Booked a day-tour through our hotel desk. This tour was strongly recommended by a relative who visited Tam Coc in February. Our tour guide, Sunny, picked up our family of 4 from the hotel. On route to our destination he gave us a detailed account of the history of Vietnam's first kings. After a very bumpy 2 hr ride, we arrived at the Hua Lu where we were harassed by very persistent peddlers trying to sell us hats, fans, pineapples, and what have you! Fortunately, Sunny had already pre-empted us and gave us hints as to how to handle the pesky peddlers. We found Sunny to be very knowledgeable concerning the history and geography of Hoa Lu and Tam Coc. The highlight of the tour was in Tam Coc (meaning 3 caves). The boat ride through the karst landscape was simply breath-taking. But be warned, the sun was incredibly hhhooottt!! Please remember to bring your umbrellas and sun screen to prevent yourselves from being baked. After the boat ride, Sunny rented good quality mountain bicycles for us ride through the paddy fields and villages to enjoy the rustic landscape and to learn about integrated agriculture practiced by the villagers. Then it was time to go back to the hotel to reminisce our wonderful experiences.