THE TAM COC BOAT TOUR
31 Jul 2023 || SOUTHEAST ASIA | VIETNAM
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In northern Vietnam, karst mountains surrounding Ninh Binh obscure the misty, meandering waterways that cut through looming limestone outcrops. These rivers, nestled into the rice fields, are frequented by small, rustic wooden vessels, steered using only the feet of the rowers. This remarkable tradition of using feet on the oars to propel and steer is legendary and, deservedly, quite the tourist attraction.
A trip to Ninh Binh is not complete without taking one of these atmospheric boat rides along the ambling rivers. Within the region, there are two main Ninh Binh boat tours to choose from. First, is the Tam Coc Boat tour and the second is the Trang An boat tour. During our visit to Ninh Binh, we chose the Tam Coc boat tour because our hotel was nearby, the journey length was shorter and this excursion was slightly more affordable. I’d also heard that this was the only boat trip where the rowers use their feet and I was curious.
Now, you’ll see a bunch of blog and social media posts about this very activity, all repeating that the Tam Coc boat tour is the ‘best thing to do in Ninh Binh’ and a ‘can’t-miss’ activity. However, in reality, it’s possible they’re slightly glossing over some of the issues and discomforts involved. Here at the Restless Beans, we’re trying to promote integrity and realism – and the reality of this boat tour is sometimes unpleasant.
This is an account of our experience and why we’d definitely recommend the Trang An boat tour option over the Tam Coc boat tour.
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IN THIS GUIDE //
Tam Coc Boat Tour
WHERE IS THE TAM COC BOAT TOUR?
– GETTING TO THE TAM COC BOAT TOUR
WHAT DOES THE TAM COC BOAT TOUR INVOLVE?
THE TAM COC BOAT TOUR PRICING WEIRDNESS
OUR TAM COC BOAT TOUR EXPERIENCE
THE ETHICS OF TIPPING
REALITY OF THE TAM COC BOAT TOUR
FINAL THOUGHTs
WHERE IS THE TAM COC BOAT TOUR?
The Tam Coc boat tour begins in the charming little town of Tam Coc, just outside the provincial capital of Ninh Binh. It has lots of small hotels, restaurants and tour operators and is perfect for a short nature-based trip away from chaotic Hanoi.
Tam Coc, meaning ‘three caves’ or ‘three grottos’, is named for the neighbouring caves of Ca, Hai and Ba. The town is famous for its remarkable scenery, which includes caves, mountains, rivers and rice fields. Exquisite temples, pagodas and bridges also dot the region.
We have written more generally about things to do in Tam Coc and Ninh Binh in our Ninh Binh itinerary and travel guide.
⋅ GETTING TO NINH BINH ⋅
If you are considering a trip to Ninh Binh, your best option is the train or a bus from Hanoi (or other destination).
Use 12GoAsia to confirm all the journey prices for comparison. Again, if you are travelling to Ninh Binh, check out our extensive local guide which details the best way to travel to and around the area.
WHAT DOES THE TAM COC BOAT TOUR INVOLVE?
The Tam Coc boat tour is a non-motorised experience through the Tam Coc countryside, lasting around 1.5-2 hours. Boat tours depart from the Tam Coc Van Lam Pier, where a ticket office is located under the shelter.
The route itself is beautiful (you can even see some of it from the top of the Hang Mua Mountain) and you pass through three of those super-low, dripping limestone caves too. The journey is an out-and-back trip, returning along the same way you entered.
Depending on the season, the scenery of the surrounding arable fields will change. Early in the year, the rice fields are green, which turn yellow as summer approaches.
If you are not from Vietnam, the limit is two people per boat.
THE TAM COC BOAT TOUR PRICE WEIRDNESS
As mentioned above, the Tam Coc boat tour limits two people to a boat, unless you’re from Vietnam. It’s a bit odd. I’m actually all onboard with dual pricing for tourists, I understand why it exists. However, to split up groups of friends or families for the sake of making more money seems strangely price gouging. If it was purely a total weight-of-people issue, then it would surely apply to Vietnamese people too?
So, the prices below are for non-Vietnamese visitors for the Tam Coc Boat Tour:
♦ The boat hire cost is 150k VND
♦ Then add 120k VND per person in the boat
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OUR TAM COC BOAT TOUR EXPERIENCE
It was first thing on a bright, sunny morning and we’re the second in the ‘queue’ to get a boat (there were only three groups of people there). I could tell the others were Vietnamese because they could have more than two at a time in a boat (a very odd ruling against foreigners, mentioned above).
We purchased tickets at the stand, which opened 15 minutes late (8.15 am). An authoritative-seeming man took our tickets and beckoned to a slightly withered, older-looking, white-haired Vietnamese lady. With surprising strength, she swiftly moved a large white bucket from the seats so we could board her wobbly little boat (I remember hoping that the waters weren’t so rough that it was to be used as a vomit bucket). We were provided life jackets, but, in extremely broken English, the lady declared that we should take them off as soon as we were out of sight of the ticket stand.
Previously, I’d heard that the rowers work really hard, especially in the heat, so we had already procured some food and a bottle of water for whoever we were assigned. I passed her the cold water and signalled at the food bag – she dismissively pointed to the floor of the boat. I did what she said and put everything down.
Setting off down the river, our rower used her hands, not feet. However, as we took off our lifejackets (the river is very calm – no vom bucket needed), the lady switched from using hands to feet on the oars. I’d been confused by this – the instructional sign at the beginning where we bought tickets said that we were to report any rowers using their feet, yet the place is advertised for the fact the rowers use their feet. It turns out the rowers are told explicitly that it’s not allowed for some reason.
⋅ THE JOURNEY ⋅
Our rower appeared friendly but didn’t seem to speak anything apart from lifejacket-English. This was perfectly fine, however, as we weren’t there to chat. Personally, I enjoyed the peace, especially as it was early morning. A few minutes in, just past a bridge, there was suddenly a swarm of foot-rower boats flying towards us, expensive professional cameras in hand. We shook our heads with smiles to say no thanks – we don’t fancy any early-morning boat portraits, thank you – and the photographers looked a bit miffed.
The rest of the journey to the halfway point was serene and beautiful, apart from the intermittent buzzing of the rower’s phone.
⋅ THE FIRST AMBUSH ⋅
A little less than an hour in, as we were entering a cave, our rower made a call. I don’t know Vietnamese, but it was a quick one. Just as we fully exited the cave, our rower stopped and a boat silently slid in alongside us. The younger female vendor inside insisted that we buy something. It was quite dark and I couldn’t fully see, but I said no, in Vietnamese, several times. Changing tactics, the vendor then animatedly insisted that our rower was thirsty, which our rower enthusiastically joined in with, mimicking thirst with her hands. I picked up the water I’d bought earlier but the rower quite ferociously knocked it out of my hand.
The entire frustrating process dragged on, as our Vietnamese boat-buddies that we stood in the queue with disappeared out of sight, while we were held hostage. We could see that none of the Vietnamese customers had been harassed. It really felt quite threatening to me in the moment, not scary as such, but certainly more than a little menacing.
It turns out that the halfway point was a little past this cave. A dead end, with nobody around, a perfect place for a bunch of pestering, stalking women who will not leave you alone.
Our rower was getting more and more agitated, repeatedly miming food and drink, all the while there was food and drink in the boat. I then (exasperatedly) discovered that the white bucket in the boat was full of small trinkets and souvenirs that she then tried to hawk. Truthfully, I wanted to tell her to fuck off, but being captive on a boat with a language barrier removes a lot of your power.
⋅ 'WHAT A BITCH' ⋅
I think our rower got angry-tired. After saying no I don’t know how many dozens of times, she finally decided that we could move again. We didn’t spend as long as our Vietnamese boat-buddies in the final section – the sullen rower probably lost too much time, so our trip was cut short. Heading back, we said no to a whole bunch more women (some very friendly) in boats adorned with supplies. Flowers, foods, drinks – anything you can imagine was hawked at us, with our extremely surly rower, once again, miming thirst, amongst things.
I was so pissy by this point that I wasn’t even trying to hide my discontent. It was blatantly obvious that I was not best pleased with the Tam Coc boat tour. The gruff, unsmiling rower was definitely aware of this.
But, as anticipated, she stopped rowing, a few minutes before the boat pier. ‘Tip’ she said, grim-faced and stretching out her hand at me expectantly. I just looked at her, incredulously. My honest thoughts in this moment were ‘what a bitch’, although I have no idea if I said that out loud or not.
We’d planned in advance to give our rower 50,000 dong, so I just motioned with a head-nod to Nick to ‘pay her’. As he passed it over, she magically spoke some English and said ‘No, 100,000 each’. I was stunned. Like, that’s almost the ticket price. I’ve never tipped someone significantly more than the initial price (also, I’m not American so don’t tip significantly most of the time). She’d stopped rowing again at this point and was just coldly staring, hand outstretched.
It’s possible to stretch this story out far longer, with the back and forth between me and the dour old rower. In the end though, we paid 50,000 dong, which she was extremely unhappy about.
We got out of the boat, taking the water and food with us. She grabbed my wrist and twisted it, in a fumbling attempt to snatch the bottle out of my hand as I left. This, after refusing to acknowledge its existence for the past two hours. She can fuck right off.
THE ETHICS OF TIPPING
I wonder how many visitors just pay the tips and buy the drinks, tat and food because they feel intimidated and held hostage by these rowers. Every single time a tourist does that, we encourage the escalation of this behaviour, regardless of our intent. It’s likely that the rower did not start off grabbing people and smacking things out of their hands!
We also severely disrupt the economy when we inject relatively huge amounts of money into it. It’s more impactful than most tourists realise.
For example, a Saigon taxi once held me hostage, with my bags in the boot of his car, while insisting I pay ten times the value on the meter. I didn’t pay, but I wonder how many people did before me to make him so bold and blasé about trying it. It makes me angry still, to this day.
It’s not scamming, tipping or haggling that’s a concern. It is clear intimidation tactics, bullying, harassment and threatening behaviour that I have a problem with.
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The REALITY OF THE TAM COC BOAT TOUR
Not all the boat-rowers and vendors are nasty. It’s possible that you’ll have a great time and not be harassed or intimidated at all. However, we implore you to check the Google reviews of the ‘Tam Coc Van Lam Pier’ where the boats depart. It’s currently scored at a solid 2.3 out of 5, and many descriptions of the boat tour mirror ours.
The problem is, I didn’t think to read these specific reviews of the pier before we embarked on our journey – I had just read a few blogs that told me happy-rainbow versions of this trip – not the reality.
So, if anyone asks why I’d write such a negative post, it’s because I wish I read it before we decided on the Tam Coc boat tour.
