Biking Around Tam Coc

It was a short van ride (just over an hour) south of Vietnam to Tam Coc. A lot of people do this as a day trip but we wanted to take our time.

Our first afternoon was spent wandering around the small town. We were staying around a lake (called Tam Coc) at a homestay. Homestays are really common in Vietnam - they are essentially family run businesses and the family usually live on / next door to the property. This was also amazing value for money - free breakfast is provided, as well as budget bike hire. 

There are lots of little paths slightly north of Tam Coc Lake, a lot of trick run through rice paddies and farms. We went on a short walk and looked at some viewpoints and temples.

The following day we hired some bikes (I love riding around in a bike) and rode to Trang An. It’s a UNESCO World Cultural and Natural Heritage Site and a scenic area known for its boat cave tours. 

This is often referred to as ‘the Ha Long Bay’ on land as there are limestone karsts towering out of the water. 

The (mostly women) who run the show peddle the oars with their feet - it’s amazing! 

We floated along for several kilometres, going through low caves and occasionally stopping at small islands with pagodas dating back to the 10th and 11th century. 

The boat ride took almost three hours and among beautiful landscapes - time well spent.

Feeling energetic, we got back on our bikes and cycled to Hoa Lu Ancient Capital.

This was the first capital of Vietnam in the medieval era. 

This is a place that is certainly of historical significance for Vietnam - it wasn’t bad for a quick side trip, a lot of pagodas and ruins to explore.

After cycling home over 10km (it had been a big exercise day, we got drinks and sat by Tam Coc Lake.



Another day, another bike ride. This time we were going to Hang Mua.

The site features two viewpoints, each of which take approximate 500 steps to access. The steps are carved into the side of the rock, so you feel like you’re climbing up the side of a cliff.

Once at the top, you can see over the whole Tam Coc region. It was a bit cloudy when we were there, but the views were still impressive.

We climbed back fine and then up the opposite viewpoint - which offered great views of the area we had just climbed. 

It was a hot day and Michael was not enjoying it - I only wore leggings as I thought this might be a religious site and I wanted to be respectful (still not sure if this was the case). 

We cycled onto Bich Dong Pagoda - which actually is a sacred site. Locals still use this as a place of worship. 

It’s a complex of pagodas and Buddhist shrines is built into the karst cliffs of Huong Tich Mountain.

It was peaceful and had an ancient feel about it, so we wandered about for a while. 



That’s about it for our time in Tam Coc - after the business of Ho Chi Minh and Hanoi, it was nice to stay in a small, quiet town. We noticed that there were few people actually staying in the area - there were a lot of open restaurants but most only had a few customers. 

Next stop: Phong Nha