The Caves of Trang An

As already mentioned before, the Tam Coc area definitely reminds you on Ha Long Bay, with it’s huge limestone rocks rising up between the – now already harvested ricefields.
And just like in Ha Long Bay, you can glide through this magnificent landscape by bloat. The difference in Tam Coc however – or more specifically Trang An, where we made our tour – is that you explore not only the space between but also inside the rocks.
Over millions of years, steady streams created caves and tunnels inside the huge limestone rocks, many of them hundreds of metres – the biggest even over 1km – long.

With masterful skill, our “captain”, only equipted with two paddles decades of experience and a healthy attitude, navigated us through the narrow pathways under millions of tons (I guess :D) of limestone rock and after 3 hours of exploring this beautiful landscape from the in and outside, we arrived safely back at our starting point.

It’s difficult to capture moments like this on camera, but aren’t those most of the time the ones which are the most valuable anyways:)?

On the boat we met Shawn from the US – who was on a trip to find his professional calling in life – and Johanna from Germany.
I have the feeling I meet Johannas everywhere recently.

Together with them Mirte and me had lunch and both of us tried Sukshanka.
Basically just Tomatoes and egg but still very delicious and definitely something to cook for when I am back:)! We also tried our first coconut coffee, which was then again not as good as expected.

This was also, where our ways parted from Shawn and Johanna already, but we still had a great day in Trang an together.

In the evening, Mirte and me decided to go to the “Bird Park” just outside the little village we stayed at.
The sun was already standing low and no tours were offered anymore but we still have it a chance.
Once we left the entrance behind us, we drove up a mountain with our scooter till we reached the highest point of the street and were greeted by a spectacular view.
In the already seemingly remote area, the valley infront of us seemed like an almost forgotten place and reminded on Dinosaur movies.
Safely guarded by impressive green walls all around it, the vast green centre was characterised by groups of birds flying over it and little rivers marking their way through the green.
When Mirte and me descended, the sun already dissapeared out of sight and it wouldn’t take long until the last light would do so as well.
So in the evening glow, we headed steadily towards the centre of the valley – the bird breeding place.
After around 10 minutes of walking alongside rivers and through jungle-like Forrest we eventually arrived and were speachless.
Hundreds, probably thousands of birds where sitting and flying all around the centre of the valley. In trees, on the water or on the mountains shielding the valley – everywhere were birds.
It was very surreal. Again I felt reminded on Jurassic Park :D.

I should also mention that this is not a hidden place in the Jungle that nobody knows off. The Vietnamese people do sell tickets to enter and also build some infrastructure in the area However, the magical touch of this place remains and the breeding ground is – for what I saw – still completely untouched.