A UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2003, the 280,000ha park is remarkable for its dramatic limestone formations, river caverns and underground passageways filled with stalactites and stalagmites.
The park’s complex karst formations were formed nearly 400 million years ago, making them the oldest formations in Asia.
The system is home to more than 300 caves and grottos stretching about 126km underground; to date only a small number of the caves have been fully surveyed by British and Vietnamese scientists.
Take a guided eco-tour through the lush Ke Bang forest, admire spectacular shaped stalactites and stalagmites and see the remains of Cham altars inside Tien Son Cave – once used as Hindu sanctuaries in the 9th and 10th centuries.
At 980m-long, Tien Son Cave boasts a 500m-long underground cave accessibly only to professional cavers. The area was heavily bombed during the Vietnam War: Tien Son Cave was used by the Viet Minh as a hospital and ammunition depot; it was also one of the key entrance points to the Ho Chi Minh Trail and Road 20, used as supply routes by the Viet Minh during the war.
Then stroll down to the mouth of the Phong Nha Cave: its 8km-long main cavern is connected by an underground river to a further 14 grottos, all filled with glittering stalactites and stalagmites.
Once inside the cave system, float downstream on a riverboat past stunning underground rock formations and fine sandy beaches; some of caverns tower up to 40 metres above the water level. At present, visitors can only enter 1.5km of the underground river system that emerges nearly 20km away at Pu Pha Dam Mountain.
Nearby, lies Thien Duong Cave, which boasts some of the most spectacular stalactites and stalagmites in the park. The main cavern is 31km long, towering up to 100m high and around 150m wide. The cave is open to visitors.
Also nearby, sits Son Doong Cave, now recognised as the world’s largest cave: The main cavern is more than 5km in length, 200m high and 150m wide. A fast flowing river races through the cave.
Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park is located in north-central Vietnam, around 450km south of Hanoi, 210km north of Hue and 50km north of Dong Hoi, a city that also boasts a 12km-long coastline of white sand beaches.
Admission tickets and boat rides along the Son River to the caves can be organised at the Phong Nha Tourist Centre in Son Trach village. Boats seat up to 10 people and it’s cheaper to share.
Note: During November and December the river is prone to flooding and the underground cave may be closed.
Phone: 052 367 5110; Admission: Phong Nha Cave 20,000DVN, charter boat up to 100,000DVN; Hours: Daily 7am - 4pm.
Latest update: Central Vietnam sights: 3 January, 2023
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