Phong Nha

After hearing great things about Phong Nha from other travellers, I decided to stop off there on my way south through Vietnam. Phong Nha is a small town in central Vietnam, best known for its massive national park and incredible cave systems - some of the largest and most impressive in the world.

I arrived at around 4am on a sleeper bus - not ideal timing. Things went from bad to worse when I found my bag in the luggage compartment... stored right next to a pile of fish. It absolutely reeked. Thankfully, the smell seems to have faded now, but it wasn’t the best welcome.

After checking into the hostel, I didn’t get much sleep. I was too wired from the bus ride, so I gave up trying to rest, had the free hostel breakfast, and decided to join a full-day tour that was happening.

The day was packed and genuinely one of the most fun I’ve had so far. First stop was the Botanical Gardens. There’s a short jungle trek that leads past waterfalls and swimming spots, with butterflies flying all around you.

Next up was Paradise Cave, which is one of the largest dry caves in Asia and absolutely massive - 31km long, though only a small part is open to the public. It’s insanely beautiful inside, with huge chambers and towering limestone formations lit up along the way.

After that, we went ziplining across the river, then straight into the Dark Cave, which was one of the most entertaining things I’ve done in a while. The cave itself is pitch black (as you’d guess), and after a short swim and scramble inside, you end up in a pool of thick, cool mud where everyone ends up slipping around like kids haha.

We finished off the tour with a visit to The Duck Stop, a little family-run farm just outside town. You feed and herd ducks, becoming the duck leader! We then ate some crispy pork pancakes while chatting with the family. It was a fun, random way to round out the day.

Afterwards, I headed out in the evening with some of the people I met on the tour. We found a local bar and ended up having a really good night :)

The next day was way slower. I checked out of the hostel, then spent most of the afternoon chilling by the pool with a book and a few of the friends I’d made. In the late afternoon, I caught an evening bus to Da Nang.

Overall, Phong Nha ended up being a bit of a highlight. It’s small and unassuming, but was packed with adventure and good vibes - definitely worth the stop xxxx