Tam Coc is a famous tourist site in the northern province of Ninh Binh and simple wooden boats on the Ngo Dong River are one of its attractions.
Tam Coc means three caves, which are Ca, Hai and Ba. To reach the site in Ninh Hai Commune, Hoa Lu District, tourists will have to travel by boat along the river that flows through the three caves. Wooden boats rowed by local people are the only transport mean used to carry tourists on the river, which is around eight kilometers from Ninh Binh City.
Simple wooden boats aim to keep Tam Coc in serenity and the river clean, according to the authority of the tourist site.
It is interesting to see some local people using their feet to skillfully propel their boats along the river which winds its way through paddy fields and limestone cliffs in Tam Coc. Often referred to as Halong Bay on land, the tourist site boasts peaceful paddy fields, astonishing limestone cliffs and beautiful old temples that are located along the river.
As many as 1,300 wooden boats have been licensed to transport tourists in Tam Coc. Visitors to the tourist site pay VND50,000 each, including VND30,000 for sightseeing and VND20,000 for a boat trip.