PHONG NHA, VIETNAM

050.jpeg

Phong Nha is a small town in Central Vietnam known for its famous national park. Home to many caves (even the largest cave in the world) and wildlife, this national park does not disappoint! Be sure to rent a motorbike while here so you can get the full experience and ride on part of the historic Ho Chi Minh Trail!

Attractions:

  • Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park: There are plenty of expensive tour packages with transport included that you can book through your hostel or hotel. Rent a motorbike instead and do the 65km loop in a day or two! The roads through the park have very little traffic and are totally safe! For example, a tour to Paradise Cave costs $70 USD but renting a motorbike, gas, and the entrance fee equates to only $18 USD.  I understand the convenience and security of booking a tour but the park is very easy and safe to navigate on your own - plus riding a motorbike is so much fun! You can find the below attractions inside the park:

    • Paradise Cave (Thien Duong): This cave is unbelievable and well worth the trip! You can easily spend an hour or two in here. This costs 250,000 VND ($11 USD).

    • Phong Nha Caves: Perhaps the best known caves (as they were the first opened to the public in 1995), a trip here will entail a boat journey from town up the Son River. Once inside the cave, motors are turned off and you are paddled through the darkness! The entrance fee is 150,000 VND.

    • Dark Cave (Hang Toi): Don’t expect to simply walk through a cave here. This cave is only reachable via kayak or zip-line and has a mud bath inside. I’d bring an extra pair of clothes! This entire experience (inclusive of the cave entrance) costs 450,000 VND.

    • Botanic Gardens & Thac Gio Waterfall: Easily accessible by motorbike, this spot is 10km from Phong Nha up Highway 20. You can find great walking paths here and the cost is 40,000 VND.

    • Hang Son Doong Cave: This is the world’s largest cave! I’m sure it’s absolutely stunning but getting inside is no small feat. There is only one company, Oxalis, that has a legal permit to run tours inside and tours costs $3,000 USD. A tour into this cave must be booked months in advance.

  • Rent a Motorbike: I wouldn’t suggest renting a motorbike in Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City due to heavy traffic but out here, it’s totally safe. Riding through this jungly Vietnamese national park is incredible plus you’ll get to ride on parts of the well-known Ho Chi Minh Trail (which is now called Highway 20). It’ll also save you money because you won’t have to be transported with a tour group. Motorbike rentals plus gas cost under $12 USD per day.

  • Other spots to check out include: Hang En Caves, Bong Lai Valley, and Son River.

037.jpeg
IMG_5463.JPG

Accommodation:

  • Easy Tiger Backpacker Hostel: A bit more expensive (for Vietnamese standards) but this place has a great vibe and the food is awesome. You can rent motorbikes right across the street and the staff is very helpful. You have to book through their website.

  • If you want to see Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park, stay in Phong Nha.  Do not stay in Dong Hoi like I did. From Dong Hoi, you’ll have to take a 45 minute city bus to the park itself.

NB004.jpg
IMG_5311.JPG

Transportation:

  • Tip: Use this link on Easy Tigers’s website to work out your transportation to and from Phong Nha from various cities.

  • Dong Hoi is 45 minutes by city bus from Phong Nha. From Dong Hoi, Hoi An is 5 hours by train and costs 350,000 VND.

  • Ninh Binh is 7 hours by bus from Phong Nha and costs 200,000 VND.

  • Hanoi is 9.5 hours by bus from Phong Nha and costs 400,000 VND.

016.jpeg
058.jpeg