Tam Coc
South of Hanoi, the landscape shifts into something that doesn't seem entirely real — limestone peaks rising out of rice paddies, river caves that swallow you in darkness before releasing you back into the light. The climb to Hang Múa Peak earns you a view that stretches across the entire valley, the river below threading quietly through it all. Tam Cốc rewards the people who slow down enough to let it.
On the river below the peak, they use their feet to paddle the boats. © Bob Plotkin
A view of Hang Mua Peak and the valley beyond. © Larry Gassan
Near the top of the peak © Brian Mosley
Tam Coc literally translate to "Three Caves" and refers to three natural caves on the Ngo Dong River. © Bob Plotkin
A pagoda crowns a limestone summit in northern Vietnam as nightfall draws a steady stream of visitors up the mountain. © Michael Grigoriev