The three caves
The longest runs 127 metres.
Vyacheslav Argenberg — CC BY 4.0 · Franzfoto — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Anass Sedrati — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Vinnie Cartabiano — CC BY 2.0
Nicknamed «Ha Long Bay on land», Tam Coc is a boat trip along the Ngo Dong River between limestone peaks and rice fields, through the three caves that give the place its name: Tam Coc means «three caves». The largest, Hang Ca, runs 127 metres through the mountain; the second and third are shorter and lower, hung with stalactites. The rowers here are known for rowing with their feet, leaning back in the stern, and each small boat takes two foreign visitors. The round trip takes about two hours, and the scene changes with the seasons: green rice in spring, golden fields around late May and early June before the harvest, then flooded paddies after it. Two kilometres away is Bich Dong, the «green cave», named in 1773 by the scholar-official Nguyen Nghiem. A pagoda from the Later Le dynasty climbs the hillside on three levels, and a water cave about 350 metres long runs right through the mountain beneath it. Modest dress is expected at the pagoda. The ticket now includes the boat. Van Lam village at the wharf is known for its embroidery, and cycling the lanes between the peaks is a pleasant way to spend the rest of the day.
The longest runs 127 metres.
The Tam Coc rowers' habit.
A three-level pagoda and a water cave.
Van Lam wharf, about 7 km south-west of Ninh Binh city
Around late May and early June, when the rice turns gold before the harvest, and early in the morning on any day to avoid heat and crowds.
