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The central provinces - Part 2 | Dong Hoi to Ninh Binh | Dong Hoi and Phong Nha Cave |

Phong Nha Cave

Since time immemorial the underground river emerging at Phong Nha Cave has held a mystical fascination for the local population. The earliest-known devotees were ninth- and tenth-century Cham people, followed by Vietnamese who petitioned the guardian spirits during periods of drought, with great success by all accounts. When Europeans started exploring the caves early in the twentieth century it’s said the rainmaker took everlasting umbrage. However, the explorers were undeterred and by the 1950s, tunnels 2km long had been surveyed and the number of visitors warranted a small hotel. Owing to the intervening wars, when Phong Nha provided safe warehousing – you can see evidence of an American rocket attack on the cliff above the cave entrance – nothing further happened until a British expedition was allowed to investigate in 1990. They began pushing upriver, eventually penetrating deep into the limestone massif, and what they discovered is a spelunker’s delight: 8km of underground waterway, vast chambers full of magical rock formations and intriguing side-channels waiting to be explored.

For the less intrepid, tour boats take you on an attractive, thirty-minute trip meandering up the peaceful Son River. The tour begins by climbing steps up a relatively steep cliff face to Tien Son Cave, and a grand view of the valley. After descending, you will rejoin your boat and explore 600m of Phong Nha Cave, drifting between rippling walls of limestone, awed by the scale of Phong Nha and its immense stalactites and stalagmites, lit by multicoloured spotlights. Listen for the bats overhead, but look out for their droppings. The boats drop you at the far end to see a Cham inscription and then again to walk through a dry cave back to the entrance. Note, however, that the boats may not operate after heavy rain if the water level is too high.

To get to the cave, Dong Hoi’s hotels and Quang Binh Tourism can help with car rental (from $40 for a half-day), or alternatively it’s a long xe om ride from Dong Hoi. Some Hué tour agents offer Phong Nha excursions, but at five hours on the road each way it’s too far for a comfortable day-trip and most overnight in Dong Hoi anyway. Once you’ve got transport sorted out, finding the cave isn’t difficult: take Highway 1 north for 15km to Hoan Lao where a signpost indicates a left to Phong Nha, heading west until you reach Son Trach Village 30km later (1hr); for the last bit you join the new Ho Chi Minh Highway. The whole village is devoted to servicing boat-trippers: there’s a Visitors’ Centre where you can buy tickets (6.30am–4.30pm; 50,000đ entrance to the caves plus 150,000đ per boat), and the excellent-value guesthouseThanh Dat 200m before the Visitors’ Centre (052/367 5328; US$10 and under–20), offering air-conditioned, en-suite rooms. A line of restaurants with similar menus and standards is situated directly next to the Visitors’ Centre compound; Quan Hoa Phung has the best view of the river.

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The central provinces - Part 2 | Dong Hoi to Ninh Binh | Dong Hoi and Phong Nha Cave | Phong Nha Cave |

Cau Treo and Nam Can border crossings into Laos

There are border crossings into Laos at Cau Treo and Nam Can: since both are remote with haphazard bus connections, it’s essential to get up-to-date advice from the bus station or local guesthouses before attempting either crossing.

Cau Treo lies 105km southwest of Vinh on Highway 8. Early-morning public buses (5–9am) depart from Vinh’s provincial bus station (Ben Xe Cho Vinh) as far as Trung Tam, the last settlement of any size before the border. From there you’ll have to pick up a minibus or xe om for the last 25km to Cau Treo or, better still, hitch a ride on a truck heading all the way to Lak Sao, 20km across the border in Laos. There are also tourist buses to Vientiane from Hanoi, which you may be able to pick up en route: most reach Vinh just after midnight.

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