Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park Travel Essentials
Ideal duration: 1-2 days
Best Time: February to August Read More
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Also Refered As:Phong Nha
"Vietnam’s cave kingdom with karst mountains and rivers"
Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park Tourism
Phong Nha ke Bang National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage site known for its many cave systems, old karst mountains, thick green forests and scintillating underground rivers. There are many spectacular caves in the region, including the most extensive cave network on earth. Spread across 10,000 hectares, mostly covered with dense forests, the national park is a thrilling destination to witness a myriad of flora and fauna conserved in an ecosystem of ancient limestone structures.
Phong Nha ke Bang National Park is located in the centre of Quang Binh province in North Central Vietnam. Huddled with a plethora of enormous karst mountains, this park is a heaven for nature lovers, adventure seekers and explorers. The name is derived from Phong Nha Cave which is touted to be the most beautiful one, and Ke Bang forest. The wide spectrum of fascinating limestone mountains houses hundreds of caves and caverns, of which many are yet to be explored. It contains many activities to push up your adrenaline levels, such as trekking, mountain climbing, kayaking and canoeing.
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Things to do in Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park
1. Phong Nha Cave
Over 7 kilometres long and with over 44 kilometres of passageways, Phong Nha Cave is one of the largest cave systems in Phong Nha Ke Bang National Park. This cave is touted to be the most beautiful ca (Read More)ve in Phong Nha Ke Bang National park (and also in Vietnam). The cave lends its name to the park and is popular for its long underground passageways and a fantastic riverboat ride along the Son river through the cave. The cave can be accessed from the tourist centre in Phong Nha town, where boats wait to ferry passengers to the cave.
2. Tien Son Cave
Located around over 1 Km away from Phong Nha Cave, Tien Son Cave is a dry cave located at an altitude of 200m. It is also known as the 'Fairy Cave' because of many stalactites and stalagmites shaped i (Read More)n the form of fairy tales. What is unique about this cave is the resonation of sound within the cave. Loud sounds can resonate as gongs or drumbeats from within the earth itself. From the entrance around 400 metres is traversable while the rest is off-limits for safety reasons.
3. Thien Duong Cave
Popularly known as the Paradise cave because of its spectacular limestone formation, Thien Duong Cave is a 31 Km long cave with height up to 100m and width up to 150 m. It is a completely dry cave wit (Read More)h no underground river. It is easily accessible because of the soft and flat ground. Before the discovery of Son Dong Cave, Thien Duong was the largest and longest cave in Vietnam.
4. Son Doong Cave
Officially the largest natural cave in the world, Son Doong Cave was the last discovered cave in 2009. With its ceiling reaching up to heights of 200 metres, the beautiful imperfections of stalactites (Read More) and stalagmites are sheerly congruent to fanciful imaginations. The length of the cave is 5 km but it is not completely accessible because of the fast-flowing underground river.
Must Know Before You Travel to Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park
1. A large section of the park is not accessible, as it remains unexplored and dangerous, riddled with a large number of live ordinances from the Vietnam war. If going on hikes or treks, it is recommended to only do so via tour operators.
2. The caves are inaccessible during the months of October to November, which is the rainy season.
3. Son Trach village is the most urbanised area within the Phong Nha region, with several ATMs, hotels, hostels and eateries catering to tourists all year round. Most reliable public transport connectivity with the rest of Vietnam is here in this village.
4. For overnight cave tours, it is recommended to book spots with a reputed tour operator well in advance, as these can get quickly sold out.
5. Exploring the countryside is best done via motorbikes or bicycles, which are easily rentable. Most hotels offer free bicycles to their guests for use.
2. The caves are inaccessible during the months of October to November, which is the rainy season.
3. Son Trach village is the most urbanised area within the Phong Nha region, with several ATMs, hotels, hostels and eateries catering to tourists all year round. Most reliable public transport connectivity with the rest of Vietnam is here in this village.
4. For overnight cave tours, it is recommended to book spots with a reputed tour operator well in advance, as these can get quickly sold out.
5. Exploring the countryside is best done via motorbikes or bicycles, which are easily rentable. Most hotels offer free bicycles to their guests for use.
Top Hotels In Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park
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Things to do in Phong Nha Ke Bang National Park
Phong Nha Ke-Bang National Park represents Vietnam’s spectacular and attractive countryside at its best, featuring limestone karst mountains, underground rivers, unspoilt jungles, historic sites, and extensive caves.
Here are the best things to do in all of Phong Nha Ke Bang National -
- Go biking or hiking along Phong Nha Ke-Bang National Park's emerald mountainous tracks of Bong Lai Valley, meandering past local villages, rivers and monuments.
- Hang Son Doong, the world's biggest cave, sits within the park. Hang Toi (Dark Cave) offers a high zip line above a forest-shaded river. Enjoy scenic kayak paddling back to the main jetty.
- Swim at the turquoise underground waters of Thuy Tien Lake or plunge pools beneath ancient limestone waterfalls along Nuoc Mooc Ecotrail.
- Explore the region's wartime history by walking to Ho Chi Minh Trail and Eight Lady Cave Memorial. Fossils over 300 million years old have been found in Hang En Cave.
- Camp underground overnight at the Tu Lan Cave system and wake up to stunning views of Hang Va's stalagmite fields.
Best Time to Visit Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park
Nearby Places
How to Reach Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park
How to Reach Overview
Phong Nha Ke Bang National Park can be reached easily from Dong Hoi city which is 50 km away. Taxi, Bus or motorbike taxis are available. Dong Hoi city can be reached through bus, train or flight.
How to reach Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park by flight
Vietnam Airlines VietJet Air, Jetstar Pacific Airlines, Vietnam Airservice are some airlines which fly to Dong Hoi. There are flights available from all major cities in Vietnam like Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City to Dong Hoi city. Indirect flights from international cities like Seoul, Bangkok, Singapore are also available.
How to reach Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park by road
Cabs/Cars are easily available from any city in Vietnam. If you're coming to Dong Hoi city via bus, train or flight, cabs can be booked for Phong Nha from private taxi service providers. The most favourable route is via Hoan Lao.
How to reach Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park by train
Railway connectivity with major cities of Vietnam is good from Dong Hoi. Hue is a few hours from Dong Hoi. Trains to as far as Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi are available.
How to reach Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park by bus
Buses travel upto Phong Nha Ke Bang National Park and not just till Dong Hoi City. Direct buses from Hue, Hanoi, Danang, Ninh, Binh and other small and large destinations are easily available. Bus service between Dong Hoi city and Phong Nha via Hoan Lao is quite active throughout the day.
Local transport in Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park
Moving around inside the National Park can be very physically taxing at times. One can move on foot for small distances or small caves, but there are some large caves expanding up to several kilometres for which walking can be a bad decision. Expedition of caves on boats can be arranged here since a large number of caves have water flooding inside them. Boats cost around 360,000 VND for up to 14 people to visit one and 400,000 VND for two caves.
Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park Photos
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FAQs on Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park
What is the best time to visit Phong nha ke bang national park?
It is advised to avoid going to Phong Nha Ke Bang National Park in summers because the temperature is very hot and humid. And also, it is situated in high rainfall region and it is usually flooded over that time. February to August are relatively dry and are the ideal time to visit.
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What is the local food in Phong nha ke bang national park?
There are no eateries available inside the park. You must bring your food, or you'll have to go to Dong Hoi Town or Da Nhay Beach.
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What is the best way to reach Phong nha ke bang national park?
Phong Nha Ke Bang National Park can be reached easily from Dong Hoi city which is 50 km away. Taxi, Bus or motorbike taxis are available. Dong Hoi city can be reached through bus, train or flight.
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What are the places near Phong nha ke bang national park?
The top places near to Phong nha ke bang national park are Hue which is 186 km from Phong nha ke bang national park, Hanoi which is located 385 km from Phong nha ke bang national park, Halong bay which is located 381 km from Phong nha ke bang national park, Hoi an which is located 290 km from Phong nha ke bang national park, Nha trang which is located 672 km from Phong nha ke bang national park