Phong Nha, Quang Binh

Phong Nha is one of the most well known places in Vietnam thanks to the cave system. Home to the world’s biggest cave as well as many others, a national park and some of the best riding the country has to offer. 

Located in a remote area of Vietnam between the north and the centre. It is 30km inland, nestled on the edge of the Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park, thick jungle covers the area explaining how the world’s biggest cave remained hidden here for so long. 

Phong Nha can be visited all year round but October has the heaviest rainfall by quite a bit. If there is heavy rain then the tours to the caves can be delayed due to safety concerns, this might mean an extra night in Phong Nha or having to miss the caves completely. 

Getting to Phong Nha with Motorbike

When riding between the north and the centre of Vietnam the inland HCM Road, QL15, is the way to go. A quiet but stunning road running from Thanh Hoa to near Hue. A much nicer alternative to the coastal road of the QL1A which gets most of the traffic. 

Heading north of Phong Nha on a combination the QL15 and the HCM Road you can reach the Thanh Chuong Tea Fields. About 220km in total it is a full day’s ride but works out as a great place to stop for the night. 

Going south is some of the most remote riding in all of Vietnam, the HCM Road between Phong Nha and Khe Sanh. Good paved roads amongst the dense jungle with only a few houses the whole way. If you are on a semi automatic bike here you will need to take extra petrol to make it, due to the lack of petrol stations and small fuel tank.

Where to Stay

There aren’t too many options for types of accommodation in Phong Nha. There are a couple of larger hostels and quite a few cheap homestays. Since Phong Nha town is basically one road running down the river this is where you will find all the accommodation. 

One option you do have with the accommodation here is a swimming pool. Given the rides into Phong Nha can be quite long, on a hot day a swimming pool on arrival can be a game changer. Depending on the weather this is something worth thinking about. 

Caves

This is the main reason to come to Phong Nha. Now world famous thanks to the Son Doong cave, the world’s largest. Unfortunately it is not a cheap visit at about $3000 and with a waiting list of a few months. 

But there are plenty of alternatives, mainly the Dark cave and Paradise cave. 

The Paradise cave is the longest dry cave in asia with wooden world ways making it easier to navigate. 

The Dark cave is more of an adventure with a zipline, mud bath and plenty of water at the entrance. 

It is recommended to explore these with tours which can be booked from town. Weather is a big factor with the caves but the tour companies have plenty of experience with this. Tours can be 1 day or multiple days depending on what you are looking for and how much trekking you want to go. 

The Duck Stop has become the most seen experience of Phong Nha. An unusual and unique attraction, you visit a duck farm where you can feed the ducks. The ducks know what is coming and they are not shy to come to you for the food. 

You can also take the opportunity to have a photo on a buffalo here. They are much more calm that you might imagine but they usually smell just how you imagine. 

Pub With Cold Beer

The name says it all but they do offer more. This restaurant bar is located in Bong Lai Valley along with the Duck Stop. Along the river with excellent views it’s a great place for dinner and a beer after a drink, a cold beer at that. 

The restaurant here, comes with a twist though, catch, kill and cook your own chicken. Or as few or as many of these steps that you are willing to do.

They also have a swimming pool, pool table and tubing down the river so a good option if you are looking for a lazy day. 

A short ride from the town is the Botanic Gardens, an ecologic tourist spot covering 40 hectares. Dense jungle, a waterfall and a lake are all accessible via paths with a shorter, 40mins, and longer, 3 hour, route available.

Both routes will take you to the Gio Waterfall, which has a 30m fall and a pool at the bottom for swimming. The longer full trek will take you to the waterfall and then the Vang Anh Lake. A picturesque lake, with clear water surrounded by a canopy of trees. A great break on the long trek. 

The paths in this area are a mixture of dirt, stone and forest ground so in the wet can be slippery and dangerous.

HCM Road

As mentioned before, the HCM Road heading between Phong Nha & Khe Sanh is a spectacular section of road. Not that well known, it is often a great surprise for riders who rank it as one of the best sections of the whole country. 

Ensure you are leaving with a full tank (1.5 litre extra on a semi auto), water and snacks as there is nothing on the way. A short section near to Phong Nha will even be without phone or internet signal.

In Phong Nha we have our partner, given the remoteness of the area is it often a good stop for an oil change or chain tightening. 230km south has no mechanic, while north there are some but not as many as other parts of the country. 

Summary

Phong Nha should be high on everyone’s list for Vietnam. At least 2 nights here to explore the caves is a must. A unique experience that is hard to find elsewhere. 

Ensure that you take the road between Khe Sanh and Phong Nha to also see some of the most remote and beautiful roads in Vietnam which can easily be missed. 

Related Routes

For those heading between Hanoi and Hoi An or HCMC then Phong Nha can also be included with the routes here.