Your base for exploring this destination is the city of Hanoi. For travel information about Hanoi, go to Hanoi Travel Guide. Looking for budget accommodation in Hanoi? Use our Budget Accommodation Guide!
Tam Coc is often called "Halong Bay on Land" or "Halong Bay of the Rice Paddies". Either way, Tam Coc is a place of awesome limestone formations looming a humdred metre into the sky, the same way as you'd find at Halong Bay, except that over here, it is on land. The river Ngo Dong runs through this amazing landscape, and has since been tapped as a tourist attraction.
The name Tam Coc means Three Caves, and refers to the three massive caverns that you will pass through by boat, under the huge limestone mountains. Along the way, you witness life in rural Vietnam happening under those huge karst formations.
Karst mountain range in picturesque Tam Coc.
How to go to Tam Coc
Tam Coc is over a hundred km from Hanoi. It takes about two to three hours to reach it, and the trip is usually combined with one to Hoa Lu. You can get a day tour from Hanoi to visit Tam Coc from most travel agents in Hanoi. Such a tour usually includes a boat ride at Tam Coc as well. The tour begins in the morning and ends at the early part of the afternoon. If you wish to use the tour that I used, you can contact Mrs Moon of Golden Sun Hotel, 23 Hang Hahn Street, phone: +84-4-8286316, email: goldensun_hotel@yahoo.com. Tell her that Tim of AsiaExplorers sent you, and perhaps you'd get a discount. No, I am not getting any commission from Mrs Moon, but I would recommend any establishments that satisfied me, so that, should I return to Golden Sun Hotel, I can expect VIP treatment!
Tam Coc Photo Gallery
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Places of Interest in Vietnam
Vietnam is a land of cultural and natural beauty. Click enter to view many of the sights in Vietnam.
About the Author: AsiaExplorers is researched and written by Timothy Tye. We take reasonable care to check and verify the accuracy of the content. However, we disclaim any responsibility for any inconvenience, mishap, injury or death resulting from following the advice provided directly or indirectly by AsiaExplorers and the comments on its pages. All the photographs in AsiaExplorers are available for publication. Please contact AsiaExplorers at the following email address for your enquiries: