Tam Coc
Only a short bus or car ride away from Ninh Binh (drivers and tour group operators know exactly where to go) is a trio of caves accessible by a traditional boat ride down the Hoang Long River, a peaceful stream that winds through rice paddies after cutting its path through the steep cliffs around nearby Hoa Lu. Kind village women paddle your boat the the 2 km (1 mile) through Tam Coc, a series of three caves, one of which has a cement plaque on its far side commemorating Nguyen Cong Cay, a Vietnamese weapons maker who lived in Hoa Lu from 1947 to 1950 and plotted with other resisters against the French. At the far end of the boat ride, other women in similar boats are waiting to sell you soft drinks, bananas, and even embroidery. Another cave, Bich Dong, can also be reached by boat; you can disembark to visit the 17th-century pagoda here. Tam Coc has recently become a small tourist epicenter and there are several hostels and restaurants located around the boat harbor.
