We arrive in Hanoi at 5 am Thursday from Sapa on the night train. It makes for an early breakfast after a brief stop at Handspan travel company to drop our bags and clean up a bit.  They arranged for us to have a nice breakfast at the Orient Central Hotel.  The hotel served a great breakfast and were most accommodating and pleasant.

Soon thereafter, at 7:15 am, we are on our way to Cuc Phuong and Vietnam’s oldest National Park!

We make two stops here.  First at the Turtle Conservation Center.  This is a rescue center for turtles that are confiscated from the wildlife trade.  They have over twenty species, many, which are on the endangered species list. They have a “red ear” turtle from Florida. It’s great to see a fellow Floridian in Vietnam!

Our second stop here is at the Endangered Primate Center. Here we see some of the world’s rarest apes and monkeys.  They have around 160 animals and 15 species including Gibbons and Langurs.  These animals are also confiscated from illegal trade and many are doing well in breeding programs.  They have seven hectares of fenced in land to slowly introduce them into the wild.  Beautiful animals and work being done here by staff and western volunteers.

We drive a bit further into the park and then hike up a hillside to the Cave of Prehistoric Man. Bones and other artifacts excavated in this cave date back 7,500 years!

Lunch in the park is excellent with our guide and driver.  A traditional Vietnamese meal is served comprising  spring rolls, grilled pork, grilled tofu, steamed vegetables, chicken with onions and vegetables and of course steamed rice.  I spice mine up with some red chilis that our driver, Khong, just picked from some fresh green chilis off a nearby plant.  All delicious along with refreshing ginger tea.

It’s time to work off lunch.  The work will consist of a 7 km trek through a subtropical rainforest with trees over 1,000 years old.  The area contains fossilized sea creatures from 100 to 200 million years old.  We trek through a beautiful rainforest that reminds us a bit of those we saw near Cairns, Australia.  Similarly, the area is also plentiful in ? banana palms, ferns and sugar cane.

Our evening is spent in the Tam Coc region.  The region is nicknamed “Inland Halong” as it has many similar large limestone hills, mountains and formations as Halong Bay, without sea.  These formations were covered by the sea at one time.

Our lodging is in an absolutely beautiful bungalow at Tam Coc Rice Fields Resorts. Our room faces the water filled rice paddies, farms and the majestic limestone formations. After a gorgeous sunset, we enjoy dinner under the stars in the beautiful gardens on site.  The night ends with delivery of fresh pineapple ? juice to our room.  It just doesn’t get much more romantic than this!

Day 2 

Following breakfast we are ready for a full day ahead.  The morning is cool and the lilies are in bloom across the rice paddies.  We start with a short bicycle ride with our guides, Manh and Quynh, to a nearby pier and pick up a traditional hand-rowed sampan.  

The boat trip is relaxing, picture perfect.  The traditional boat is rowed by foot by a Vietnamese lady through a beautiful tree and mountain lined canal.  

We pass through several caves that we navigate with a flashlight.  There are more lilies throughout the river in full morning bloom. 

It is a perfect way to start the day with a peaceful trip along the river, bordering the natural site of Trang An and the beautiful Ninh Binh countryside.  Even better, I am not rowing this boat for nearly 90 minutes!

We return to our bikes at the pier to explore Tam Coc area, its nearby villages, farms, and rice paddies.  There is one rice season here and the rice is not yet planted.  There are plenty of other vegetables growing throughout the area, as well as livestock, including chickens, ducks, goats, cows, and water buffalo.    

Our bicycles take us to the Bich Dong pagoda, considered one of the most beautiful in Vietnam.  The pagoda dates back to the early 1400s. We climb past pagodas to the hill top with terrific views of the area. There is a buddhist ceremony being performed by locals as we hike up. Many smiles shared.

Our lunch is a fantastic experience at a local house. It is an absolute feast of Vietnamese food.  They like to make sure we get plenty to eat.  The food is phenomenal…pork and vegetable egg rolls, pork wrapped in betel leaves, roasted chicken, soup, carrots and kohlrabi.   

The food is cooked by the kind lady of the house.  The meal is finished with fresh fruit and green tea. Our hosts, Nhan and Khuyen, are most kind and warm folks.  An incredible experience!

After lunch we visit Hoa Lu – the ancient former imperial capital of Vietnam in the 10th and 11th centuries.. It was recently designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site as well.  There are ancient temples and ruins here in an area that is now relatively unpopulated.   

This is definitely a region to visit for its beauty and culture.  It is about a three hour drive back to the Friday night rush hour of Hanoi.  We rest for about twelve hours at our Golden Rice Hotel before new Vietnam adventures begin again bright and early tomorrow!

And a few more pics…