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.

Explore famous sights in Lang Son

Lang Son is a frontier mountainous province in the North-East of Vietnam. There are many charming sceneries that enchanting every visitors coming here.

Lang Son is famous for well-known folk verse:

“ Đồng Đăng có phố Kỳ lừa

Có nàng Tô Thị, có chùa Tam Thanh”

Tam Thanh pagoda, one of the famous destinations in Lang Son, is located in Tam Thanh Ward, Lang Son Commune, Lang Son District. The pagoda was built from Le Dynasty.

Tam Thanh pagoda

Tam Thanh pagoda is tourist attraction, attracting many tourists all around the country. This owns the amazing beauty of majestic caves with many stalactites.

In addition to famous landscape, Tam Thanh pagoda is also famous for its cultural and artistic value hidden in ruins. It is a system of abundant epitaphs with historical value of art and literature. Tam Thanh has been dubbed “ Đệ nhất bát cảnh Xứ Langk” ( including 4 places of Nhi Thanh cave, Tam Thanh cave, wall of Mac Dynasty and Nang To Thi)

About the name Tam Thanh, there are many different interpretations. According to the researchers, Tam Thanh pagoda used to be a place to worship Taoism. Tam Thanh pagoda is also a monument of religious belief. Now, there is a system of statues in the temple.

In addition, coming to Lang Son, visitors also should visit Nhi Thanh Cave and Ki Cung River.

A small boat on Ky Cung river

Perhaps, there are not only local people but also many visitors all around the country who are familiar with the name of Ky Cung River. When mentioning Lang Son land, people often think of famous destinations that went into poetry such as Ky Lua market, Ky Cung River, Tam Thanh- Nang To Thi, Wall of Mac Dynasty…

Ky Cung is a major river of northeastern Vietnam. It flows through Lang Son Province . Tributaries include the Bắc Giang River and the Bắc Khê River. Winding Ky Cung River is located in the heart of city as a soft, romantic silk that makes city wider.

Today, there are 3 bridges of Ky Lua, Dong Kinh, and Cau Ngam that are across Ky Cung River. In the afternoon, the sunset reflects into the water surface. From the distance, under the foot of bridge, there are a few small boats anchored near the bank.

Image of Ky Cung River is not only significant in creating space, landscape for modern urban development, but also the value of culture. Ky Cung River is really an ideal place that enchants every visitors coming here.

The next spot I want to mention is Wall of Mac Dynasty. Wall of Mac Dynasty that is located in Tam Thanh Ward, Lang Son city, is the military architectural monument, reflecting the feudal period in Vietnam.

According to the remaining material, Wall of Mac Dynasty used to be a major military base that was built in the sixteenth century by Mac Dinh Cung. This was considered as a base to be against Le-Trinh. Currently, the remaining vestiges are two walls with 300m in length.

Leaving Lang Son, we come back Hanoi by motorbike. We hope that we will come back here as soon as possible.

SPARKLING CAT BA BEACH

Coming to Cat Ba beach, you can hire a boat to travel around Lan Ha Bay, visiting beautiful beaches such as Cat Co beach, Ben Beo beach, Co Tien beach, etc or caves such as Trung Trang, Hoa Cuong, Thien Long, and then stop at any small isle to fish and enjoy fresh seafood. 

Cat Ba Beach is nominated as one of top 10 tourist attractions. Cat Ba is the largest island in total 1,969 islands in Ha Long Bay. Cat Ba is at the height of 70 meters over the sea level. On the island, there is Cat Ba town and 6 communes: Gia Luan, Hien Hao, Phu Long, Tran Chau, Viet Hai, Xuan Dam. Cat Ba has many beaches: Cat Co 1, Cat Co 2, Cat Dua, Cat Ong, Cat Trai Gai, Duong Danh, etc with smooth white sand stretching endlessly. The road  going through Cat Ba island is 27 kilometers in length with many slopes and wonderful scenery.  Coming to Cat Ba, tourists can swim, enjoy seafood and visit Cat Ba National Park. Cat Ba National Park has an area of 15,200 hectares with 9,000 hectares of forest, 5,400 hectares of sea. Besides, travelers can visit mysterious caves such as Trung Trang cave that is 15 kilometers from the town with a lot of natural stalactities. Cat Ba was recognized as the world biosphere reserve by UNESCO in 2004. The total area of Cat Ba biosphere reserve is more than 26,000 hectares. It includes tropical rainforest on limestone island, mangroves, coral reefs, especially cave system. Cat Ba is a wonderful place for relaxation in the summer. If you have a chance to visit Cat Ba island, you should not miss interesting activities such as swimming, scuba diving to see coral reefs, walking on beach in the evening, and visiting Lan Ha bay.

Prenn Waterfall- A Popular Sight in Dalat

Dalat is a rich land of beautiful and famous lakes and waterfalls, one of which is Prenn Waterfall. It takes tourists in Vietnam travel 15 minutes to ride a taxi from the city center. The waterfall looks like a water-curtain pouring from 10 meters high down to a small valley which is surrounded by lots of flowers and pine hill.

Prenn Waterfall is situated right at the foot of Prenn Pass, 10 kilometers from the center of Dalat city, Lam Dong province. According to the language of Cham people, Prenn means “the land of invasion”. From Ho Chi Minh City to Dalat, tourists in Vietnam travel must go through Prenn Pass which is 10 kilometers long. This waterfall looks like a water-curtain pouring from 10 meters high down to a small valley which is surrounded by lots of flowers and pine hill.

Prenn Waterfall

Prenn was the border after these fights (from Prenn to Don Duong, Phan Rang it was the land of the K’Ho and the Ma). The waterfall is 8m high, it falls from the high rock above. So, if you stand at the bottom of the waterfall and look up, it is like the waterfall down from the sky and Saigon people call it Tien Sa (rain drops from the sky).

From 1998 till now, Prenn Waterfall has been strongly interesting so it has been popular sight in Dalat. In the waterfall surrounding, there is a traditional bridge, a pool for crocodiles, and some wildlife such as bears, crocodiles and rubber dinghies. Prenn waterfall sight has a well-known food that is fish soup. The fish is boneless, cooked with rice, served with mustard which makes an unforgettable taste for visitors in Vietnam travel. Just with a small amount of money, 4 to 6 people can enjoy a fish soup course beside the waterfall.