The hot muggy heat of Hanoi was getting to us and our bellies were full of the amazing Vietnamese food we had from Hoang’s Restaurant. Yet, we had no time to relax and had to make a headstart for our first stop in Vietnam – Phong Nha, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

We were picked up from our hostel, Little Charm Hanoi Hostel, by a mini-van at around 5:30 PM. The guy who picked us up had no patience for the big troop of 10 of us and I think he waited those extra ten minutes only because it was such a large group.

The mini-bus would drop us off at the point where a bigger sleeper bus would transport us to Phong Nha. The mini-bus made its stops at various hostels and hotels along the way carrying along with a variety of backpackers and travelers, mostly foreign travelers. We drove for about 15 minutes outside the busy Old Quarter Area and then reached on one of the main roads where we glimpsed the big sleeper buses for the first time.

There were at least 40 other passengers waiting and two buses lined up. We had booked our tickets through an agency ‘Lily’s Travel Agency’ and beyond a WhatsApp conversation with an agent and an e-invoice I had nothing else to show for which bus we have booked our tickets in or where our seats were!

Thankfully, the bus operator had our names on his list and he directed us to one of the buses. The first surprise of the day for us, we had to remove our shoes! The bus driver gave us plastic covers as we got inside the bus and we had to carry them inside with us. I realized it was a good thing else the sleeper bus would have become really messy.

Once inside the sleeper bus, we made sense of the bright pink and blue neon-lit interiors and the oddly shaped sleeper seats, which would stay that way all along the journey. We were in a Queen Cafe Bus and it was an open bus that would go all the way till Danang and beyond, but we would get off at around 4 AM.

The driver and his helper didn’t know English and this was going to be a problem. I knew that we would have a meal stop and when the bus stopped at Ninh Binh around 8 PM we all got down expecting a meal, but the driver was adamant and didn’t even open the door for us! We didn’t have water, we needed food but he just wouldn’t budge. We were quite angry but there was no go, eventually we showed the driver a water bottle so we could get down that’s when he opened a box full of water bottles and gave us one each!

When the other passengers got on at Ninh Binh, the bus started again, slowly everyone fell asleep when the bus stopped at a rest stop around 10 PM. Turns out that was the stop for food! And here the driver stopped for almost an hour, and the rest stop had lots of stalls to eat hot food. We used the restrooms but none of us had the patience to get down for a meal.

The sleeper beds that seemed comfy and cozy started to get constrictive and everyone just waited for the stop to arrive. Eventually in the dead of the night, almost an hour later than scheduled the bus dropped us off at Central Backpackers Hostel. There we met Hugo, the owner of our homestay on a bike!

I was confused, we were a group of ten and he had promised to pick us up to head to his homestay almost 2 KM away. But behind him were three other motorbikes, he had roped in his family to help us out. We made three trips back and forth to the homestay and finally we were there.

The Hugo homestay even in the dark looked like a modern house with a swimming pool to boot. We had booked dorm beds for all and Hugo led us into the big dormitory with spacious beds and clean bedding.  The weather was humid but without the sun was bearable, yet we relaxed till the sun came up, drinking delicious Vietnamese coffee.

Ready for the road, we had hired five motorbikes so we could spend the entire day outdoors. Geared up with helmets, we started our ride, driving on the right side of the road and our first stop was for gas. We filled in about two liters which would be enough for the ride and then off we went. Our first stop was to be Phong Nha Cave but unfortunately, Google Maps decided to take us right to the cave instead of to the entrance.

We road through the village roads and even near a graveyard when unfortunately one of the bikes broke down! Now, am not saying whether the graveyard had anything to do with it or not, but we were stranded nevertheless. It took us almost an hour and Hugo came to our rescue with a replacement bike and off we went again.

The Phong Nha Cave entrance is right in the middle of the town and is a newly-constructed tourism complex. You pay 5,000 VND for parking each vehicle and then purchase tickets for the cave. You need tickets for the boat ride plus entrance to the Phong Nha Cave. There is also another cave in the area ‘Tien Son’ but we were keen only on the Phong Nha cave.

Given our big group we were offered one boat to ourselves and cost us each 156000 VND or about INR 470. In the boat, we were given life jackets and the covered boat took us along the river. It was a pleasant ride as the humid heat was replaced by cool winds from the boat. Either side of the river were hostels and homes, and after a bit just replaced by green bushes. Beyond we could see greenery covered karst mountains.

After about 30 minutes we neared the mouth of the cave and we saw all the boats going inside. Our boatman removed the hood of the boat and as we entered the cave we could see its roof and WOW! The stalactite and stalagmite formations started coming up and we saw all these weird shapes lit up by artificial bulbs. Thankfully, they used only yellow and white lighting which was subdued yet gave the formations an eerie appearance.

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Phong Nha is known for its caves and the Phong Nha Cave is iconic and one of the first caves discovered. By now the motor of the boats was shut off and the boatman had taken to the oars to navigate the dark cave. There were lots of boats inside the cave, so it kind of seemed like a traffic jam but everyone was well-behaved and we didn’t have too much noise in the cave. I can’t even imagine how something like this might be in India!

The cave ran along for almost 2KM inside and it was a total trip of 4KM but took about 45 minutes. Along the way, we saw beautiful formations, unlike anything I have ever seen in my life. Granted, I had been to Belum caves in Andhra Pradesh but they didn’t hold a candle to the spectacular beauty of the Phong Nha caves.

We turned back after reaching a point beyond which the river continued to venture into a deep dark abyss, which I was frankly afraid to even look at, don’t know which monster might peep back at me!

The boatman then stopped at a point a few hundred feet away from the entrance where we could walk and make the way back. The pathway was well designed and covered so many spots where we could admire the formations up close and take photographs.

The pathway was about 750m and could easily be walked in a few minutes but the sheer beauty of the formations kept us stuck to them. In the end, our boatman came to check on us! We followed back to the boat which took us on our journey back to the entrance.

Our next stop was to be Paradise Cave and we decided to take the Highway 60 loop which was supposed to be breathtaking as it traversed the Phong Nha Ke-Bang National Park. We started off and boy it was beautiful! The road was fairly well maintained and anyone who has ever ridden a bike would feel comfortable, however, at a point, there are a lot of steep curves and the road goes downhill which with our dicey brakes made it all the more adventurous!

But before we could safely head to the caves, we met with another disaster! One of the bikes broke down with a puncture and were stranded in the middle of nowhere surrounded by mountains and not one vehicle passing us. We decided to head to the Paradise Cave hoping to find a repair shop along the way and also called Hugo about the situation.

We found an amusement park along the way but our lack of Vietnamese and their lack of interest in helping us out proved futile. We waited at the stop for the longest time when eventually it was Hugo who came to our rescue for the second time. One might say rescue is too generous a word, considering he gave us bikes without checking on their condition.

After a delay of almost two hours, we reached Paradise Cave and went to the Paradise Cave Restaurant for a meal. It was almost 3:30 PM and we didn’t want to miss the cave and bought our tickets. There is a walk of about 1KM to a point where you have to start walking uphill. There is the option of choosing to take an electric vehicle and we just did that. The pathway says 500m from where the electric vehicle stopped us but it felt like a lot more.

The Paradise Cave is located up the hill and you need to be reasonably fit to get there. The path up is sloped and paved which is good for the knees for sure! Once at the mouth of the cave, a narrow staircase takes you down and bam! The entire cave opens into a huge cavern! It looked straight out of the Lord of the Rings movie, almost like the mines of Moria.

The wooden staircase zigzagged on its way down and further for more than a kilometer. The end of the pathway opens up to more formations and it truly seems like paradise. There can be no comparison between the Paradise Cave and Phong Nha Cave because they are two different experiences, so it’s best to do them both.

It takes about an hour to walk down and climb back up the staircase. The cave demands a lot of physical exertion and you should be prepared for the steep climb up. Once back you have to deal with going downhill again, this time there was a stone staircase we had to deal with. It was around 6 PM by the time we finished and reached the parking lot.

The sun had started to set and we had a ride of 30 more minutes back to our hostel. The ride back was beautiful, we crossed the Mooc Springs trail which we couldn’t go because of lack of time, it is known for its striking blue spring waters. We also crossed the Dark Cave, which needs a zipline to get inside the cave and one needs to wade through knee-deep waters to traverse the cave.

Highway 60 was everything it promised to be and we stopped at a few spots to take photographs. But, the best was reserved for the last, almost at the end of our journey at a bridge near Phong Nha town. On one side was the town skyline which seemed straight out of a European village and on the other a typical Vietnamese landscape with paddy fields in the front and the karst mountains in the background. We watched the sun go down and returned back to our hostel.

At the hostel a traditional Vietnamese dinner awaited us, we dug in, packed our bags and rushed on to our next destination – Ninh Binh.

What else is there to see in Phong Nha?

We covered the Phong Nha Cave, Paradise Cave, and the Highway 60 Loop.

Other travelers vouch by the Dark Cave, Mooc Spring trails and the Duck Stop.

Where can you stay in Phong Nha?

We stayed at the Hugo Homestay, about 2 KM away from the main street in the village. It is a beautiful property and run by a lovely family. The facilities are clean, modern and value for money.

We also got a peek inside the Central Backpackers Hostel, where our bus stopped for the night. It is a fairly large hostel, was well-kept and had a great vibe to it.

How do you travel to Phong Nha?

We took the open bus from Hanoi to Phong Nha. It is the best and cheapest option to travel between the destinations. The other possible way is to take the train, but it’s expensive and you will have to stop at Dong Hoi and then take a taxi/bus for about an hour.

Our to and fro bus cost us USD 23 or about INR 1600, which is super cheap.

How do you travel within Phong Nha?

We rode motorbikes and it is the best way to explore the area, especially the Highway 60 loop. We also saw many bicycles but considering the heat and distance its best to travel on bike. You also have local taxis/bike taxis who can ferry you around between destinations. I didn’t find any public transport though!

All photograph credits – Madhuri Dasari, Rahul Kavi, Gautam Bajpai, Gaurav Boda

Follow the blog for more adventures in Vietnam and stay tuned for our time in Ninh Binh.