Tam Coc: An array of incredible natural landscapes in one place

Tam Coc is a town situated in the Ninh Binh province, which was packed with tourists but for good reason. It's an incredible place to discover the gorgeous natural landscapes of Vietnam, including the "dry Halong Bay" - towering limestone mountains rising around winding rivers and rice fields.

We took the boat tour from the main lake in Tam Coc, where locals guide you through the rivers in metal boats that they row with their feet. The lake itself is picturesque for a slow stroll, dotted with bars and restaurants all around.

Along the river we passed cemeteries, where we learned that many Vietnamese families continually build bigger and more impressive graves each year to honour their ancestors. Cemeteries in Vietnam can truly be a sight to behold, and are often situated in stunning locations.

The name Tam Coc translates as 'three caves' and refers to the three caves along the Ngo Dong River, which you pass under during the boat tour. The caves feel almost suspiciously ideal for a tour, being just taller than head height and just wide enough for two boats to pass each other.

At the furthest point of the tour, you turn around an island and pass under a bamboo bridge - an ideal framing for a photo.

On finishing the boat tour, you can visit a couple of temples nestled within natural caves. Looking out beyond these you can see the incredible limestone mountains reflected in the calm lake waters, which led me to take this fun symmetrical photo.

Beyond the lake we came to the Thai Vi Temple, a temple complex that dates back to the 13th century. The most friendly inhabitant of this temple was a baby goat, which my wife befriended by feeding a flower to.

As soon as this man from the temple saw the goats in the courtyard, he called his dog to chase them away. This gave me the ideal opportunity to capture a photo of him at the doorway to the main shrine of the temple.

The tour concluded with a visit to the incredibly named Tam Coc Bich Dong pagoda, a series of pagodas and shrines built up the side of a mountain and into the caves. While the entryway was mostly swarming with tourists, I spotted a moment as we were leaving where it was empty and I even caught a local in a traditional Vietnamese 'leaf hat' in the foreground.

Going up the steep mountain stairs, it was fascinating to see the places of worship built into the natural caverns, including this shrine that had bright sunlight spilling through from the front.

After the tour, we enjoyed exploring our stunning hotel, the Emeralda Resort, built on the islands in the middle of Tam Coc's lake.

Once the sun had set, we could take in the view of our hotel pool, overlooked by the raised bar, with a backdrop of dramatic limestone mountains.

Even though we only spent 2 nights in Tam Coc, it was definitely a highlight of our trip to Vietnam and somewhere I'd highly recommend visiting if you get the chance. The views were incredible and, while quite touristy, it still felt like there was a ton of culture and nature to absorb here. If you enjoyed this post, make sure to sign up to the mailing list below to get notified when I publish new posts, and head over to the "Get in Touch" page if you have any questions or comments!