Central Vietnam

National Park

Designated a Unesco World Heritage Site in 2003, the remarkable Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park contains the oldest karst mountains in Asia, formed approximately 400 million years ago. Riddled with hundreds of cave systems – many of extraordinary scale and length – and spectacular underground rivers, Phong Nha is a speleologists’ heaven on earth, and a real treat for anyone who appreciates the sight of nature at its most raw. The caves are the region's absolute highlights, but the above-ground attractions of forest trekking, the area's war history, and rural mountain biking means the park has enough going on to warrant stays of up to three days. Documented exploration of the caves parks only began in the 1990s, led by the British Cave Research Association and Hanoi University. Cavers first penetrated deep into Phong Nha Cave, one of the world’s longest systems. In 2005 Paradise Cave was discovered, and in 2009 a team found what is considered the world’s largest cave – Son Doong. In 2015 public access to two more cave systems was approved. Above the ground, most of the mountainous 885 sq km of Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park is near-pristine tropical evergreen jungle, more than 90% of which is primary forest. It borders the biodiverse Hin Namno reserve in Laos to form an impressive, continuous slab of protected habitat. More than 100 types of mammal (including 10 species of primate, tigers, elephants and the saola, a rare Asian antelope), 81 types of reptile and amphibian, and more than 300 varieties of bird have been logged in Phong Nha. Touring the park In the past, access to the national park was limited and strictly controlled by the Vietnamese military. Access is still quite tightly controlled, for good reason (the park is still riddled with unexploded ordnance). Officially you are not allowed to hike here without a licensed tour operator. Trekking tours can be organised at hotels and tour operators in Son Trach village (note this is sometimes known as Phong Nha town). Good options include Hai's Eco Tours and Jungle Boss Trekking. Most cave visits require an organised tour, notably trips into Hang En and Tu Lan, as well as the famed four-day expedition into gargantuan Son Doong (though it's worth noting the latter will set you back a cool $3000 per person). All of these trips can be booked directly with Oxalis Adventure, who are the only provider allowed to run trips into Son Doong. The Son Doong expedition in particular should be booked a long way in advance. Other caves are more accessible. The eponymous Phong Nha Cave can be visited easily on a short boat trip from the jetty at Son Trach village, while Paradise Cave, at least the first kilometre of it, can be visited independently (if you have your own transport). You can travel independently (on a motorbike or car) on the Ho Chi Minh Hwy or Hwy 20, which cut through the park. There is no entrance fee when entering the park. A few guesthouses in Son Trach also rent out bicycles, allowing you to explore the countryside surrounding the town at your leisure. Nearby accommodation The Phong Nha region is changing fast. Son Trach village (also known as Phong Nha town) is the main centre, with an ATM, a rapidly mushrooming choice of accommodation and eating options, and improving transport links with other parts of central Vietnam. This is the easiest place to base yourself for exploring the park, though their are eco-farms and homestays in the back and beyond if you like your solitude. Good accommodation options in Son Trach village include Victory Road Villas, Central Backpackers Hostel and Jungle Boss Homestay.

Cave

Hang Son Doong (Mountain River Cave), located in the heart of Phong Nha-Kẻ Bàng National Park, is known as the world's largest cave, and is one of the most spectacular sights in Southeast Asia. It is also one of the most exclusive. Access to the cave was only approved by the government in 2013, and the sole specialist operator permitted to lead tours is Son Trach–based Oxalis Adventure – commanding a US$3000 per person fee for the four-day/three-night expedition. Numbers are limited to 10 trekkers per trip, who are accompanied by a small fleet of porters and cooks. History This enormous cave was discovered quite recently. Ho Khanh, a hunter from a jungle settlement close to the Vietnam–Laos border, would often take shelter in the caves that honeycomb his mountain homeland. He stumbled across gargantuan Hang Son Doong in the early 1990s, but the sheer scale and majesty of the principal cavern (more than 5km long, 200m high and, in some places, 150m wide) was only confirmed as the world’s biggest cave when British explorers returned with him in 2009. The expedition team’s biggest obstacle was to find a way over a vast overhanging barrier of muddy calcite they dubbed the ‘Great Wall of Vietnam’, which divided the cave. Once they did, its true scale was revealed – a cave big enough to accommodate a battleship. Sections of it are pierced by skylights that reveal formations of ethereal stalagmites that cavers have called the Cactus Garden. Some stalagmites are up to 80m high. Cavers have also discovered colossal cave pearls measuring 10cm in diameter, which have been formed by millennia of drips, fusing calcite crystals with grains of sand. Magnificent rimstone pools are present throughout the cave, plus rivers that are ideal for swimming. How to visit Hang Son Doong Visits to the cave can only be booked with Oxalis Adventure. Head to their website to check availability and book well in advance. Keep in mind the three-night expedition is a challenging one, with tough trekking, underground river crossings and technical caving included. Anyone who struggles significantly with the climbing elements will be turned back on the first day. Accommodation comes in the form of basic (though spectacular) campsites within the cave itself. The tour runs from January to August. Oxalis Adventure Tours also run shorter, more affordable tours, both to other caves in Phong Nha-Kẻ Bàng National Park, and around the park itself.

Cave

The Tu Lan cave system comprises of more than 20 wet and dry caves, which are thought to be between three and five million years old. Huge caverns, underground rivers and vast dangling stalactites make the caves a big draw for spelunkers (cave enthusiasts) visiting Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park (although the caves technically lie just outside the park), and the otherworldly landscape even captured the imagination of Hollywood, with Tu Lan featuring as a backdrop in blockbuster Kong: Skull Island (2017). History The existence of Tu Lan was first documented by the British Cave Research Association in 1992, but its existence was known locally for much longer. Additional surveys of the caves took place in 2010, which revealed the true scale of the system. The 2010 caving team included consultants to tour operator Oxalis, who are the leading tour operator licensed to take visitors into the caves. Touring the caves The caves can be explored on one-, two-, three- and four-day tours with Oxalis. All trips begin with a countryside hike, past peanut fields and grazing cattle, to the entrance of the cave system, and include a guided tour through at least two caves and a swim in an underground river. Longer tours take in additional caves (both wet and dry) and include nights in campsites nestled in the surrounding countryside, while the four-day iteration offers the chance to abseil inside the cave.

Cave

Surrounded by forested karst peaks, this staggering cave system in Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park extends for 31km, though most people only visit the first kilometre. The scale is breathtaking, as wooden staircases plunge into a cathedral-like space with vast alien-looking stalagmites and stalactites illuminated by large flood lights. Get here early to beat the crowds, as during peak times (early afternoon) tour guides shepherd groups using megaphones. Paradise Cave is about 14km southwest of Son Trach. Electric buggies (per person one way/return 15,000/25,000d) ferry visitors from the car park to the entrance 1km away, or you can simply walk it. From the buggie drop-off, it's a further 600m-plus sweaty climb up to the cave entrance. There's an entry fee of 250,000d (125,000d for children). To explore deep inside the cave beyond the barrier at the end (and with luck see the eyeless cave fish that are part of its ecosystem), book a 7km Paradise Cave tour (2,650,000d, minimum two people), which includes a swim through an underground river (there's a boat if you can't swim) and lunch under a light shaft. Bookings can be made through Phong Nha Farmstay and other accommodation options.

Bridge

This wonderfully wacky bridge takes the form of a ginormous, colour-changing dragon, weaving its way across the Han River. If that wasn't attention-grabbing enough, the sculpture, which cost a reported VND1.5 trillion (US$88 million) to build, spouts fire and water from its mouth every Saturday and Sunday night at 9pm, much to the delight of onlookers. The best observation spots are the cafes lining the eastern bank to the north of the bridge; boat trips taking in the action also depart from Ð Bach Dang on the river's western bank.

Buddhist Temple

Built on a small hill overlooking the Song Huong (Perfume River), 4km southwest of the Citadel, this seven-storey pagoda is an icon of Vietnam and as potent a symbol of Hue as the Citadel. The 21m-high octagonal tower, Thap Phuoc Duyen, was constructed under the reign of Emperor Thieu Tri in 1844. Each of its storeys is dedicated to a manushi-buddha (a Buddha that appeared in human form). Thien Mu Pagoda was originally founded in 1601 by Nguyen Hoang, governor of Thuan Hoa province. Over the centuries its buildings have been destroyed and rebuilt several times. Since the 1960s it has been a flashpoint of political demonstrations, with a notable moment coming in 1993, when a man arrived at the pagoda and, after leaving offerings, set himself alight chanting the word ‘Buddha’. Touring the pagoda To the right of the brick pagoda tower is a pavilion containing a stele (a stone tablet) dating from 1715. It’s set on the back of a massive marble turtle, a symbol of longevity. To the left of the tower is another six-sided pavilion, this one sheltering an enormous bell (1710), weighing 2052kg and audible from 10km away. Beyond the pagoda tower is a gateway, on the upper floor of which sits an effigy of the Celestial Lady (Thien Mu) that the pagoda is named after. Above the central portal is a board with the Chinese characters 靈姥寺 (literally 'Divine Old Woman Temple'), in honour of the presiding deity of this plot of land. The temple itself is a humble building in the inner courtyard, past the triple-gated entrance where three statues of Buddhist guardians stand at the alert. In the main sanctuary behind the bronze laughing Buddha are three statues: A Di Da, the Buddha of the Past; Thich Ca, the historical Buddha (Sakyamuni); and Di Lac Buddha, the Buddha of the Future. Entrance fee and other practicalities The pagoda is free to visit. Try and arrive in the morning before large tour groups show up. Many sights around Hue, including Thien Mu Pagoda and several of the royal tombs, can be reached by boat via the Perfume River. Most hotels and travellers’ cafes offer shared day tours from US$5 to US$20 per person.

Area

By Unesco decree, more than 800 historic buildings in Hoi An have been preserved, so much of the Old Town looks as it did several centuries ago. Eighteen of these buildings are open to visitors and require an Old Town ticket for admission; the fee goes towards funding conservation work. Each ticket allows you to visit five different heritage attractions from a total selection of 22, including museums, assembly halls, ancient houses and a traditional music show at the Handicraft Workshop. Tickets are valid for 10 days. As you enter each sight, a ticket stub will be removed.

Historic Building

Built two centuries ago by an ethnically Vietnamese family, this gem of a house has been lovingly preserved through seven generations. Look out for signs of Japanese and Chinese influences in the architecture. Japanese elements include the ceiling (in the sitting area), which is supported by three progressively shorter beams, one on top of the other. Under the crab-shell ceiling are carvings of crossed sabres wrapped in silk ribbon. The sabres symbolise force; the silk represents flexibility.

Bridge

Emblematic of Hoi An, this beautiful bridge was first constructed in the 1590s by the Japanese community to link it with the Chinese quarters. Over the centuries the ornamentation has remained relatively faithful to the original Japanese design. When you cross using your Old Town ticket, one of the stubs will be snipped away, so if you cross the bridge again, just say your ticket stub for the bridge has been taken already, otherwise the ticket checker will remove another stub.