Perfume Pagoda vs TamCoc/HoaLu
Mar 20th, 2009 | 10:18 PM
#1
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Joined: Jun 2005
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Perfume Pagoda vs TamCoc/HoaLu
Hello, can anyone share more info about Perfume Pagoda and Tam Coc / Hoa Lu? I'll be in Vietnam this November (my second trip there), and am trying to decide which of the two to visit.
Books seem to favor Perfume Pagoda. But Tam Coc and Hoa Lu look much better in blogs, Flickrs, and YouTube videos. Specifically, the Perfume Pagoda videos and pics I've found online make it look crowded, polluted (murky water and rubbish on the ground), and commercial (lots of vendor stalls!); while Tam Coc / Hoa Lu look really quiet, serene and atmospheric.
I'd appreciate any additional info and opinions from Fodorites, apart from what's already in the forums. Thanks!
Books seem to favor Perfume Pagoda. But Tam Coc and Hoa Lu look much better in blogs, Flickrs, and YouTube videos. Specifically, the Perfume Pagoda videos and pics I've found online make it look crowded, polluted (murky water and rubbish on the ground), and commercial (lots of vendor stalls!); while Tam Coc / Hoa Lu look really quiet, serene and atmospheric.
I'd appreciate any additional info and opinions from Fodorites, apart from what's already in the forums. Thanks!
Mar 21st, 2009 | 02:15 AM
#2
Joined: May 2005
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I faced this choice, and there is a thread about it that I started before my trip last year.
I decided to do the Tam Coc/Hoa Lu day trip and was glad I made that choice. If you time your Tam Coc visit right, you might avoid some of the tourist hordes. The scenery is beautiful and if you have not seen those karst formations before, it is certainly worth visiting.
I found Hoa Lu very atmospheric--moody and lichen-covered. It would enhance your visit if you knew something of the history of the place--I relied on my guide and I am sorry to say that, like other guides I've encountered in Vietnam, he rattled off a lot of dates and lost me after a few minutes... Nevertheless, the site is truly striking and I wold recommend, with the caveat that you have ample time in Hannoi itself before striking out on day trips.
I decided to do the Tam Coc/Hoa Lu day trip and was glad I made that choice. If you time your Tam Coc visit right, you might avoid some of the tourist hordes. The scenery is beautiful and if you have not seen those karst formations before, it is certainly worth visiting.
I found Hoa Lu very atmospheric--moody and lichen-covered. It would enhance your visit if you knew something of the history of the place--I relied on my guide and I am sorry to say that, like other guides I've encountered in Vietnam, he rattled off a lot of dates and lost me after a few minutes... Nevertheless, the site is truly striking and I wold recommend, with the caveat that you have ample time in Hannoi itself before striking out on day trips.
Mar 21st, 2009 | 02:17 AM
#3
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Mar 21st, 2009 | 05:53 AM
#4
Joined: Jan 2008
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Hi there,
Welcome to the dilemmma so many people have! Like there isn't time to do both - and I certainly wouldn't sacrifice a day in Hanoi to find time to do both.
I chose Tam Coc for my own reasons (yours could be different). Re Perfume Pagoda - I don't enjoy climbing uphill much, and have found over the years that places that are sites of pilgrimage for the local people can be very crowded and sometimes a bit tacky. Re Tam Coc - I'm a sucker for a boat ride!! Of course it, too, is busy - an endless stream of boats going back and forth. I guess if you wanted to see it at its most peaceful you would stay somewhere closer than Hanoi and get there early in the morning. I considered doing this but, you know, the usual, time contraints got in the way of what would have been an excellent plan!
No need to decide now though .. why not forget all about it until the day beforehand and see how you feel then?
Welcome to the dilemmma so many people have! Like there isn't time to do both - and I certainly wouldn't sacrifice a day in Hanoi to find time to do both.
I chose Tam Coc for my own reasons (yours could be different). Re Perfume Pagoda - I don't enjoy climbing uphill much, and have found over the years that places that are sites of pilgrimage for the local people can be very crowded and sometimes a bit tacky. Re Tam Coc - I'm a sucker for a boat ride!! Of course it, too, is busy - an endless stream of boats going back and forth. I guess if you wanted to see it at its most peaceful you would stay somewhere closer than Hanoi and get there early in the morning. I considered doing this but, you know, the usual, time contraints got in the way of what would have been an excellent plan!
No need to decide now though .. why not forget all about it until the day beforehand and see how you feel then?
Mar 21st, 2009 | 06:32 AM
#5
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Joined: Jun 2005
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thanks a lot ekscrunchy and afterall!
afterall, thanks for the very practical advice. yup, the boat ride does look really appealing... and i do agree with the bit about sites of pilgrimage for local people.
ekscrunchy, i actually read and re-read your earlier post around 20 times before i posted this, haha. just wanted to check if there was any other info apart from what was in that earlier thread -- glad to know you made the right choice after all. just one more question -- was tam coc a disappointment in comparison with halong bay (as one response in your earlier thread said)?
afterall, thanks for the very practical advice. yup, the boat ride does look really appealing... and i do agree with the bit about sites of pilgrimage for local people.
ekscrunchy, i actually read and re-read your earlier post around 20 times before i posted this, haha. just wanted to check if there was any other info apart from what was in that earlier thread -- glad to know you made the right choice after all.
just one more question -- was tam coc a disappointment in comparison with halong bay (as one response in your earlier thread said)?
Mar 21st, 2009 | 07:34 AM
#6
Joined: May 2005
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I went to Tam Coc before Halong Bay.
Because of the dreary weather, neither offered the spectacular vistas that one might find if the sun were out. At Tam Coc, you are really close to the karst formations..and the sight of the locals farming and tending the paddies with the hills rising up behind is quite a sight. But again, the weather was so dreary and foggy and that dampened, in more ways than one, the time spent there for me.
The gloom intensified the mood at Hoa Lu..since the focus there is less on scenery than on close-up structures, it did not matter that it was not sunny.
I am not sure what I would recommend..I would not take time from Hanoi to do both of these, unless you had at least 4 full days in the city AND the sun was out.
Because of the dreary weather, neither offered the spectacular vistas that one might find if the sun were out. At Tam Coc, you are really close to the karst formations..and the sight of the locals farming and tending the paddies with the hills rising up behind is quite a sight. But again, the weather was so dreary and foggy and that dampened, in more ways than one, the time spent there for me.
The gloom intensified the mood at Hoa Lu..since the focus there is less on scenery than on close-up structures, it did not matter that it was not sunny.
I am not sure what I would recommend..I would not take time from Hanoi to do both of these, unless you had at least 4 full days in the city AND the sun was out.
Mar 21st, 2009 | 08:03 PM
#7
Joined: Jun 2003
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I researched this one in depth as well. Tam Coc is definitely the way to go. We used Buffalo Tours for a private tour. Our guide was very interesting and we had a great time. The weather was misty but it was a fun experience as well. Just be prepared for the embroidery hard sell on the return trip. And get a trip that takes you to Bich Dong as well.
