Phong Nha–Kẻ Bàng National Park

Phong Nha–Kẻ Bàng National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in central Vietnam, about 500 km south of Hanoi. It protects one of the world's two largest karst regions, with 300 caves and grottoes. The park is named after Phong Nha Cave, known for its rock formations, and Kẻ Bàng forest. It is home to Sơn Đoòng Cave, the largest cave in the world.

Don't miss

• Sơn Đoòng Cave, the world's largest cave, with a chamber over 5 km long, 200 m high, and 150 m wide
• Phong Nha Cave, with rock formations and Champa inscriptions from the 9th century
• Paradise Cave, discovered in 2005 and called 'the largest and most beautiful cave in Phong Nha–Kẻ Bàng area'
• Tien Son Cave (Fairy-tale cave), a dry cave with no underground river, discovered in 1935
• The karst landscape, one of the oldest major karst areas in Asia, dating back 400 million years

Getting there

Know before you go

• The climate is hot and humid. The rainy season is from July to December, with 88% of annual rainfall. There are over 160 rainy days per year.
• Temperatures range from a minimum of 6°C in winter to a maximum of 41°C in summer. The hottest months are June to August.
• The park is about 40 km northwest of Đồng Hới. It is accessible by road or waterway, near Hồ Chí Minh Highway and about 28 km west of the Hanoi–Saigon Railway.

A bit of history

Champa inscriptions from the 9th century show people lived in the caves long before Vietnam annexed the area. The cave was first mentioned in literature in 1550. In the late 19th century, French priest Léopold Michel Cadière explored Phong Nha cave and called it 'the number one cave of Indochina'. In 2009, British explorers rediscovered Sơn Đoòng Cave, the world's largest, with help from a local farmer named Ho Khanh.