Weekend Getaway to Ancient Capital of Vietnam

We enjoyed glorious weather yesterday. Thank god for that. After two days of planning, we were on our way to our weekend getaway in Hoa Lu, the ancient capital of Vietnam.

A boy holding a Hoa Lu (Lu flower) branch.

According to folklore, the ancient king used the

Hoa Lu branch to practice swordsmanship. The ancient

capital was named after the Lu flower.

It took about 2 1/2 hours to travel from Hanoi to Hoa Lu by bus, inclusive of a 20 minute rest stop at a souvenir gift shop.

Our APT Travel Coach

On arriving in Hoa Lu, we entered through a majestic gate (unfortunately, the bus driver did not stop, so I could not snap a picture of it).

A trip to Hoa Lu includes visits to the King Dinh and King Le temples. Many Vietnamese still pray to the ancient kings at this temple. They still believe that their prayers will be answered by the spirits of the dead kings.

Entrance to the King Dinh and King Le temples	Just outside King Dinh temple
Alter to King Dinh	Devotee praying for divine assistance

King Le temple

After the temple visits, we went for our buffet lunch. Not inclusive of drinks, which we paid for ourselves. It was a large spread of crackers, rice, fried noodles, french fries, salad, chicken and pork cooked in different ways, and fruits.

Originally, I was worried that the food would not suit my vegetarian friend. However, he found enough variety of vegetables and fruits to satisfy himself. A 'crisis' was averted - he had made an earlier request for vegetarian food.

After the satisfying lunch, we embarked on our boat trips to Tam Coc, famous for its 3 caves.

Tourists waiting at Tam Coc Wharf

Getting onto the boat

Off they go!

The boat trip was the most memorable part of the trip.

The boats can accommodate up to 4 or 5 passengers. But if you are a tourist, your travel guide may tell you that each boat can take up to 2 passengers.

The boatwoman started off by peddling with both oars. Then she did something unexpected. She decided to peddle with her feet instead.

Our capable boatwoman pedding with her feet!

She did so for most of the boat ride, except at the start and end of the boat ride. I observed later that many other boatmen and boatwomen also did likewise.

My friend and I also helped to row the boat with oars. It was definitely good exercise under the bright sun.

Majestic mountains

More scenic views

Deep crevices in the mountain face

I could not have asked for anything better: sunny weather with occasion cloud cover, luxurious greenery, great scenery, enjoyable boat ride and friendly boatwoman. The highlight was undoubtedly rowing through the largest and longest cave, when we were greeted by a refreshing cool breeze.

Cool refreshing boat ride through the largest cave	It's good fun to pit your rowing skills against others!
Fishing in Ngo Dong River	Captive monkey - it sometimes bear its fangs when taunted by onlookers
Rest stop after passing through the 3 caves - convenience does not come cheap.	Rowing our way back to Tam Coc Wharf

How to get to Hoa Lu-Tam Coc

You can enquire about travel options to Hoa Lu-Tam Coc at the numerous travel agents around the Old Quarters, Hanoi.

1. By private car - you can arrange for a private car for USD 135 with an English-speaking guide. That works out to USD45 per person for a party of three persons.

2. By package tour - There are standard, superior and deluxe options.

• Standard tour: priced at USD 17 - USD 18. You get a set meal valued at VND30,000. (USD 1 = VND 22,000 today).
• Superior tour: priced at USD 22 - USD 26 (depending on the number of persons, and your choice of travel desk). Caters for 14 to 22 persons on a single tour bus. Includes a buffet spread valued at VND100,000 per person.
• Deluxe tour: priced at USD 27 - USD 30. Coach is supposed to be better than for the standard and superior tours. The buffet spread is supposed to be better than that for a superior tour.

You can also opt for a bicycle ride from Hoa Lu to Tam Coc. The additional cost varies from USD 3 to USD 5.

I used the Sinh Cafe at 100 Ma May to book a tour for a party of 4 persons. I only realised later that the APT Travel agency is just a stone's throw away along the same Ma May street.

Booking a tour through a hotel's travel desk may be dearer by USD 3 to USD 5.