Leaving Ha Long Bay, our next destination was Ninh Binh, about 4 hours away. This area is also known as “Dry Ha Long Bay”, because it has similar limestone formations. Only here, they rise up out of the surrounding rice paddies instead of the bay.
Hoa Lu Ancient Capital
Our first stop was Hoa Lu, a site that was briefly the capital of Vietnam in the 10th Century. This area has several temple and fortress ruins to wander through, along with gardens and parks to enjoy.
Starting at the main gate, we worked our way upwards through several temples at different levels in the hills. Reaching the top, we had a nice view of the surrounding hills and countryside.
We spent the next morning bicycling around the beautiful countryside.
Starting from our wonderful hotel outside of town, we passed numerous rice paddies and limestone rocks, and waved back to all the friendly people we met along the way. We also stopped at a small local market to get a look at the locally grown fruits and vegetables.
Finally, we finished in the center of the town of Tam Coc, where our next adventure, a river tour, awaited.
Tam Coc – Bich Dong
For us, the highlight of the area was the Tam Coc – Bich Dong boat ride. Starting in the center of town, we were taken in a small rowboat down a river for several miles. The course wound through rice paddies, marshes and in between limestone mountains. We also went through 3 caves along the route, some of them so small we had to duck our heads to get through.
Our boat driver did almost all of the rowing using only her feet. She made it look effortless.
