Phong Nha, Vietnam, has the world's most marvellous cave system. Many people wish to discover it, but can you and your family visit there? This blog will provide a comprehensive picture of the adventure you and your family can enjoy in Phong Nha Vietnam.
1. Exploring Phong Nha in a child-friendly way
Phong Nha - Kẻ Bàng National Park is in Quảng Bình, a central province of Vietnam. It is believed to be the kingdom of caves with the charming enchantment of nature. Your family and kids will have a fantastic experience exploring this marvellous cave system.
To prepare for a trip to this beautiful land, you must first learn about the caves, trekking routes, and activities and whether they are suitable for children. Inquiring with travel experts is ideal because the length of the caves or trekking routes does not always indicate how difficult the path is.
When exploring Phong Nha, you will step out of your comfort zone and truly and deeply reconnect to nature without being disturbed by the internet, phones, and other devices. Enjoy your time here with your family and kids!
2. The beauty of Phong Nha for families & kids to experience
According to UNESCO, Phong Nha - Kẻ Bàng National Park is the world's most magnificent limestone karst ecosystem because it comprises and protects more than 100 km of caves and underground rivers. Exploring this national park can help your little explorers to discover many terrestrial and aquatic habitats because it covers over 123,000 ha. It also contains many primary and secondary forests, tropical forests, and many marvellous caves such as Phong Nha Cave, Paradise Cave, and the most famous, Sơn Đoòng Cave - the world's largest cave.
Sơn Đoòng Cave is the first and only cave that has a primary forest and an underground river inside with a unique climate. National Geographic believes this is one of the world's most compelling caverns. However, it's not easy to approach Sơn Đoòng Cave. The trip will take four (4) days, so travellers need to be well-trained in trekking to discover this world-class experience. Unlike other caves, Sơn Đoòng Cave limits the number of explorers for conservation purposes. Every year, they only allow 1000 people to explore, from January to August, and only ten (10) people per tour. So, what can you do in Phong Nha - Kẻ Bàng National Park with your family and children? Here are some family-friendly caves in the system you can discover:
2.1. Phong Nha Cave
Day tour
Cave’s type: Wet cave
Length: 7.7km
Level: Easy and kid-friendly
Phong Nha Cave is 7.7 km long and contains a 13 km underground river. It is known as the most famous route of the natural system in Phong Nha - Kẻ Bàng National Park. You and your family can explore it by boat to the first 1.5 km of this wet cave then have a walk inside for 30-40 minutes.
There are many reasons why you and your little ones should discover Phong Nha Cave. Firstly, it contains the longest underground river and protects the most extraordinary underground lake. This cave also has the most beautiful sandbank and reef and consists of the most spectacular stalactites, stalagmites, and the longest water grottos.
A visit to Phong Nha Cave can be educational for children and adults. While exploring the cave, your family can learn about geology, history, and culture.
2.2. Paradise Cave
Day tour
Cave’s type: Dry cave
Length: 31.4 km - The longest dry cave in Asia
Level: Easy and kid-friendly
Paradise Cave, or Động Thiên Đường, is known as the most stunning cave in Phong Nha - Kẻ Bàng National Park. It's named Paradise because of its outstanding stalactites and stalagmites system. Paradise Cave was explored by the British Cave Research Association in 2005, but they believe that a local had explored the cave previously. The cave has been open for travel since 2010.
You and your family can explore the cave's numerous chambers and admire its magnificent formations. The cave has a wooden walkway and stairs that lead families and travellers through the different sections. The cave's temperature remains cool all year, making it a pleasant place to visit during hot weather.
2.3. Elephant Cave - Ma Đa Valley
Day tour
Cave’s type: Dry cave
Trekking length: 9 km
Level: More challenging. Only 8-year-olds and above are recommended.
Elephant Cave (or Hang Voi) is the most hidden gem, wild and less reached by tourists. This cave is almost in the centre of Phong Nha - Kẻ Bàng National Park and is believed to be the smallest cave. However it's quite challenging to get there, but it's an ideal option for trekking. While discovering the Elephant Cave, you and your family will see the wonder of nature and the historical marks from mine pieces, casings, and bullets, as this cave was the "home" of soldiers in the war.
Going through the Elephant Cave, you will reach another gem - Ma Đa Valley. This valley is covered with majestic limestone mountains and wild primary jungles. In the heart of Ma Đa Valley is a stunning emerald-green lake, and it's on an underground river. This is a perfect spot for families and friends to camp and relax.
While discovering this magnificent nature with your kids and family, please remember to practice sustainable tourism as a way to show love and respect to this world heritage site by:
Avoiding bringing single-use material on your trip.
Only leaving your footprints and taking your memories.
Supporting local businesses by choosing travel agencies that offer local guides and services.
Furthermore, there are other caves for 2-day-1-night camping for you and your teenage kids (≥ 12-year-olds). Contact Chôm Chôm Travel for more information!
After exploring the cave kingdom, you can extend your adventure to nearby cities and provinces such as Huế and Hội An. Chôm Chôm Travel can arrange for you and your family to ride on the back of motorcycles or cars from Phong Nha to Huế or Hội An by going through many breathtaking landscapes.
At Chôm Chôm Travel, we believe that travel is about experiencing nature and immersing oneself in the local culture rather than simply passing through. As a result, we recommend spending more time travelling slowly and discovering the characteristics and beauty of Central Vietnam. To know more about this, contact us:
Email: dorothee@chomchomtravel.com
Address: 33/2 Quoc Huong, Thao Dien, District 2, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam