Halong Bay is the second name of a region rich in karst landscapes in the province of Ninh Binh, 90km south of Hanoi and is composed of 6 emblematic sites, including Tam Coc, which is the real name of this region, where we can see the karstic rocks strangely resembling those in Halong Bay. It is one of the most visited destinations during a trip to Vietnam where you can take a bike ride in the Vietnamese countryside filled with small villages and rice fields, but also aboard a sampan in the middle of picturesque karst mountains.
Tam Coc
Tam Coc with its rock formations, caves, bodies of water and spectacular, exotic landscapes, is one of Vietnam’s major tourist attractions for travellers and nature lovers. The natural landscape of Tam Coc takes place during a ride in a small rowing boat sailing on the Ngo Dong River, where in addition to the impressive landscape, you can also contemplate the rice fields. It is undoubtedly the rice fields that give this impressive touch of Tam Coc, with a bright green to yellow, they give an unprecedented color to the feet of karst cliffs and rock formations.
Halong Bay Caves
Tam Coc, named after the 3 caves inside the rock formations, lies about 3 kilometers from Van Lam. These caves, whose names are Hang Ca, Hang Giua and Hang Ba, were formed by the erosion of the rocks, with the peculiarity that they have no land and can only be visited in sampan (small boats) following the river that crosses from inside the caves.
The pagoda of Bich Dong
The Bich Dong pagoda (or Jade pagoda), located 2 km from the Tam Coc caves, is composed of 3 structures: the lower pagoda, the pagoda in the middle and the upper pagoda). From the upper pagoda, one can enjoy the best views of Bich Dong.
Beyond Halong Bay
Although the region of Tam Coc – Bich Dong has been dubbed Halong Bay on Land, travellers often consider that the “bay” goes beyond Tam Coc, and if you want to spend more than one day in the province of Ninh Binh, do not miss Hoa Lu, the ancient capital of Vietnam in the tenth and eleventh century; the temple of Bai Dinh considered as the largest Buddhist complex in the country, and not far from it lies the Cathedral of Phat Diem.
If you prefer to see a more unspoiled Halong Bay, you have to go to the Van Long Nature. It is without a doubt the scenic landscape of Trang An that will captivate the hearts of travellers from all over the world to take pictures of the locations where the Hollywood movie “Kong: the Skull Island” was filmed.