Famous for it’s extraordinary cave systems and underground rivers, Phong Nha has some of the largest caves in the world and is an interesting stop through your trip through Vietnam! Now a Unesco World Heritage Site, Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park has the oldest karst mountains in Asia, formed about 400 million years ago. You can either pay for expensive guided tours through the caves, or do a budget friendly self guided tour. Here is a guide to 2 days in Phong Nha, Vietnam.
DAY 1
Our first day we used a car hire through the Homestay to take us somewhere to walk through the jungle. The driver did not disappoint and took us to the Botanical Garden. This place was much cooler than what the name suggests! It’s an easy jungle hike to lakes and waterfall swimming holes. Entry fee was 40,000 VND ($1.75 USD).
We did a short hike to Vang Anh Lake, a small lake with a beautiful blue colour, and to Gio (Wind) Waterfall, a definite highlight! We had the whole waterfall (and trail) to ourselves. The dense jungle vegetation was incredible, and it was still beautiful in the pouring rain.
You can climb along the edge of the river on the rocks – follow the rope and ladders, to stand directly in front of the waterfall. Be careful as it’s a little slippery, but definitely worth it! You can also take a refreshing swim in the bottom pool.
We continued the hike upwards to the very top of the waterfall, and saw the jungle from above.
DAY 2
We used a car hire again to take us to the famous caves of the region. I definitely recommend paying for a cave river tour through Phong Nha Cave! The cave entrance fee was 150,000 VND ($7 USD), and the boat hire costs 360,000 VND ($15.50 USD) – this price can be split among the other passengers on the boat. The boat takes you along the picturesque Son River, with mountains and villages on either side of the river banks.
You get to sit on a boat as they paddle you through the dark and impressive caves. The tour also includes a stop on a beach within the cave to walk around and explore. When your’e done, you can walk out the exit and take a boat back along the river. The cave is dark at first, but many of these incredible formations are well lit.
We also visited Paradise Cave, or Thien Duong Cave, which is the longest dry cave in the world at 31km. (Only the first 10km is open to tourists). It costs 250,000 VND ($11 USD). The trail up into the mountains is worth the sweat to get to the entrance of the cave. A long set of stairs takes you down into the bottom of the cave. The rock features are well lit as you follow a boardwalk to the end through incredible formations. The cave is filled with amazing stalagmites, reflecting pools and more. If you book a tour you get to leave the boardwalk behind and explore further. We were still pretty satisfied with this cheaper option!
Where to stay in Phong Nha:
We stayed at the Jungle Boss Homestay and would recommend it! Their home cooked traditional meals were delicious and included many vegetarian options. (We ate both breakfast and dinner there so I have no recommendations for the rest of town). The family is very accommodating and friendly. They provided us with complimentary bicycle rentals to cruise through town, and car hire to take us to different walks and caves. You can also book cave tours directly through them. Not located directly in the middle of town, you are surrounded by rice fields and mountains in a quiet location. Town is about 10 minutes by bicycle away. Rooms were clean, cute, and authentic looking, and the puppies are adorable! Free wifi is also included, as well as a pool.
We chose not to do any of the tours as they were quite expensive. Instead we chose to just do the self guided cave tours in Phong Nha, which were still incredible! Booking a tour will be an added adventure and take you places that we weren’t able to, including cave river swims.
How to get to Phong Nha:
The most comfortable and quickest way is to fly. There are flights daily to Dong Hoi Airport from Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.
If you’re like us though and traveling on a budget, the cheapest way is by overnight sleeper bus. One of the most bizarre experiences of our lives, chances are you will take at least one of these during your time in South East Asia. The bunks are tiny and narrow, the driving is crazy and the roads are far from smooth – but it will only cost you VND 250,000 ($10.80 USD) from Hanoi to Phong Nha. The drive is roughly 9 hours, given that your bus doesn’t break down on the way (ours did), or you don’t encounter any road blocks or accidents (also did). To be honest, I have no idea how long we were on that bus for, we basically entered a vortex and somehow came out alive on the other side.
TIP: Go to the VERY back of the bus for 4 beds pushed together into one giant bed. The downside to this shared bed though is you’re right by the toilet and a certain aroma can be smelled when the door is opened.
When to visit Phong Nha:
The dry season (February-June) is the best time to visit Phong Nha as monsoon season hits after that. Phong Nha should definitely be AVOIDED between October-December during typhoon season as the hurricanes can be dangerous and many attractions will be closed. We went in January and while it was pretty humid and wet with rain intermitidley, we were told by locals that the weather was dryer than the average January!
2 days in Phong Nha, Vietnam is just the right amount of time to visit this geologically interesting region without breaking your bank account. If you’re more interested in challenging caving, or have the money to visit the world’s largest cave (Hang Son Doong), consider lengthening your trip. Continuing your adventures north? Make sure to read my ultimate guide to Cat Ba Island, another memorable destination in Vietnam.
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