Located about 100 km south of Hanoi, Tam Coc is regarded as Ha Long bay on land.
Along with the historic relic of Hoa Lu ancient capital and Trang An eco-tourism area, Tam Coc is part of the Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex in Ninh Binh province. Hoa Lu holds the temple of King Dinh and King Le in the 10th century, restored in the 17th century, and Tam Coc is a place for King Le to live in seclusion with a charming landscape.
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Tam Coc is in Van Lam, Ninh Hai commune, Hoa Lu district, Ninh Binh province. Tam Coc means three caves, including Ca, Hai and Ba caves. The three caves were created by the Ngo Dong river thrusting through mountains.
Hang Ca (Fish cave)
At 127m long and nearly 20m broad, Hang Ca is a “wet” cave that has worn its way through a karst outcrop to allow entry to watercraft. It is said that it contains more stalactites and stalagmites than any other cave in the area and is one of the largest and most visited. It is also high enough that even during torrential floods the river never reaches the top and so remains open even when others are closed to boat traffic.
Opposite the cave is a small outcrop called Vườn Am (Garden Island) which Feng Shui ascribes as favorable aspect and which once contained a training temple for monkhood. It was later moved to Thai Vi temple but it is still known as a peaceful spot to fish and write poetry (poetry writing being a revered form of art for the Vietnamese noble class).
Hang Ca (Fish cave) is also a “wet” cave and said to be the longest of the three grottoes as it stretches for over a kilometer. The roof of the cave is festooned with a variety of stalactites with a beauty that has challenged the imagination of visitors for countless centuries. It is located about 1km from Ca cave, is about 60m wide in places and is navigable for most of the year.
Hang Ba (Third Cave)
The third cave and is adjacent to Hai cave. Somewhat smaller and lower than the other two it can be somewhat precarious to boat traffic in times of heavy flooding. Parts of the blockbuster King Kong (2015) were filmed here – especially the part where King Kong jumps down into the water. If you are extremely lucky (or unlucky, depending on your viewpoint) you may encounter the wild cats this area is known for. After passing Ba cave there are several karst mountains and a small “village” of stilt houses, where there are toilets and refreshments for visitors – a good place to rest and review your adventure while still surrounded by the beauty of Tam Сос.
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In addition to the boat trip to the three caves there are plenty of other attractions such as Bich Dong Pagoda, Thai Vi Temple, Thien Huong Cave, and Linh Coc pagoda. As is often the case, the journey itself will be as important as the destination as you will get to enjoy the stunning scenery and friendly locals as you make your own pace through this very ancient and special part of Vietnam.
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