Viet Nam

Phong Nha - Ke Bang

WHS Score 3.47
rate
Votes 42 Average 3.81
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Votes for Phong Nha - Ke Bang

1.5

  • Mikko

2.0

  • Luboang

3.0

  • Laurine
  • lichia
  • Lucio Gorla
  • Peter Lööv
  • Randi Thomsen
  • Shandos Cleaver
  • Szucs Tamas
  • Thomas van der Walt

3.5

  • Bernard Joseph Esposo Guerrero
  • CugelVance
  • Frederik Dawson
  • Joyce van Soest
  • Luke LOU
  • Martina Rúčková
  • Preiki
  • Ralf Rotheimer
  • Svein Elias

4.0

  • Alexander Lehmann
  • Csaba Nováczky
  • Elisabeth Fransisca Situmorang
  • Els Slots
  • Rickard Alfredsson
  • Roel Sterken
  • Sachin
  • sncjob
  • Tevity
  • Timonator
  • Zoë Sheng

4.5

  • CeeMon
  • Christravelblog
  • cmtcosta
  • cutecid
  • Lara Adler
  • Wojciech Fedoruk

5.0

  • AndreaTLV
  • christine.mv
  • David Pastor de la Orden
  • Emily Cullen
  • Errol Neo
  • Michael anak Kenyalang

Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park contains a complex karst system that is one of the oldest and largest in Asia.

The limestone landscape includes underground rivers and very large caves, such as the Son Doong Cave, first explored in 2009, which is the world’s largest known cave passage in terms of diameter and continuity. The caves hold many geomorphic features such as dry caves and sub-aerial stromatolites. The park is covered by (mostly primary) tropical forest and has a high floral and mammal biodiversity.

Community Perspective: This can be done as a day trip from Hué, but allow yourself plenty of time to enjoy the site (at least 3h). You can visit the Phong Nha cave in a small boat, which lets you ashore a few times as described by Els. The Paradise Cave supposedly is more spectacular – read Zoë’s review for that one. And Martina made it to the Dark Cave as well.

Site Info

Official Information
Full Name
Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park (ID: 951)
Country
Viet Nam
Status
Inscribed 2003 Site history
History of Phong Nha - Ke Bang
1999: Deferred
About Phong Nha Cave: Bureau - Does not meet criteria by itself. Should consider including larger area and joining with Laos Hin Namno Karst area
2003: Inscribed
Inscribed
2011: Extension deferred
2015: Extended
Protected area extended with 46%
2015: Criteria
Criteria IX and X added with Extension
WHS Type
Natural
Criteria
  • viii
  • ix
  • x
Links
UNESCO
whc.unesco.org
All Links
UNESCO.org
News Article
  • Dec. 13, 2017 news.xinhuanet.com — Vietnam uncovers 58 caves in Phong Nha Ke Bang national parks
  • Aug. 28, 2017 e.vnexpress.net — Cable car plan for cave kingdom a stark reminder of Vietnam’s development mania
  • March 24, 2017 english.vietnamnet.vn — Experts oppose staging MGI pageant inside cave
  • Nov. 13, 2014 thanhniennews.com — Vietnam ministry blocks controversial cable car to world's largest cave
  • Oct. 25, 2014 tuoitrenews.vn — Experts concerned about potential cable car system's harm to Son Doong Cave
  • March 10, 2011 english.vietnamnet.vn — The construction of an outdoor museum is blocking and polluting the river that leads to Phong Nha Cave
  • July 12, 2009 alertnet.org — Mines Advisory Group secures safety of UNESCO World Heritage site
  • June 21, 2009 dailymail.co.uk — Joint British-Vietnamese Caving Expedition have discovered the world's largest cave passage (Hang Son Doong)
  • April 7, 2009 thanhniennews.com — Fire destroys hectare of forest in the buffer zone of Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park

Community Information

  • Community Category
  • Natural landscape: Karst landscapes and caves
  • Urban landscape: Asian
Travel Information
Hué Hotspot
Hué Hotspot
209km / only by private transport or an organized day tour from Hué
Recent Connections
View all (22) .
Connections of Phong Nha - Ke Bang
Geography
Trivia
Ecology
Damaged
  • Landmines
  • Poaching
    serious in the buffer zone and in the park areas close to villages
World Heritage Process
Human Activity
WHS on Other Lists
Timeline
  • Paleozoic
    The Phong Nha-Ke Bang karst has evolved since the Palaeozoic (some 400 million years ago) and so is the oldest major karst area in Asia. (AB ev)
WHS Hotspots
  • Hué Hotspot
    209km / only by private transport or an organized day tour from Hué
News
news.xinhuanet.com 12/13/2017
Vietnam uncovers 58 caves in Phong…
e.vnexpress.net 08/28/2017
Cable car plan for cave kingdom a …
english.vietnamnet.vn 03/24/2017
Experts oppose staging MGI pageant…

Community Reviews

Show full reviews
First published: 06/02/20.

Martina Rúčková

Phong Nha - Ke Bang

Phong Nha - Ke Bang (Inscribed)

Phong Nha - Ke Bang by Martina Rúčková

Spending either New Year's or my birthday, which is in May when we travel due to extensive Russian holidays, in the most obscure places has now become a running joke with Ivan. And this year did not disappoint. So on a very rainy New Year's Eve 2019 we found ourselves getting off the train at Dong Hoi and driving to Phong Nha. It's mostly homestays, we chose the Ecolodge on the border of the town. There are two hostels more central for the young crowd if you're in for some partying before or after the sightseeing, but we were fine with our choice. The town itself is nothing to write home about, but has some watering holes and even a very nice French restaurant (Villas) with a decent wine list.

We booked a day tour with our lodge and next morning at 9 a.m. sharp the bus came to pick us up. It was raining the whole day. First stop were the botanic gardens with a waterfall. There's a small museum with some stuffed local wildlife. We had a very crazy guide who I believe was making stories on spot and as for the waterfall, instead of the signposted route, made those who felt especially suicidal cross the river and then walk down slippery stones to see it. Ivan did, I passed. It was okay.

Second stop was the Paradise cave, which was beautiful. I was surprised by the size of it and the decorations were beautiful. You …

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First published: 17/10/18.

Zoë Sheng

Phong Nha - Ke Bang

Phong Nha - Ke Bang (Inscribed)

Phong Nha - Ke Bang by Zoë Sheng

I regret taking a tour for this. You pick one of the activities and spend most of the day on a bus from Hue and back on the same day, and Hue being a WHS makes this an easy follow-up but what I really recommend is staying in the park for 1 or 2 nights and do more than one activity. Don't just "tick" this one off for the sake of completing a list.

I chose the Paradise Cave because it was recommend to be the most beautiful one. It is a big cave and rather impressive for someone who has seen even a few around the world, but was it worth coming all the way for? I ended up chatting with the people on the tour most of the time and we all felt the cave was okay but the guide did not even explain anything to us. There are other caves to explore, zip lining might not be your thing, nor is mud cave exploring (i.e. a bath!), boat trips, and then there is still the forest which is inside the ancient karst region. Having just spent a few minutes at the tourist information booth where some people were dropped off to stay at a local accommodation, I knew there is a lot more to do here instantly.

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First published: 14/12/16.

Michael Turtle

Phong Nha - Ke Bang

Phong Nha - Ke Bang (Inscribed)

Phong Nha - Ke Bang by Michael Turtle

As a regular tourist, you can only walk through the first kilometre and a half of Paradise Cave, although there are special tours that can take you further. This first section is designed for visitors, with a wooden pathway the whole way and tasteful lighting illuminating the special features along the way.

When it comes to these features, there are so many to see. The start of the cave is an enormous cavern, bigger than a stadium, but when you get a bit further in it’s the stalactites, the stalagmites, and the limestone columns that dominate the view. They come in all different shapes and sizes – thin ones and thick ones, smooth ones and jagged ones. Some look like rows of guardians, watching over their theatre. Another looks like a house. Another like a waterfall, in suspended animation for millions of years.

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First published: 24/03/16.

Frederik Dawson

Phong Nha - Ke Bang

Phong Nha - Ke Bang (Inscribed)

Phong Nha - Ke Bang by Frederik Dawson

I decided to visit Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park after the hotel receptionist in Hue confirmed to me that the one day trip to visit the cave is very easy and enough to see all interesting places. In the next morning, a minivan pick me up from my hotel at 6.30 and after many brief stops to collect more passengers from other hotels, the minivan were fully packed with both local and foreign tourists. I learnt that most of the passengers were not part of a tour group but just used minivan to Phong Nha town. The guide also informed me that I have to choose between Phong Nha Cave and Paradise Cave, the two caves that are accessible for normal tourists, as there was no time to see both caves. Most of members of the tour group immediately chose Paradise Cave for more adventurous experience offered, only a few including me chose Phong Nha Cave for relax river cruise tour. The minivan made two brief stops at the ruin of Our Lady of La Vang church where the Marian Apparition has been reported in 1798, and the Vauban styled Quang Tri Citadel where the Battles of Quang Tri during Vietnam War happened.

At noon the minivan reached the city of Phong Nha, the Karst landscape around the town is quite beautiful, after many stops in town to send passenger, we finally arrive at the Phong Nha cave tourist center to have lunch. After lunch, the Paradise Cave …

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First published: 18/02/11.

Els Slots

Phong Nha - Ke Bang

Phong Nha - Ke Bang (Inscribed)

Phong Nha - Ke Bang by Els Slots

Ah, this really is a find! And then to realize that I had thought of skipping it – another cave, and a bit out of the way. Directions in the Lonely Planet are made more difficult than they really are however: Phong Nha is an easy day trip from Hué. Several days a week there are tours organized by the travellers cafés. I wanted to go on another day, so I rented a car + driver for myself. It takes about 3.5 hours to get there, most of it via a shiny and quiet asphalt road that crosses sections of the Ho Chi Minh Trail.

Traces of the Vietnam War are also clearly visible at the entrance of the Phong Nha cave: crater holes that have turned into small ponds. From above you’ll notice that the landscape is dotted with them. The Phong Nha cave was used as an important Northern base during the war. A trip into the cave is all organized from the town of Son Trach. At the ticket office, you have to pay the entrance fee to the caves (Phong Nha and the adjoining Tien Son), and pay for the boat. As I was on my own and there weren’t many other people around to share with, I had my own boat.

A couple speaking only Vietnamese manned this small wooden ship. They used the motor to get from Song Trach to the entrance of the cave (about 20 minutes). The characteristic karst landscape …

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First published: 23/07/09.

Anonymous

Phong Nha - Ke Bang

Phong Nha - Ke Bang (Inscribed)

Phong Nha - Ke Bang by Els Slots

My cousin and I were at the Phong Nha Cave in February of 2009. Our visit was doeable via the bus that originates from Hanoi. When we stopped at Dong Hoi we took rides on the back of 2 motorcyclists who drove us there in the open air. The ride was close to an hour and goes through some amazing rice patties and tree farms. The road is new and very comfortable to ride on. There is very little traffic as Central Vietnam is still a fairly lowly populated area compared to the North and the South.

Arriving there, we were amazed by the beauty of this park. For some reason, one could still see many farms on the lowlands inside this protected national park, but as one look upward towards the karst mountains all you see is picturesque beauty that is very green and comforting. The canoes that took us from the park main entrance to the embankment inside the park wiggles through some amazingly emerald waters so that in some parts of this river one could see the bottom with the naked eye.

There were two caves that we have visited: one on top of this hill that we climbed after numerous steps and rehydration with local vendors who sells these products and another cave which could be reached through a river which runs inside it. The cave reached via the river is pretty radical considering that there is no light inside this tunnel and only a few …

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First published: 21/12/08.

Anonymous

Phong Nha - Ke Bang

Phong Nha - Ke Bang (Inscribed)

Phong Nha - Ke Bang by Els Slots

Phong Nha is part of unique set of cave systems in the world in that it has a subterranean river flowing through the cave and out and the river is navigable by boat. This allows the visitor a unique experience to sit in a boat and either paddle or cruise through the cave while admiring the experience.

My family and I experienced Phong Nha in 2005. The starting point is the town of Dong Hoi which is access able from Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh. A short drive brings you to Phong Nha which is a pleasant place to walk among the mountains. The cave is located on the river and boats can be rented to paddle you in. The cave is about 5 miles deep but the boat will take you less than a mile and then you get to walk in dry caves looking at the rock formations.

I have experienced several other similar caves, notably the Yellow Dragon Cave at Wulingyuan, China (WHS) and the Puerto Princesa Cave on Palawan, Phillipines (WHS). Phong Nha is by far the best and most natural with the most unique rock formations.

The Yellow Dragon Cave has become very touristy and feels like Disneyland and the Puerto Princesa Cave in the Phillipines are a big disappointment. The trip to Puerto Princesa is long and bumpy together with a rough boat ride across the bay. The karst formation on the cliffs look beautiful but when they motor you in the cave, there …

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