Amazing and informative full day Paradise Cave / Phong Nha Cave Tour. We booked this tour through Trip Advisor: https://www.tripadvisor.ca/AttractionProductReview-g659924-d18342651-PHONG_NHA_CAVE_PARADISE_CAVE_FULL_DAY_FROM_DONG_HOI_or_PHONG_NHA-Dong_Hoi_Quang_Bi.html
The level of organization entailed was dealt with well (tour includes ground transportation, as well as boat transportation. Thought the stalactite formations were great. Paradise Cave (longest dry cave in Asia) and Phong Nha Cave were both intricate and level of detail was great in different ways. I honestly felt that it was well worth the $65 USD (approx. $88 CAD) fee.
Our host was super cheerful and informative, and fed us with information and an organized schedule for a busy day. For those curious, Dong Hoi (which is the base we travelled via ground transportation from) is a major farming, fishing and tourism industry.
Phong Nha is an adventurer’s paradise. Millions of years of flooding have chiseled out the world’s largest caves, meandering rivers entwine ancient karsts, and jungle-clad mountains lend an otherworldly atmosphere.
Located in Phong Nha Ke Bang National Park, Paradise Cave (Thien Duong Cave) is considered the Underground Royal Palace.
Unlike Phong Nha Cave, Paradise cave is a dry cave with no underground river flow. Most parts of the ground in this cave have soft soil, and the ground is quite flat, so it is convenient for sightseeing and exploration.
With a length of 31.4 km and a height of 60m, Paradise cave is the longest dry cave with the longest wooden bridge in Asia. The cave is distinctive for its unique stalactite and stalagmite system.
The lunch prepared by the local village tasted authentic and delicious - there was also a vegetarian option.
Following this, we headed to Phong Nha Cave via a journey on a boat along the river. Interestingly, in the cave, the rowers had to manually row the boat. Kudos to them for allowing us to enjoy the journey while they invested gruelling effort!
The region [Phong Nha] gets its name from this very cave. You’ll get to the cave by boarding a small wooden boat that’ll take you across the serene Son River, where you’ll find yourself bridged by magnificent karst mountains and lush green vegetation. The stalactites and the stalagmites cutting through the cave appear like the teeth of a giant monster, only 400 meters of the cave is open for exploration by tourists.
Overall, the insightful commentary and organization made the expense of the day tour really worth it! I would highly recommend this caves tour, and definitely look into alternative methods of transportation here if you want!