Biking, boating in Tam Coc, climbing Mua Cave
During our few days in Hanoi, we went on a day tour to the Ninh Binh area about two hours north of the city. I continue to be amazed in the amount of stuff these companies can pack into a day for less than $50 all included. It was a pretty fun trip and included a very nice hour-long boat tour through some interesting caves.
On Monday, August 12, we woke at 6, ate quite a bit at the hotel breakfast buffet at 6:40 and were picked up out front at 7:12. Similar to the last tour, we picked up other people for about an hour and were on the road by 8:15. Our guide, named Hop but who also went by Gary, spent about 30 minutes explaining the agenda for the day. He also mentioned he’s been a guide for 5 years, since he was about 26. His humor and methods were consequently fairly refined. For example, he had something to say based on his experience about each country mentioned when we went around saying where we were from.
We drove an hour, took a 10 minute break at a cafe, and drove another hour. Then we stopped at another place you could buy art that supposedly benefited local disabled folks.
The tour bus to Tam Coc stopped at a store selling art that supposedly benefits disabled people.
The tour bus to Tam Coc stopped at a store selling art that supposedly benefits disabled people.
We drove a bit more, passing a weird, bizarrely out of place and huge mansion that was built by a local businessman who made it big in the concrete industry. Several of the mountains in the area have active mining going on, which made me wonder how long it would be until some of those mountains totally disappeared. Anyway, the mansion is called Cung điện Thành Thắng, meaning Thanh Thang Palace. Its interior can be seen on YouTube.
On the way to Ninh Binh, we passed a weird mansion, Cung điện Thành Thắng, which apparently means Thanh Thang Palace and is owned by some concrete businessman mining the mountainsides in the area.
Our first main stop was at Hoa Lu, an ancient capital. We walked across a bridge and entered an area housing some temple-like buildings. One was apparently called the Tomb of the First Emperor, Lăng vua Đinh Tiên Hoàng. Women needed to grab a thick brown skirt from the baskets out front if they had exposed knees.
Women whose knees were exposed needed to take and put on one of these heavy skirts. For some reason the rule did not apply to men. Exploring the area near Hoa Lu Ancient Capital, Vietnam.
Women whose knees were exposed needed to take and put on one of these heavy skirts. For some reason the rule did not apply to men. Exploring the area near Hoa Lu Ancient Capital, Vietnam.
We walked around and looked at the gardens, pools and old buildings. It was fairly peaceful, though there were many tourists.
Exploring the area near Hoa Lu Ancient Capital, Vietnam.
Exploring the area near Hoa Lu Ancient Capital, Vietnam.
Exploring the area near Hoa Lu Ancient Capital, Vietnam.
Exploring the area near Hoa Lu Ancient Capital, Vietnam.
Exploring the area near Hoa Lu Ancient Capital, Vietnam.
There was fish food available for purchase near these stairs. Exploring the area near Hoa Lu Ancient Capital, Vietnam.
Exploring the area near Hoa Lu Ancient Capital, Vietnam.
Next we did a bike tour through a valley between some mountains next to a river. It was a gravel road for the most part, and the bikes were in poor condition but worked well enough. It was clear they had been used for many years!
Biking around somewhere near or in Tràng An, Vietnam.
Biking around somewhere near or in Tràng An, Vietnam.
Biking around somewhere near or in Tràng An, Vietnam.
Biking around somewhere near or in Tràng An, Vietnam.
Biking around somewhere near or in Tràng An, Vietnam.
Patton's poor mosquito bites. Biking around somewhere near or in Tràng An, Vietnam.
Biking around somewhere near or in Tràng An, Vietnam.
Biking around somewhere near or in Tràng An, Vietnam.
Biking around somewhere near or in Tràng An, Vietnam.
We then stopped at a building near the bike return and had a buffet. Patton and I talked to a couple at our table from Kansas.
Nice bananas growing near where we got lunch on our Ninh Binh tour.
Next we went on an hourlong boat tour through the three caves that I think are the namesake of Tam Cốc. There’s a much better description over at The Not-Your-Usual Guide to Ninh Binh (Tam Coc). Depending on your group size, you rode either 2 or 3 or 4 in a boat with a guide who did all the paddling for you. We were told ahead of time a normal tip would be about 50K ($2) per person. Since Patton and I were alone in the boat, I tipped 150K. The lady did try to sell us some embroidery toward the end, but she wasn’t very pushy about it.
Boat tour through caves near Ninh Binh, in a place called Tam Cốc, or literally three caves, Vietnam. It's a flooded cave karst system on a river.
Boat tour through caves near Ninh Binh, in a place called Tam Cốc, or literally three caves, Vietnam. It's a flooded cave karst system on a river.
Boat tour through caves near Ninh Binh, in a place called Tam Cốc, or literally three caves, Vietnam. It's a flooded cave karst system on a river.
Boat tour through caves near Ninh Binh, in a place called Tam Cốc, or literally three caves, Vietnam. It's a flooded cave karst system on a river.
Boat tour through caves near Ninh Binh, in a place called Tam Cốc, or literally three caves, Vietnam. It's a flooded cave karst system on a river.
Boat tour through caves near Ninh Binh, in a place called Tam Cốc, or literally three caves, Vietnam. It's a flooded cave karst system on a river.
Floating through one of Tam Coc’s three caves on Ngo Dong river in Vietnam
Boat tour through caves near Ninh Binh, in a place called Tam Cốc, or literally three caves, Vietnam. It's a flooded cave karst system on a river.
Boat tour through caves near Ninh Binh, in a place called Tam Cốc, or literally three caves, Vietnam. It's a flooded cave karst system on a river.
The local boat guides mostly used their feet to row the boats on our tour through caves near Ninh Binh, in a place called Tam Cốc, or literally three caves, Vietnam. It's a flooded cave karst system on a river.
Rowing with the feet on the Ngo Dong river in Vietnam
Boat tour through caves near Ninh Binh, in a place called Tam Cốc, or literally three caves, Vietnam. It's a flooded cave karst system on a river.
Boat tour through caves near Ninh Binh, in a place called Tam Cốc, or literally three caves, Vietnam. It's a flooded cave karst system on a river.
Boat tour through caves near Ninh Binh, in a place called Tam Cốc, or literally three caves, Vietnam. It's a flooded cave karst system on a river.
Boat tour through caves near Ninh Binh, in a place called Tam Cốc, or literally three caves, Vietnam. It's a flooded cave karst system on a river.
I spotted my first fan vest in Vietnam finally at Tam Cốc.
Then we went to Hang Múa (Mua Caves), which is basically a large hill with some small caves in it. The caves are less the attraction than the vantage you get by climing the hill, which has apparently 500 steps built into it. There are two separate lookout areas, but it took us so long to wait in line at the top of the higher one — the line was specifically to take a photo with the dragon — that we only went to one. It was a great experience, though very hot! Many of the guys were going shirtless by the time they were only a third of the way up. Patton and I joined them. It was very sweaty and interesting!
Exploring the Mua Cave grounds near Tam Coc, Vietnam.
Climbing the Mua Cave viewpoint near Tam Coc, Vietnam.
Climbing the Mua Cave viewpoint near Tam Coc, Vietnam.
Climbing the Mua Cave viewpoint near Tam Coc, Vietnam.
There was a line of people waiting to climb up to be with this dragon, that as far as I could tell you were not actually supposed to cross the chains to go touch. But we did. Climbing the Mua Cave viewpoint near Tam Coc, Vietnam.
Climbing the Mua Cave viewpoint near Tam Coc, Vietnam.
Climbing the Mua Cave viewpoint near Tam Coc, Vietnam.
There was a line of people waiting to climb up to be with this dragon, that as far as I could tell you were not actually supposed to cross the chains to go touch. But we did. Climbing the Mua Cave viewpoint near Tam Coc, Vietnam.
Climbing the Mua Cave viewpoint near Tam Coc, Vietnam.
I did struggle with my Luna sandals again. They have a top surface marketed as a very grippy “MonkeyGrip”, but apparently after many years of wearing them, it becomes extremely slippery when wet. Since I was sweating all over my feet, I had trouble with all the slanted surfaces to climb up to the dragon. I was careful and tightened my straps a lot, so it worked out, but I really need to solve this issue. I’ve been reluctant to just buy new sandals, because they are perfectly fine otherwise.
My sandals had become very slippery when wet through about six years of use, and that was a bit of a problem trying to navigate these very strangely sharp and pokey rocks while climbing the Mua Cave viewpoint near Tam Coc, Vietnam.
My sandals had become very slippery when wet through about six years of use, and that was a bit of a problem trying to navigate these very strangely sharp and pokey rocks while climbing the Mua Cave viewpoint near Tam Coc, Vietnam.
Tiger Cave near Mua Cave in Tam Coc, Vietnam.
Inside the Mua Cave, or dancing cave, in Tam Coc, Vietnam.
Then we bussed back the 2 hours with a stop at the cafe again for 10 mins. It was a great tour overall! Thank you Hop!
Entries in this series
- Touring Phú Quốc, Vietnam, by motorbike! (July 31-August 3)
- Saigon shopping and nightlife (August 3-4)
- Touring the Mekong Delta, Vĩnh Tràng Temple, Saigon Skydeck (August 5)
- The Củ Chi tunnels and a messy Saigon run (August 6-7)
- My first tattoo, in Saigon, and a gay party (August 8-11)
- Biking, boating in Tam Coc, climbing Mua Cave (August 12)
- My first X-ray, in Hanoi (August 11-13)
