Thứ Ba, 15 tháng 4, 2014

Day 1: Hanoi – Hoa Lu Tam Coc (L, D)
8.00am - Depart Hanoi by private coach to Hoa Lu (2.5 hrs).
Visit the ancient capital of Vietnam and the famous old temples of The Dinh and The Le Dynasties.
Enjoy cycling tour for an hour on picturesque quiet roads through villages, rice fields, rivers and rocky outcrops to Tam Coc (12km).
Check in hotel in Tam Coc and have Lunch.
1.30pm - Boat journey(1 hour) in the heart of "Inland Ha Long Bay".
Take in the beauty of the karsts formations as you pass along their base and row into three of the many caves carved through the limestone.
Stop for a short rest near a small shrine before returning to dock (1 hour).
Free time and relax.
Day 2: Van Long Kenh Ga - Hanoi (B, L)
Have a breakfast. Leave Tam Coc for Van Long Nature Reverse. Take the tiny bamboo boat to visit the "preserving nature area". Lunch in restaurant. After that move to Kenh Ga floating village in Gia vien.
Take the motor- boat on Yellow Dragon River. Visit the "Kenh Ga hot spring", and if you have time, you can have a shower or a swim in the hot water from the hot spring or you can walk through the green rice field to visit the Van Trinh Cave.
Drive back to Hanoi.

VIETNAM TYPICAL TOURS COMPANY
Hotline : (84) 974.861.652
Email : info@vietnamtypicaltours.com
Website : http://vietnamtypicaltours.com
Trang An Grottoes, (7 km from Ninh Binh). An easy bicycle ride away, Trang An Grottoes is similar to Tam Coc but with many more caves to pass through. Most caves have been widened in order for the boats to pass through and as result their natural beauty has been compromised. The first two caves are the most natural and beautiful but are also tight in places, so watch your head. Lots of concrete structures are being built all over the place and rice paddies are disappearing fast but hopefully this area will not lose its splendor. It might be worth bringing a torch in case the power fails and the lights go out, some of the tunnels are quite long and your rower may have forgotten their backup torch, as was the case for the boat in front of us and had to wait for our boat to provide light for them to navigate the last cave. 150,000 per person.

VIETNAM TYPICAL TOURS COMPANY
Hotline : (84) 974.861.652
Email : info@vietnamtypicaltours.com
Website : http://vietnamtypicaltours.com
Tam Coc, (9 km south of Ninh Binh, along Hwy 1). One of Vietnam's most spectacular sights. A boat must be hired that will take you through the waterways between vast limestone cliffs that rise out of the rice paddies. The area is somewhat similar to Halong Bay, but more accessible and much less touristy. Beware, the floating drink sellers can be very persistent. They are located after the third cave. Most will ask if you would like to buy a drink for the rower. This is usually sold back immediately for half price. Rowers can usually row with their feet as well as their hands, which makes quite an interest sight. Possibly the best time to go is in the morning or late afternoon, when its quieter and cooler with more shade. Last boats start out about 5:30PM in the summer and 4:30PM in the winter. Its an easy bicycle ride here from Ninh Binh, with no hills. When leaving your motorbike in the carpark, beware of scamming thieves (such as removing a mirror while the motorbike is parked then selling it back to you for 100,000 dong) and look for official parking areas to avoid such scams. Those can be found on the big parking lot to your left when you arrive, just before the village, there is a booth at the gate. We paid 5000 Dong while at first being asked 10k, possibly the official rate is even lower. Some boats have boxes loaded upon departure. They are filled with handicrafts (you can check it), and are meant for you to buy. During the return trip the rowers - your own or those of nearby boats - might suddenly turn from friendly rowers to pushy sellers. Don't ruin your experience by allowing this. Demand a rower/boat without handicraft/souvenir boxes and/vor clearly show desinterest. The area around Tam Coc is equally beautiful, and is best viewed from the back of a motorbike or by bicycle. There is also a temple Bich Dong (free entrance) built into one of the hills which provides incredible views. To get there just follow the road pass the Tam Coc 'pier' for about 3km to the west. While seing the temple don't forget to go through the cave to reach the upper level and the next little temple. You may also like to ignore the sign and climb up the rocks (there is a clear path) to the top of the rock, the view is worth the scramble. 80,000 dong per boat, maximum 2 foreigners per boat plus entrance fee of 100,000 per person. 

VIETNAM TYPICAL TOURS COMPANY
Hotline : (84) 974.861.652
Email : info@vietnamtypicaltours.com
Website : http://vietnamtypicaltours.com