outside of the temple
Once we arrived at Tam Coc we boarded the boats. The owners of the boats peddled the ores with their feet up and down the river. Some were going faster than others, racing to get to the end. The scenery was stunning, surrounded by limestone pillars and river weed. The area is known for growing rice.
I have to say the scenery was really great, the need to haggle money out of us by people at the turn around point was unnecessary, as well as then having to tip the person peddling the boat. Be careful when booking tours, find out what is and what is not included – this goes across the board for most trips in Vietnam. You never know how many unexpected stops you make to buy souvenirs.
I still think that Tam Coc is worth the visit, just find your own way there or find a decent tour company.
2 Responses
Great photos!
Thanks Ali