Today was our day trip out of town to Hoa Lu & Tam Coc.
Hoa Lu was the capital city of Vietnam under the Dinh Dynasty between 968 and 980 AD and ancient sanctuaries and tombs can still be seen today. Apart from the historical importance, the area is naturally beautiful, referred to many as the “dry Halong Bay”, with limestone peaks and fertile green valleys. The tour we took included being rowed along the Boi River, which makes for a truly unforgettable experience, passing between towering limestone peaks for 6 kms. We left Hanoi and headed south for a 2.5 hour drive. We also spent one hour visiting the Dinh and Le sanctuaries.
The boat trip was probably the best part but it was 5hrs all up in the van which was not so good. Got back to the hotel, rang the old chooks for mothers day and had an early night cos it's off to Hoi An tommorow!