My next destination after Ninh Binh was Phong Nha and hiking in the Ke Bang National Park. Phong Nha is located in Central Vietnam and is a place known for its cave systems and stunning jungles. Phong Nha is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site, as the most magnificent and largest cave systems in the world; did you know that? Phong Nha is a paradise for adventure seekers, nature lovers, and anyone exploring the breathtaking landscape of limestone mountains, green jungles and the underground rivers. After canyoning and caving in the caves of Phong Nha, this place was better than I expected. Phong Nha is less touristy than Ninh Binh and Halong Bay, but definitely not less worth to visit. In my opinion Phong Nha is a hidden gem, that you definitely can’t skip on your trip to Vietnam! See below my reason why you must visit another highlight of my Vietnam Trip!
How to Travel to Phong Nha?
I arrived by Laman Express night train ~65 USD from Ninh Binh. My train left around 22:00 PM from the Ninh Binh station. The train was luxurious and well organized! This was a whole adventure on its own! I booked my train via 12GoAsia a couple of months before I went to Vietnam. Due to TET Holiday a lot of transport will be booked and I wanted to be sure I had transport to my next destination Dong Hoi in this instance. I slept very light on the slightly hard bed in a couple of four with luckily only two other women.
Wear something easy to sleep in like a legging and sweater
I was impressed by the styling of the coupe, including snacks, drinks were offered, pillow and blankets. I took a sleeping pill and put my ear plugs in, but still I slept very lightly; mainly due to the noise and wobbling of the train on the track. The crew of the train woke me 15 min upon my arrival around up at 5:30AM at Dong Hoi station.
My accommodation Karst Villas offered me to pick me up (500 VND) which was very pleasant, because it’s still one hour drive from Dong Hoi to Phong Nha.
Warning: Not sure if you book a Grab, there will be availability, so to be sure so early in the morning to get you transport.
I was so lucky that my room was already available and I could have an early check-in. Jumped straight into my bed for a couple of hours before I started the day!
Where to Sleep and Eat in Phong Nha?
Because I booked all my accommodation and transportation methods in advance due to the TET Holiday, I was lucky to stay at the Karst Villa Phong Nha. It’s located 4 km from the center of Phong Nha, in the middle of the rice fields! The view is stunning with the rice fields and mountains in the back. Next to the location I loved the family friendliness. Very helpful and thinking with you, like transport, free bikes, early check-in and take-away breakfast for my departure. Even a lift to the bus in the early hours. Upon my return from the hike, I had the best fish Claypot (120 VND) of my whole trip from the restaurant. For many reasons, next to the very comfortable rooms, I highly recommend this accommodation!
Prices range from $30-$70 per night, depending on the room type and season
On my bike I cycled to the center of Phong Nha to have brunch. I stopped at the busy Phong Nha Coffee Station & Restaurant. The avocado on toast was so good as well as the cappuccino (170 VND). Great vibe, service and food; no wonder it was busy!
Across the road of the Coffee Station, you will find Bamboo Chopsticks Restaurant. I went here on my first day to eat chicken curry (125 VND), loved it too! You can do cooking classes here as well. The food is amazing in Vietnam so far.
Nice to visit the local market, to see the daily life of the locals
Boat Tour to Phong Nha Cave
After my cycling adventure to the town of Phong Nha I bought a ticket at the Phong Nha Tourism Center. Here the boat departs over the Son River, to the underwater caves. I joined a local Vietnamese family on this scenic boat tour. This cave is one of the longest wet caves in the world and I was amazed by this nature through its underwater river! The boat tour lasted around 3 hours and ran all day. The boat ride provides stunning views of the region’s karst mountains to the cave.
The boat tour costs approximately 250 VND per person, including the entrance fee.
You enter the cave with the same boat, but then the engine is off and rowed manually. The inside of the cave is lighted which makes is so mysterious and so impressive. The cave is huge!! I didn’t realize that until you see it with your own eyes. You will see for 1,5 km long stalactites, stalagmites and other fascinating rock formations in the 14 chambers. At a certain point they drop you off the boat so you can walk a part of the cave, walking back to the boat pick up outside the cave.
You can book a kayaking tour to discover the cave as well!
The Phong Nha Cave has a rich history and was used as a hospital and ammunition depot during the Vietnam War. Its strategic location and natural formations made it a strategic site in wartime Vietnam. The area was heavily bombed as I heard from my guide on the next tour.
Did you know? The cave’s entrance is shaped like a mouth, so locals nicknamed it “The Dragon’s Mouth.”
You can book other tours as well were you can visit other caves in the area as well, like Paradise Cave or the Dark Cave. I booked a special tour with Oxalis Adventure Tours, for a day tour to the Hang Tien Cave. See below!
A Day Hike with Oxalis to the Hang Tien Cave
One of my highlights in my travel through Vietnam was the day hike with Oxalis Adventure Tours to the Hang Tien Cave. Hang Tien Cave, known as the Fairy Cave, belongs to the Tu Lan Cave system. This cave is famous for its unique rock formations and vast chambers, but I was very impressed by the entrance of the cave where even trees were growing. More below!
Book your preferred tour in months in advance to be sure you book the tour you like to do!
Preparations
I booked this tour a couple of weeks ahead of my departure to Vietnam. The registration process was very extensive and thorough. I even had a video call with the Oxalis organization to evaluate my physique and she asked me a lot of questions and explained the tour. I received an email with all the details about what to bring, timing, expectations. It was really hyped in my view, but with hindsight I understand.
Cost of the Hang Tien Day trip was 2.000.000 VND / 80$, including transport, lunch, guide and use of accessories.
The tour starts early in the morning at 7:00 AM pick up from my hotel. We drove for about 1.5 hours with a group of 12 tourists and 3 guides to the Oxalis headquarters. Here we had an extensive introduction and safety briefing with hot tea. Then we got into another van that drove us up further into the mountains.
Start of the Hike
Here we received some snacks and we started hiking through the dense jungle and rocky terrains. I was not lucky, today it was the first day and only day of rain on my entire Vietnam trip! The terrain was steep and slippery at certain points of the track, but the guides were very helpful. And you are in the green jungle so indeed it rains here! There were enough stops to make the hike doable for everyone. Covered in a rain poncho and protection gloves and with a big smile on my face, we climbed through the jungle and rocky terrain.
Bring your own good grip boots, that can manage rocky and slippery terrain!
After a while we descend to the river valley, following the dry rocky riverbed, up the hill. Here we had to put our helmets on and had to climb up to the spectacular entrance of the Hang Tien Cave. I barely could make any pictures because I was so focused on taking the right steps and trying not to slip off the rocks. It was challenging I had to admit, but still I liked it a lot. It was amazing! Now I understood all the pre-checks and explaining, it was all for a good reason!
Going in the Hang Tien Cave
After a stop at the entrance of the cave I was so amazed, never have seen something like this before!! I tried to make some pictures but the immense size was difficult to catch on camera. You will see striped limestone layers on the walls and roof and inside the cave you see a swirling high dome, where we made the most stunning pictures! Judge for yourself!
From here we could take off our day pack and leave it at the entrance of the cave. We went into the cave with our helmet and lights. A spectacular walk inside the cave and discovered the mysterious and impressive formation of the Hang Tien cave. At the middle of the cave we sat down and dimmed all the lights for 2 minutes. This was so amazing!! You could hear the bats flying around and the water from a steam further away. Even some light from the level up in the cave. What a great experience.
Wear long sleeves on your hike, to protect yourself from scratches, mosquitoes and sun!
Lunchtime!
Time to have lunch! We were all hungry after the long hike and impressions. The lunch table was set at the entrance of the cave, which is about 60 meters high. All was thought of with fresh food and chairs, even an nature toilet was set up in the cave. They thought of everything; what an experience, the best spring rolls ever!!
It was dry season, that is why we could have lunch inside the cave, in wet season (mid-September to mid-November) it could be flooding here
On the way back we took some pictures on the stone terraced field at the entrance of the cave. The guide knew exactly where and how to take the best pictures.
River Crossings
The walk down was even more challenging than the way up, but I kept it together and perhaps slower but I didn’t want to fall. After following the river down we came across a real river, which we had to cross! We were told in advance, so here we go!! Holding myself at that side of the rocks as a crab holding on, I walked on the side in and outside the water. I was amazed by myself I could do this and still enjoying it!
At the base camp, we could grab some warm tea and if you wanted dip in the water. I skipped that part. This camp was full of other hikers that did the two days trek. I was satisfied with my choice to go only one day, than spending another day in the rain in a small tent.
A couple of more rivers, small river crossing and change in landscapes we arrived after a 9,5km hike at the pick-up point. A cold drink was waiting for me in the van and all happy faces in the van back to the base camp. We could take a shower at the well-organized facility of Oxalis. Back in the shuttle that brought me back to my accommodation Karst Villas. I was tired of the hike, but very fulfilling, with my bamboo medal as achievement memory I couldn’t stop smiling even besides the rain.
End of the Tour!
The guides from Oxalis are real adventurers with in-depth knowledge of the area’s geography and history. They share fascinating insights about the region’s geology and the remarkable formation of the caves. Hang Tien’s and its fairy-tale atmosphere make the hike an unforgettable adventure. So if you are in good condition and love to trek through the forests, don’t mind crossing rivers and climbing steep hills, swimming in natural pools or rivers, seeing spectacular limestone formations, admire caves with stalactites and stalagmites and underground rivers; this Hang Tien Tour is your thing!
Son Doong Cave: The Largest Cave in the World
No visit to Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park is complete without mentioning the Son Doong Cave; the largest cave in the world!! Discovered in 1990 by a local farmer named Ho Khanh and later explored by British in 2009. National Geographic also reaffirmed Son Doong as the largest cave in the world by volume of 38.5 million cubic meters; you can even fly a Boeing 747 airplane in this cave! This Son Doong cave was formed over 2 to 5 million years ago and is part of an ancient limestone mountain range with the erosion from the river water created the cave’s immense chambers. Inside Son Doong, you’ll find enormous stalactites, stalagmites, underground rivers, and even a jungle. The cave also has its own weather system due to its size including its own clouds.
Book at least a year in advance! Tours only offered by Oxalis are limited and highly regulated, costing around $3,000 per person
The tour is a multi-day expedition, typically lasting 5-6 days, with overnights in tents in the cave! The level of difficulty is challenging and requires good physical condition and previous trekking experience. But this will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience where you will be exploring gigantic cave chambers, witnessing underground rainforests, trekking through pristine ecosystems, observing mammoth stalactites and stalagmites, cave pearls and unique wildlife.
Final Thoughts on Phong Nha
Phong Nha, Vietnam, offers a unique blend of adventure, stunning caves and history. Whether you’re hiking to the enchanting Hang Tien Cave, taking a boat tour through the majestic Phong Nha Cave, exploring the world’s largest cave Son Doong, or relaxing at Karst Villas, this trip was one of my highlights of my Vietnam trip! So pack your bags, lace up your hiking boots and get ready to explore one of Vietnam’s most adventures destinations in my opinion!
