Tam Coc – Ha Long Bay on land

Located about 100 km far from Hanoi city, Tam Coc is tourist destination under Trang An scenic and it looks like Ha Long Bay on land.

Along with the historic monument of Hoa Lu and Trang An eco-tourism, Tam Coc is a scenic spot under Trang An, Ninh Binh province.

While Hoa Lu is famous for its temples dedicated to the Dinh and Le Kings which were built in the 10th century, Tam Coc is known as a place where the Le King lived a secluded life.

Tam Coc is located in Van Lam commune, Ninh Hai village, Hoa Lu district, Tam Coc has three caves: Ca, Hai and Ba formed by the Ngo Dong River.
Ca Cave (about 127m in length) runs through a big mountain. Its mouth is more than 20m in width. Hai Cave, nearly 1km from Ca Cave, is 60m in length and Ba Cave 50m in length.

From the centre’s pier, visitors can go for a row in the cool and clear weather, and see the breathtaking scenery.

On their way, they can stop at Thai Vi and Tam Coc temples along the Ngo Dong River. 

Tam Coc is pristine scenic, you will definitely have interesting moments of experiences here. Let's spend time exploring Ha Long Bay on land by yourself.

Source: VOV

The charming and romantic scenery of Trang An

Trang An located about 3 km away from the ancient capital of Hoa Lu, is a wonderful landscape. Road from Trang An to Ninh Binh is very long and smooth and both sides of the road are the newly planted trees with premature green leaves.

We arrived at Trang An at noon but the atmosphere here is very cool with charming scenery of the majestic mountains reflecting the calm and clean water surface. On waterfront, there are many blue boats making the scenery more charming as a nice picture.

Trang An has nearly 50 large and small caves, but a tour around this area just has to go through 10 large caves.  In these caves, rocks were eroded by water many years ago and it created these lively and colorful stalactites

Each cave has a private name such as  Dia Linh, Nau Ruou, Ao trai cave. That is an amazing experience when visitors sit on a boat to explore these caves. Because you not only sit still but also not tilt from side to side and bow your head very low to avoid stalactites hanging down from the top of the cave.

The atmosphere in cave is very cool and when getting out the mouth of the cave, you will be surprising because of wonderful scenery. Water in lake is very clean and visitors can see through its surface .

Coming back from Trang An, visitors can stop at a roadside to enjoy special dishes: goat meat, “com chay”.  “ Com chay” is very crispy and spicy with light yellow. It is very delicious!

According to the legend, by the end of the 19^th century, a Ninh Binh young man named Dinh Hoang Thang worked for a Chinese in Hanoi. He fell in love with the landlord`s daughter but was rebuffed. Hoang Thang came back his home and learnt the secret to cook food deliciously and invented “com chay” and when becoming the owner of a large store, he came back to marriage his lover and her mother agreed.

Another specialty that tourists can not miss when visiting Ninh Binh is goat meat. Those goats are fed on the rocky mountain. Their main food is grass and green leaves. Therefore their meat is very delicious.  I am sure that this special cuisine will make satisfied any demanding customers. 

 

Source:Travel.org.vn

Bo Nau Grotto - Quang Ninh

Location: Bo Nau Grotto or Pelican Grotto lies far from 2-3km southeast of Trong Mai Islet.

Characteristics: This vaulted grotto covers 200m2. The floor of the grotto is wide and flat but not deep and its wall features lots of stalactites and stalagmites.

Bo Nau Grotto is one of the beauty grottoes in Halong Bay. At the entrance are three stones, looking like three fairies with their heads close to one another. Two men appear to be playing chess, with the third serving as a referee.

The name Bo Nau or Bo Nong is associated with the fact that pelicans often take shelter here. If Dau Go Grotto lies completely inside the island, Bo Nau opens its mouth at the side of the island. Stalactites fall down from the roof of the grotto in different clusters. Meanwhile stalagmites grow up in different shapes and layers. Is this that the life out there is so noisy that the three fairies have to choose this tranquil place to play chess? Turning southward, Bo Nau Grotto enjoys cool wind. Standing there, one can hear the murmur of the sea all year round. 

 

Phuong Hoang Cave and Mo Ga Stream - Thai Nguyen

Location: The cave is located atop Phuong Hoang (Phoenix) Mountain, 45km from Thai Nguyen City along National Road No. 1B in the Thai Nguyen-Lang Son direction.

Characteristics: The cave includes 3 layers: the upper layer is Doi (Bat) Cave, the central is Sang (Light) Cave, and the lower is Toi (Dark) Cave. 

Visitors spend around half an hour climbing up to the cave. Seeing from its foot, the mountain has the shape of two laying phoenixes. Legend goes that a long time ago, there were a couple of phoenixes living very happily and they were born two eggs. Everyday, the father bird looked for food and the mother bird sat the eggs. One day lured by a new flock, the father bird forgot his task and did not come back. Until he remembered his task and returned to the nest, his wife had been transmuted into a rock. Feeling regrettable, he laid on the opposite mountain, looking toward the nest with the hope that his wife could revive. Waiting hopelessly for a long time, he was also transmuted into stone. Since then the mountain has been named Phuong Hoang (Phoenix).

Reaching the mouth of the cave, visitors can see the landscape of this land. The Light Cave is spacious and well-ventilated. The stalactites in the cave glitter fancifully thanks to the light from the three main mouths of the caves. Visitors can freely imagine the forms of these stalactites such as a mother is carrying her son on her back on the way to the field, ancient people are hunting wild animals, and lanterns.

At the foot of the Phuong Hoang Mountain, there is Mo Ga (Chicken�s Beak) Stream Cave. Its entrance is 100m wide and there is a stream that flows out from the cave. In front, there are many small waterfalls, bathing places, rocks, and small rocky islands. The water is clear and the landscape is fantastic.
 

The Phuong Hoang Mountain is the most beautiful in Thai Nguyen with the imposing landscape and beautiful cave. The site attracts many visitors. Phuong Hoang vestige and the stream in Mo Ga Cave were listed as National Sites by the Government in 1994. 

Nguom Ngao Cave - Cao Bang

Location: Nguom Ngao Cave located in Gun Village, Dam Thuy Commune, Trung Khanh District, just 3km from Ban Gioc Waterfall.

Characteristics: Nguom Ngao Cave was formed from weathered age-old limestone by wind and water. It is considered as one of the most beautiful caves in northeast of Vietnam.  

It is discovered in 1921 by local people then opened for tourists since 1996. With the length of 2,144m, Nguom Ngao cave is relative enormous, includes three main entrances. Now, Cao Bang Province only exploits 900m. The scenery in the interior of the cave is as picturesque as that of a fairly land. Visiting cave, tourist come in Nguom Luom entrance and go out Nguom Ngao entrance.

Go inside the cave, visitors will be dazzled by wonderful sparking seven-colored stalactites hanging down from high stone cliffs. Nature is clever to create stone statues of which some look like human bodies, some look like forest plant, animals, a fairy combining her hair or a lotus bulb, etc. Visitors can feel the harmony between stone and water. 

Cave roof is continuously closed and open, giving the tourists a big surprise. Stalactites seem to grow from the soil, or hang down, vertical or horizontal with small and big figures piled and fixed in a hustle. 

Nguom Ngao Cave with its primitive beauty creates a natural landscape that is not only magnificent, attractive but also full of Viet Bac distinction. It has been awarded as a national landscape by the Ministry of Culture and Information, drawing attention from domestic and foreign tourists to visit.

From 2006, there are asphalted road from Highway 206 to Nguom Ngao site and cement ways spreading inside cave combined with light systems.  

Vung Duc Temple and Grottoes - Quang Ninh

Location: This spot is located by the Bai Tu Long Bay in the Cam Pha Town at the foot of Ban Co Mountain, 45km to the north-east of Halong City.

Characteristics: This is a unique tourist site of high historic, religious significance.

It is composed of five imposing caves: Thien Dang - Long Van - Ngo Ngang - Kim Quy  - Doi that can be accessed by a car cable system. In Thien Dang Cave, at an ideal elevation, tourists can get a view of the Bai Tu Long Bay. In Vung Duc, you can call on some islands and beauty spots such as Bai Tu Long National Park, The Vang Island, Cong Tay and The Vang Island eco-tourist zones.