The small sampan rides here in town didn’t wow us very much when we got here, since we thought they just went around a very small lake. That lake, the focal point of Tam coc (near Ninh binh), is not that big, and people and buses and cars keep going back and forth all around it. We noticed the boats taking people all over the lake and thought, “that doesn’t look very exciting…” But we were missing the boat…so to speak. They were being rowed by drivers (mostly women) pulling the paddles with their feet. Yes, their feet! They were able to hold the oars on the pushing and pulling ends and made it look effortless!

But that was just the first surprise.

The other half was learning that the ride took 90 minutes went through rice fields and lotus paddies and also included three more caves. OK, we’re in! And what a pleasant surprise. Our ride started about 4:00 pm, just before dusk, when the heat of the day was behind us, and we were able to enjoy the scenery under misty, beautiful shrouds of fog, with the sun peeking through; it was heavenly. It was so calm and serene you couldn’t help but appreciate the natural splendor in this country.

Our driver spoke little English, but I used Translate to ask her how often she rowed, since doing it just ONCE seemed challenging, and she said they have 1400 boats and they row every four days. Wow, on both of those, and I have no idea where they store that many boats!

Just the day before we had toured Trang An, a UNESCO World Heritage site, and that is one of the strong draws for people who visit here. If they miss the Tam Coc Bich Dong, the official name of the ride, they might be missing a great time, too.

(photos all courtesy of Kathleen Plumley