Tam Cốc Scenery Complex in Hoa Lư District, the northern province of Ninh Bình, is one of the most beautiful cave complexes in Việt Nam.

In this time of transition between spring and summer, Tam Cốc is bathed in an immense green colour of rice fields along the banks of the Ngô Đồng River, creating a romantic and magnificent scene. 

An aerial view of rice fields around the Ngô Đồng River. — VNA/VNS Photos Minh Đức

Visiting the site, tourists will lose themselves in the beauty of mountains, caves and rural villages, and perhaps even find some peace for their souls in the splendour of nature.

From a high view on a mountain, the scenery looks more like a stunning painting than reality.

A breathtaking view from above.

The only way to get deep inside Tam Cốc Complex is by boat while as the road ends after reaching the first cave.

Tam Cốc, inside the famed Tràng An Landscape Complex, a UNESCO heritage site, with karst mountains and water rice fields, has been nicknamed an inland Hạ Long Bay.

“Tam Cốc”, which means “three caves” in Vietnamese, includes the caves Cả, Hai and Ba, which were created by the river current running through karst mountains.

Caves created by river current.

Cả Cave measures 127m in length with an entrance up to 20m in width. It is cool and humid inside the cave, which has a lot of stalagmites.

Hai Cave, located nearly 1km from Cả Cave, runs 60m long. Ba Cave near Hai Cave and runs 50m long. Its roof is lower than the first two caves.

The river cruise will take about two hours. Rice fields run from the end of the first cave to the second. At the end of May and early June, when the rice matures, the scenery is more brilliant with the yellow rice emerging from the green background of mountain, river and plants

Visitors lose themselves in nature.

Ninh Bình Province is more than 90km south of capital Hà Nội. This year, the province is hosting National Tourism Year. Various tourism promotion activities have been planned to lure both domestic and foreign tourists. Last year, the province received 7.6 million tourists, a 4.79 per cent year-on-year increase over the previous year. Income from tourism in 2019 reached VNĐ3.6 trillion (US$155 million). VNS

The site hosts a diversified flora and fauna.