Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park to get UNESCO recognition for 2nd time
The Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park, which boasts the high-profile Son Doong Cave, which is the world’s largest, is looking forward to its second recognition by the UNESCO as a world heritage site next month.
The management of the park, secluded in the central Vietnamese province of Quang Binh, is poised to receive a recognition certificate from the United Nations organization for the second time during its third Cave Week, according to Tran Tien Dung, vice chair of the provincial People’s Committee.
The second recognition is based on the park’s stunning biological diversity and resplendent landscape, Dung told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper.
The park first earned the coveted honor in 2003 for its astounding geological and geomorphologic values.
The aforementioned Cave Week, held on a biennial basis, is slated to run from July 17. “Quang Binh has seen notable strides since its Phong Nha-Ke Bang park was first honored by the UNESCO in 2003. We are pinning high hopes on the second acknowledgement drawing more foreign tourists to the site,” Dung added.
The deputy chairman is upbeat about the surge in tourist arrivals to the province in recent years. Compared to only one flight operated by Vietnam Airlines between Ho Chi Minh City and Dong Hoi, which is the heart of Quang Binh Province and near the natural park, every two days previously, the number of flights has now risen to three, which are offered by the carrier and no-frills airlines Jetstar Pacific and VietJet Air. Most of the flights are full. “This is the most incontrovertible proof of Quang Binh’s rising touristy appeal,” Dung noted.
Son doong cave
In 2014, the province welcomed 2.8 million tourist arrivals, which had been undreamed of before, he elaborated.
A preliminary report by the provincial Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism revealed that the numbers of domestic tourists and foreign visitors to Quang Binh has increased 1.5 and 3 times respectively so far this year, compared to the same period last year.
Dung attributed the surge in foreign tourists to the irresistible allure of Phong Nha-Ke Bang’s awe-inspiring cave system, particularly Son Doong and En Caves, and the adventure expeditions to these cavernous wonders.
Following the live coverage of the American Broadcasting Company and National Geographic Magazine’s dizzying 360-degree photo essay on Son Doong Cave last month, local travel firms reported a soar in the number of tourists who inquire about expedition tours to the grotto.
Son Doong Cave, the world’s largest, as seen in a 360-degree photo by National Geographic Magazine
Visitors find tourism infrastructure in Quang Binh satisfactory, including transport means, roads, hotels, and restaurants, Dung noted.
Domestic tourists and pilgrims also flock to the resting place of legendary General Vo Nguyen Giap, nestled in Vung Chua in the province’s Quang Trach District.
Dung added many residents around Phong Nha have made a considerably better living by raising “ca tram” and selling the fish to tourists, working as porters for expedition tours, and offering homestay services.
Last week, Quang Binh held a reconnaissance trip to Va and Nuoc Nut Caves, in which a Tuoi Tre reporter joined.
The two caves are located inside Phong Nha-Ke Bang Natural Park.
Nguyen Chau A, director of Oxalis Co., which offers expeditions to Phong Nha-Ke Bang, said his firm is waiting for approval by the People’s Committee to offer tours that last two days and one night each to the grottos.
Dung, the deputy chair of the Quang Binh People’s Committee, added his committee will soon grant a permit for Oxalis to operate the new tours during the upcoming Cave Week.
Chau A said the tours are expected to cost around VND9 million (US$413) each.
Visiting and discovery Phong Nha Ke Bang National Park
Phong Nha – Ke Bang is located in Quang Binh province of the North Central Coast region and covers an area of 2,000sqkm of limestone zone together with 70km of grotto and cave system. The park is the perfect combination of Phong Nha Cave and Ke Bang forest surrounding the area. It is featured mostly with tropical forest, which makes its flora become interesting and diversified in compared with other national parks. More than one thousands of tree species are discovered by biologists with enchanting names, of which some groups are evergreen trees and hardly found elsewhere. When setting foot on the park, tourists will also have chances of visiting the typically special flora here; namely many trees on the limestone mounts. Moreover, the fauna of Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park is absolutely particular since there have been a lot of types of animal species still roaming the park including black bears, tigers, elephants, etc… Many other reptile, amphibian species and primates also choose the park as their home in which some of them are never seen before and listed in the Vietnam’s Red Data Book, even the World Red Book of Endangered Species.
Phong Nha travel guide
Another striking feature of the park comes from its cave and grotto systems at the number of caves up to 300 with many significant geomorphic features, namely underground rivers, dendritic caves, dry caves… for interested parties to explore and enjoy. In fact, both Vietnamese and British scientists have been discovering only 20 among 300 caves with some widely known caves such as Vom, Thien Duong, Tien Son, Phong Nha, Son Doong…For many visitors, Phong Nha and Son Doong appear to be the most well – known caves when describing the park. Phong Nha is famous for its charming rock formation, containing 14 grottos, with the underground river at the length of 13,969 meter. As the tourists entering deeply into the cave, they will see that the large stalactites and stalagmites are getting more and more fantastic, brilliant and illusory when flashing bright light on them. In other extent, Son Doong was the most recent discovery in April 2009 and was recognized to be the largest cave in the world. It is said that Son Doong is five times larger than Phong Nha, which was once considered the biggest cave in Vietnam. Such giant dimension with a deep fast-flowing underground river inside will create a special feeling for anyone exploring the cave that they seem to be extraodinarily small in front of gigantic, mysterious appearance of Son Doon cave.
With admirable beauty, Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park is the great, continuous change of earth’s history, the region’s geologic, geomorphic history. As the park fully satisfies the criteria of UNESCO’s appraisal scale, it was recognized as a world natural heritage site by this organization. Under the development of means of transport at present, many tourists may access the park by various forms by road, rail or air. They will be brought many chances of participating tourist activities held by local travel agencies ranging from Tour for expedition of caves and grottos in boats, Ecotourism to Mountain climbing, trekking. Such activities definitely enable them to enjoy the beauty of the park in the most natural, historical way, which will indirectly help Vietnam enhance the fame of its landscape and promote its image not only in the country itself but also to the foreign nations
New trekking tours in Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park
According to a recent announcement from the administration of Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park, two new tours travelling inside a large area of this destination has been initiated. This is considered a way to attract more visitors who love trekking and adventure.
One of these new tours is named “Discovering the nature of Rao Thuong River and Swallows Cave” lasts for two days and one night with estimated cost of US$280 per participant. This tour leads visitors through poetic Rao Thuong River, lushly vast forest and mysterious Swallows Cave, as well as gives them chance to experience unique life and culture of Van Kieu minor community in this region.
Phong Nha cave tour
The other tour, “Exploring the mystery of the 1,500m deep Phong Nha Cave”, costs US$30 for each person with the duration of 3 hours offers tourists exciting trip on canoes along underground river system of Phong Nha Cave.
Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park is one of the most famous tourism destinations of Vietnam. Being well-known as “The King of Caves”, the place possesses a wide, deep and large system of caves, mountains and forests that have high value in many aspects, including tourism. This is also known as a land of world records with title “The area with the highest number of underground rivers” and “largest cave system in the world”.
Documentary film on Phong Nha-Ke Bang to be screened
Deep in the poetic scenery, Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park fast becomes well known as one of the most beautiful attractions in Vietnam. Dubbed as “Kingdom of the cave”, it has strongly attracted the great number of both domestic and foreign tourists.
Phong Nha Ke Bang is a natural beautiful landscape that the Creator has bestowed on Quang Binh province in particular and on Vietnam in general, a piece of land associated with the heroic feats of the history. Here, the harmonic combination of primitive forests, Son River, and caves creating a watercolor painting that captivates numerous people. Phong Nha Ke Bang was organized as a Natural World Heritage by UNESCO in 2003.
son-doong-cave
The famous German film production company, Medien Kontor, is scheduled to visit Vietnam to shoot a documentary film on the UNESCO-listed Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park in central Vietnam.
According to the management board of Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park, the documentary film, which gives viewers an overall introduction on the park, will be carried out from July 16-31 this year.
Luu Minh Thanh, director of Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park hoped that this would be a good opportunity to introduce Vietnamese tourism in general, and the world’s natural heritage Phong Nha-ke Bang in particular, to international tourists.
Phong Nha – Ke Bang among Top 7 Southeast Asian national parks
Located in central Quang Binh province, Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, was opened to the public in 2003.
“Within it rests some of Southeast Asia’s most spectacular underground rivers, along with some of the world’s most unique forms of flora and fauna – including hundreds of different types of birds,” and “It spans well over 800 sq km in area, and this means that you would probably need more than a day to experience its cavernous wonders,”
Phong Nha Caves Vietnam
The total length of the cave systems is 20.127 km and most are untouched by humankind.
Among the new discoveries was the 5 million year old Hoa Huong Cave – the oldest among Quang Binh’s many caves.
Thanks to its majestic natural beauty Quang Binh province has attracted huge numbers of international tourists on adventure and cave tours. The province is planning to become a “Kingdom of Adventure Tourism” in Asia in the near future.
Tours to Son Doong, the largest cave in the world at almost 7 kilometers in length and 150 meters in width and 200 meters in height, are fully booked to the end of 2017 despite the high cost.
Community tourism has also become a new trend to attract international tourists to the province, especially European tourists, with 50,000 arriving in the first half.
Phong Nha Caves Vietnam
Last year Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park received a second UNESCO recognition for its biodiversity and ecological and biological processes.
“It features great geological diversity and offers spectacular phenomena, including a large number of caves and underground rivers,” UNESCO said. “The site harbors a high level of biodiversity and many endemic species.”
In 2015 the third phase of a project on the conservation and sustainable management of natural resources at Phong Nha – Ke Bang, funded by the German Government through non-refundable ODA of $2.13 million, was approved by the Prime Minister.
The Quang Binh Provincial People’s Committee is responsible for reciprocal funding of $186,060. The project is expected to be completed by the end of this year and will apply conservation experience to the policy making of local management agencies.
Quang Binh welcomed almost 3 million tourists in 2015, of which nearly 100,000 were foreigners. This year it targets welcoming 3.3 million tourists, including over 100,000 foreigners.
To boost tourism, many accommodation providers have agreed with the province’s suggestion and cut their room rates by 20 to 40 per cent and some restaurants have done likewise, by 10 to 20 per cent.
Quang Binh province is hosting many programs in July, such as an International Beer Festival, an International Swimming Race, and a culinary festival.
(Source:VN Economic Times)
New tour takes travelers deeper into Vietnam’s Phong Nha Cave
Phong Nha cave system wins second UNESCO title for biodiversity
US talk show ‘Good Morning America’ explores beauty of Vietnamese caves
Tourism authority in the central province of Quang Binh has launched another tour to the world famous Phong Nha Cave with a much longer trekking trail and more activities, news website VnExpress reported.
The cave, part of the UNESCO world heritage site Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park, was open to tourists 20 years ago. However, options have been limited.
With the new tour, tourists can now explore more than half of the cave’s length, which is 7,729 meters, instead of only 1.5 kilometers like before.
During the tour, besides trekking they can swim and row a kayak along some sections of a 13,969-meter underground river, including the 300-square meter Xuyen Son Lake.
Xuyen Son, which means Trans-Mountain, is better known as “the bottomless lake.” Since it was first explored in 2012, experts have not been able to determine its depth.
The new tour, which takes about six hours for a round trip
The park was created to protect one of the world’s two largest karst regions with 300 caves and grottoes and also protects the ecosystem of limestone forest of the Annamite Range region in North Central Coast of Vietnam.
Phong Nha-Kẻ Bàng is noted for its cave and grotto systems as it is composed of 300 caves and grottos. A 2009 survey brought the total discovered length of the cave system to about 126 km with many areas still not well explored. The Sơn Đoòng Cave, which was discovered in the 2009 survey by British and Vietnamese explorers, is considered the largest cave in the world. Even before this discovery, Phong Nha held several world cave records, including the longest underground river as well as the largest combined caverns and passageways.
The park derives it name from Phong Nha Cave, containing many fascinating rock formations, and Kẻ Bàng forest. The plateau on which the park is situated is probably one of the finest and most distinctive examples of a complex karst landform in Southeast Asia.This national park was listed in UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites in 2003 for its geological values as defined in its criteria viii. In April 2009, the world’s largest cave, was re-discovered by a team of British cave explorers of the British Caving Association led by a local farmer named Ho Khanh
The Phong Nha Cave
This cave, from which the name to the whole system and the park is derived, is famous for its rock formations which have been given names such as the “Lion”, the “Fairy Caves”, the “Royal Court”, and the “Buddha”. This cave is 7729 m long, contains 14 grottos, with a 13,969 m-long underground river. The scientists have surveyed 44.5 km of grottos in this cave so far, but tourists can only penetrate to a distance of 1500 m.
Phong Nha Cave, like most of the caves in this area, has been continuously shaped by the Chay River. As one gets farther into the cave, the more illusory the stalactites and stalagmites look as they glitter when bright light is shone on them. The Son River flows into the mouth of the cave and keeps flowing underground, where it is referred to as the Nam Aki River, then this river emerges at a site 20 km to the south near Pu Pha Dam Mountain. The main Phong Nha cave includes 14 chambers, connected by an underwater river that runs for 1.5 km. Secondary corridors branch off in all directions. The Outer Cave and some of the Inner Caves have roofs that tower between 25 and 40 meters above the water level. From the 14th chamber there may be other corridors leading to similarly large chambers, but this area proves more dangerous for explorers because of the ongoing erosion of the limestone of the cavern. The Shallow Cave is located 800 meters from the cave mouth, where there is a spectacular landscape of sand and rock. Stalactites and stalagmites jut out like strange trees, exciting visitor’s imaginations.
Phong Nha cave tour
Notable caves and grottoes in the Phong Nha Cave system include:
Dark Grotto (Hang Tối): located upstream of Son River running to the branch of Chay River on the left. This cave is 5,258 m long and with a height of 83 m. The entry is high and wide with heavy forest around the cave mouth
E Grotto (Hang E): a 736 m-long grotto accessible by the Hồ Chí Minh trail
Cha An Grotto (Hang Chà An): a 667 m-long grotto, with the width of 15 meters
Thung Grotto (Hang Thung): This grotto has an underground river of 3351 m, with the height in some part exceed 133 . This river receives water resources from Rao Thuong
En Grotto (Hang Én): a 1645 m long, 78.6 m high grotto
Khe Tien Grotto (Hang Khe Tiên): located south of Phong Nha, this grotto is 520 m long.
Khe Ry Grotto (Hang Khe Ry): located south of Phong Nha. The grotto is where the long Khe Ry stream (13.817 km or 8.585 miles) runs out
Khe Thi Grotto (Hang Khe Thi): a stream originating from the mountain, running underground the grotto
Vòm Cave systems
Vom Grotto (Hang Vòm): a 15.05 km long, 145 m high grotto with several underground rivers, pools. This grotto features several spectacular stalagmite and stalactites. In the recent exploring of British Cave Research Association, the scientists have found an abyss in Vom Grotto named Tang hole with the deep of over 255m.This hole is the deepest hole in Vietnam.
Dai Cao Grotto (Hang Đai Cao): this grotto is a connection of Vom Grotto. This grotto is 1645 m long, 28 m high..
Duot Grotto (Hang Duột): This is a connection of Dai Cao Grotto with the length of 3.927 km and height of 45 m. There are some fine sand fields inside.
Ca Grotto (Hang Cá): a 1,500 m long, 62 m high grotto.
Ho Grotto (Hang Hổ): A connection of Ca Grotto with the length of 1,616 m and the height of 46 m
Over Grotto (Hang Over): a 3,244 m long, 103 m high grotto, with the width from 30–50 m.
Pygmy Grotto (Hang Pygmy): This 845 m long grotto has several streams falling from mounts.
Ruc Caroong Grotto (Hang Rục Caroòng): This the habitat of Arem ethnic group. They live in the caves, grottos and on hunting, harvesting natural products.
Tiên Sơn Cave
Tiên Sơn cave is located in Phong Nha-Kẻ Bàng National Park. The cave was discovered by a local inhabitant by accident in 1935. It is located in Sơn Trach Commune in Bố Trạch. The entry mouth of Tiên Sơn is 1 km from Phong Nha cave, at an altitude of 200 m. This cave is 980 m in length. A 10 m deep hole is situated 400 m from the entry mouth, then a 500 m long underground cave, dangerous for tourists and open to professional expeditionists only. Like Phong Nha cave, this cave features spectacular stalactites and stalagmites shaped like several fairy-tales. Stalactite and stalagmite columns and walls here create strange sounds like that of gong and drum if they are knocked with the hand. According to British cave scientists, Tiên Sơn cave was created tens of million years ago when a water current holed this limestone mount in Kẻ Bàng. Following a series of landforms and movement of rocks, this mass was levered or lowered, blocking the current and creating what is now Tiên Sơn cave while the underground river redirected its current to Phong Nha cave. Although Phong Nha and Tiên Sơn caves are located next to each other, there are no linking grottos between them.
Thiên Đường Cave
Thiên Đường “Paradise” Cave is a newly found cave in this area. Prior to the discovery of Sơn Đoòng cave, it was regarded as the largest and longest cave in Phong Nha-Kẻ Bàng. Some of the most beautiful and spectacular stalactites and stalagmites in the park are found within Thiên Đường. The cave was discovered by a local man in 2005. The first 5 km of this cave was explored by explorers from the British Cave Research Association in 2005; later they in 2010 the whole 31 km was explored and announced by the association.
At 31 km long, Thiên Đường cave is longer than Phong Nha cave, previously considered the longest cave in this national park. The height can reach to 100 m and 150 wide. The limestone formation is also more spectacular than that of Phong Nha Cave. The British cave explorers was impressed by the beauty of the rock formation inside the cave, they named it “Paradise Cave” (Thiên Đường in Vietnamese). Access road and tourist facilities was built by Truong Thinh Group, it was opened up to tourists on 3 September 2010 with a 1.1 km path to see the formations.
Sơn Đoòng Cave
Sơn Đoòng Cave (in Vietnamese: Hang Sơn Đoòng, meaning Mountain River Cave) is a relatively recently discovered cave in the national park. Found by a local man and explored and publicly announced by the British cave scientists of the British Cave Research Association, it is regarded as the largest cave in the world. The biggest chamber of Sơn Đoòng is over five kilometers in length, 200 meters high and 150 meters wide. With these tremendous dimensions, Sơn Đoòng overtakes Deer Cave of Malaysia to take the title of world’s largest cave. Because the fast flowing underground river in the cave deterred the explorers from going farther, they were only able to estimate the length of the cave using a flashlight.
The cave was found by a man named Hồ Khanh in 1991. The local jungle men were afraid of the cave for the whistling sound it makes from the underground river. However, not until 2009 was it made known to the public when a group of British scientists from the British Cave Research Association, led by Howard and Deb Limbert, conducted a survey in Phong Nha-Kẻ Bàng from 10–14 April 2009.Their progress was stopped by a large calcite wall.
According to the Limberts, this cave is five times larger than the Phong Nha Cave, previously considered the biggest cave in Vietnam. The biggest chamber of Sơn Đoòng is over five kilometers in length, 200 meters high and 150 meters wide. With these dimensions, Sơn Đoòng overtook Deer Cave in Malaysia to take the title of the world’s largest cave.
The Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park, inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2003, covered 85,754 hectares. With this extension, the site covers a total surface area of 126,236 hectares (a 46 % increase) and shares a boundary with the Hin Namno Nature Reserve in the Peoples Democratic Republic of Laos. The Park’s landscape is formed by limestone plateaux and tropical forests. It features great geological diversity and offers spectacular phenomena, including a large number of caves and underground rivers. The site harbours a high level of biodiversity and many endemic species. The extension ensures a more coherent ecosystem while providing additional protection to the catchment areas that are of vital importance for the integrity of limestone landscapes.
Outstanding Universal Value
Brief synthesis
Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park is located in the middle of the Annamite Mountain Range in Quang Binh province, Viet Nam, and shares its boundary with the Hin Namno Nature Reserve in the Lao PDR to the west. The property comprises an area of 123,326 ha and contains terrestrial and aquatic habitats, primary and secondary forest, sites of natural regeneration, tropical dense forests and savanna and is rich in large, often spectacular and scientifically significant caves.
The property contains and protects over 104 km of caves and underground rivers making it one of the most outstanding limestone karst ecosystems in the world. The karst formation has evolved since the Palaeozoic period (some 400 million years ago) and as such is the oldest major karst area in Asia. Subject to massive tectonic changes, the karst landscape is extremely complex, comprising a series of rock types that are interbedded in complex ways and with many geomorphic features. The karst landscape is not only complex but also ancient, with high geodiversity and geomorphic features of considerable significance.
The karst formation process has led to the creation of not only underground rivers but also a variety of cave types including: dry caves, terraced caves, suspended caves, dendritic caves and intersecting caves. With a length of over 44.5 km the Phong Nha cave is the most famous of the system with tour boats able to penetrate inside to a distance of 1,500 m. The Son Doong Cave, first explored in 2009, is believed to contain the world’s largest cave passage in terms of diameter and continuity.
A large number of faunal and floral species occur within the property with over 800 vertebrate species recorded comprising 154 mammals, 117 reptiles, 58 amphibians, 314 birds and 170 fish. The property clearly has impressive levels of biodiversity within its intact forest cover, notwithstanding some gaps in knowledge of the population status of some species. .
Criterion (viii): Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park is part of a larger dissected plateau, which encompasses the Phong Nha, Ke Bang and Hin Namno karsts. The limestone is not continuous and demonstrates complex interbedding with shales and sandstones. This has led to a particularly distinctive topography. The caves demonstrate a discrete sequence of events, leaving behind different levels of ancient abandoned passages; evidence of major changes in the routes of underground rivers; changes in the solutional regime; deposition and later re-solution of giant speleothems and unusual features such as sub-aerial stromatolites. On the surface, there is a striking series of natural landscapes, ranging from deeply dissected ranges and plateaux to an immense polje. There is evidence of at least one period of hydrothermal activity in the evolution of this ancient mature karst system. The Son Doong Cave, first explored in 2009, could contain the world’s largest cave passage in terms of diameter and continuity. The plateau is one of the finest and most distinctive examples of a complex karst landform in Southeast Asia and the property is of great importance for enhancing our understanding of the geologic, geomorphic and geo-chronological history of the region.
Criterion (ix): Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park consists of a complex limestone landscape, which includes very large caves and underground rivers. The property includes karst formations which are some of the oldest and largest in Asia, and it has geological, climatic, hydrographic and ecological conditions which are distinct from other limestone karst landscapes. Its cave ecosystems and habitats are unique with high levels of endemism and adaptations displayed by cave-dependent species. The property constitutes one of the largest remaining areas of relatively intact moist forest on karst in Indochina, with a forest cover estimated to reach 94%, of which 84% is thought to be primary forest. Furthermore, the property protects globally significant ecosystems within the Northern Annamites Rainforests and Annamite Range Moist Forests priority ecoregions.
Criterion (x): A high level of biodiversity is found within the property, with over 2,700 species of vascular plants and over 800 vertebrate species. Several globally threatened species are also present: 133 plant species and 104 vertebrate species have been reported, including several large mammals such as the endangered Large-antlered Muntjac, Clouded Leopard, and the critically endangered Saola. The level of endemism is high, especially in the cave systems. Furthermore, it is estimated that over 400 plant species endemic to Viet Nam are found within the property, as well as 38 animal species endemic to the Annamite range. Several new species to science have recently been found, including cave scorpions, fish, lizards, snakes and turtles, and more species are likely to be discovered. Importantly, four threatened primate taxa endemic to the Annamites are found within the property: the Hatinh Langur (specialised in karst forest and endemic to Viet Nam and the People’s Democratic Republic of Lao), the black form of the Hatinh Langur, sometimes considered as a separate species, the Red-shanked Douc Langur, and the largest remaining population of White-cheeked Gibbon.
Integrity
The property constitutes one of the largest protected karst landscapes in South East Asia. Covering an area of 123,326 ha and bounded to the west by the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, all elements necessary to manifest the outstanding geological values of the property of Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park are contained within the boundaries of the property. The inscribed property is completely surrounded and protected by a buffer zone of 220,055 ha and is designated into three management zones: a strictly protected, an ecological restoration and an administrative/service zone. The watershed protection forests in the buffer zone also protect the integrity of the property. Furthermore, the extension of the property enhances its integrity and connectivity with the karst landscape in Lao PDR.
There are, however, a number of issues that affect the integrity of the property. Wildlife poaching and illegal harvesting of forest products are a direct threat to biodiversity values. The property has also suffered from past developments and its integrity could be threatened by further uncontrolled tourism developments, notably by the proposed construction of a cable car and access roads. There is a need for the implementation of Environmental Impact Assessments for any projects which could negatively affect the site. This would ensure that the natural landscape, geologic and geomorphic values, and key features such as primitive forest, caves, rivers and streams within the inscribed area remain intact. The property is situated within an area of high population density and as such a number of activities, such as cultivation, tourism, transport and freshwater fisheries could also impact on its integrity.
Protection and management requirements
Originally designated as a Nature Reserve in 1986, Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park was established in 2001 under the Decision 189/QD-TTg by the Prime Minister and is managed by a Management Board. The Management Board is responsible for protection of forest resources and biodiversity and was established in 1994. Cave conservation and the provision of a tourism service are the responsibility of the Cultural and Ecological Tourist Centre under the Management Board. The property is also included in the Special National Heritage List (2009), and the Special Use Forest system (1999). The National Park is effectively protected by a number of national laws and government decisions, which prohibit any action inside or outside the boundaries of the National Park or a World Heritage property that may have a significant impact on the heritage values.
Phong Nha Airport located in Dong Hoi city 40kms from Phong Nha Ke Bang National Park. its named Dong Hoi Airport (VDH)
Dong Hoi Airport (IATA: VDH, ICAO: VVDH) (Vietnamese: Cảng hàng không Đồng Hới or Sân bay Đồng Hới) is an airport located in Loc Ninh commune, 6 km north of Đồng Hới city, capital of Quảng Bình Province, in North Central Coast of Vietnam, about 500 km South-east of Hanoi by road.
The airstrip was built unpaved by French colonists in 1930s to serve First Indochina War and was upgraded by North Vietnam as an airbase for Vietnam War. On 30 August 2004, the renovation (actually reconstruction) of this airport began and was scheduled to be completed in 2006[3] but not until May 2008 was it inaugurated.
The airport serves Dong Hoi city, It will serve mainly tourists to beaches in Dong Hoi city and World Natural Heritage of Phong Nha-Kẻ Bàng National Park, the starting point of The Middle World Heritage Road. As of December 2009, Vietnam Airlines is providing non-stop flights linking this airport with Noi Bai International Airport (Ha Noi) and Tan Son Nhat International Airport (Ho Chi Minh City).
airport-to-phong-nha
Phong Nha Airport to Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh city
Dong Hoi Airport to Hanoi: VN 1592 11:10 – 12:10 Hanoi Airport to Dong Hoi: VN 1593 09:15 – 10:20
Flight from Dong Hoi to Ho Chi Minh City
VJ 263 12:20 – 13:55 (Vietjet Air)
BL 351 19:30 – 21:10 (Jestar Airline)
VN 1401 11:30 – 13:00 (Vietnam Airline)
Flight from Ho Chi Minh City to Dong Hoi
VJ 262 10:10 – 11:45 (Vietjet Air)
BL 350 17:25 – 19:00 (Jestar Airline)
VN 1400 09:15 – 10:45 (Vietnam Airline)
Son Đoong Cave (in Vietnamese: Hang Sơn Đoòng, meaning Mountain River Cave) is a relatively recently discovered cave in the national park. Found by a local man and explored and publicly announced by the British cave scientists of the British Cave Research Association, it is regarded as the largest cave in the world.The biggest chamber of Sơn Đoòng is over five kilometers in length, 200 meters high and 150 meters wide. With these tremendous dimensions, Sơn Đoòng overtakes Deer Cave of Malaysia to take the title of world’s largest cave. Because the fast flowing underground river in the cave deterred the explorers from going farther, they were only able to estimate the length of the cave using a flashlight.
The cave was found by a man named Hồ-Khanh in 1991. The local jungle men were afraid of the cave for the whistling sound it makes from the underground river. However, not until 2009 was it made known to the public when a group of British scientists from the British Cave Research Association, led by Howard and Deb Limbert, conducted a survey in Phong Nha-Kẻ Bàng from 10–14 April 2009.
son-doong-cave
Their progress was stopped by a large calcite wall.
According to the Limberts, this cave is five times larger than the Phong Nha Cave, previously considered the biggest cave in Vietnam. The biggest chamber of Sơn Đoòng is over five kilometers in length, 200 meters high and 150 meters wide. With these dimensions, Sơn Đoòng overtook Deer Cave in Malaysia to take the title of the world’s largest cave
Son Doong Cave closed from September to late December during rain and flooding season
Tour to Son Doong Cave 5 days/4 nights and its cost: 3000 USD/ person
This tour is fully book until end of 2017 – Click her
Hang En, in Vietnam, is the world’s third largest cave and even has its own climate as well as a river and jungle.
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Currently considered to be the 3rd largest cave in the world after Hang Son Doong and Deer Cave in Malaysia, Hang En is quickly becoming one of the most recognisable and impressive caverns on the planet. Deep in the Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park, the two day, one night adventure has been said to have the biggest ‘wow’ factor in all of Vietnam.
Hang En Cave Phong Nha
Owering limestone mountains pierce through the jungle canopy as the Rao Thuong River meanders its way through the lush valley. For 10km the remote forest path zig zags across the flowing waterway, the awe-inspiring views only interrupted by clouds of swarming butterflies. You would be forgiven for believing you have been transported back in time to a prehistoric era; a world still completely untouched by humans. Dew sits delicately atop enormous fern leaves and birds join in with insects to provide a cacophony of chirping and humming in the background. Nothing could possibly surpass the natural beauty surrounding you on all sides. And then the cave’s opening appears…
The system lies 70 km away from Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park, next to the minority village of Tan Hoa, just past the fields of grazing buffalo and rapidly growing peanut and cornfields. After the fields, it’s a splash through the river until the first ascent is reached. An ascent over the rocky slope is followed by a descent into the jungle valley below. The first cave on the horizon from there is Hung Ton cave, accessed through its dry entrance.
Tu lan cave tour from Hanoi
Tu Lan Cave System is comprised of over 10 caves in all, some of which were originally discovered and explored in 1992, and some of which were just found in the past couple years. Hang Ton, first found in 1992 and explored more in depth in 2012, appears first on the horizon on a trek to this intricate cave system. Its dry entrance provides an outstanding view of the valley below, and promises many more adventures inside. A ladder inside leads to the floor of the cave, and from there the journey truly begins, where one must swim through the cave to reach the exit on the other side.
Tu lan cave
Giant stalactites in Fairy Cave
The 3km-long Tien (Fairy) Cave is one of the largest in the Tu Lan cave system, located in Cao Quang commune, Tuyen Hoa district of Quang Binh province, in central Vietnam.
Hidden away in the woods and giant limestone mountains of ‘the land of caves’ in Quang Binh, Tien Cave is an almost ‘anonymous’ destination that has yet to be featured on tourist maps.
With wild and magnificent beauty, the underground work of nature is a priceless treasure that Mother Nature has bestowed on Cao Quang. Locals often refer to it as ‘the second Heaven’.
The cave is about 70km to the northwest of well-known Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park with the famous Son Doong and En Caves. Tien Cave has been examined by experts of the British Caving Association and is recognised as one of the largest caves in the Tu Lan cave system.
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The name ‘the Cave of Fairies’ is tinged with mystery. Legend has it that the cave was named after a myth: fairies from heaven descended to this land, and were so busy sightseeing they forgot their way back to heaven. Local people discovered this place hundreds of years ago and consider it a sacred place to carry out important rituals in their spiritual life, including praying for rain and for peace. The sacred and mysterious factors retain this scenic beauty’s ancient and wild characteristics.
Tiên Sơn cave is located in Phong Nha-Kẻ Bàng National Park. The cave was discovered by a local inhabitant by accident in 1935. It is located in Sơn Trach Commune in Bố Trạch.
The entry mouth of Tiên Sơn is 1 km from Phong Nha cave, at an altitude of 200 m.
This cave is 980 m in length. A 10 m deep hole is situated 400 m from the entry mouth, then a 500 m long underground cave, dangerous for tourists and open to professional expeditionists only. Like Phong Nha cave, this cave features spectacular stalactites and stalagmites shaped like several fairy-tales. Stalactite and stalagmite columns and walls here create strange sounds like that of gong and drum if they are knocked with the hand.
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According to British cave scientists, Tiên Sơn cave was created tens of million years ago when a water current holed this limestone mount in Kẻ Bàng. Following a series of landforms and movement of rocks, this mass was levered or lowered, blocking the current and creating what is now Tiên Sơn cave while the underground river redirected its current to Phong Nha cave. Although Phong Nha and Tiên Sơn caves are located next to each other, there are no linking grottos between them.
Open daily from 07:30-16:00
Tien Son Cave costs 80,000 VND per person to enter.
You will also need to pay entrance fee to Phong Nha Cave 150.000 VND and hire boat to access two caves which costs 400,000 VND, the cost of which can be shared between up to 12 passengers.
You’ll need at least three and a half hours, round trip for Phong Nha cave and Tien Son Cave.
Hang Toi (Dark cave) is a branch of Phong Nha cave system with 5,558m long and 80m high; the entry of cave is 30m high and 10m wide with heavy forest around the cave mouth. Dark Cave was discovered in the years of anti-America resistance war by local people and used as a bomb shelter
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Dark Cave is the most popular tourism site in the area. It was first discovered in 1990 and opened up not long after that. The Dark Cave is the smaller version of the Son Doong Cave. The reason for the name is that there is no artificial light installed inside the cave and with its total length of 6 kilometers it’s nothing but darkness!
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Moreover, the rocks inside the cave are dark, some gray some black.
First discovered in 1990, Toi Cave had about 400 meters from its entrance opened to tourists nearly four years ago. It is currently part of a route connected with the Chay River and can be reached by a 400-meter zip-line from a wildlife observation deck.
In a service area nearby, tourists can explore with lights, swim in a pond where the water temperature is less than 20 degrees Celsius or take a mud bath.
Phong Nha National Park Tour
A real adventure cave, newly on the map here in Phong Nha, and still without the lights and large tourist groups to spoil the experience. You can explore this spectacular cave on our National Park tour or independently, and after kayaking across the river, enjoy swimming through the cave with your headtorch leading the way, then explore a side passage. Hang Toi is a wonderful and very accessible example of the beautiful caves that are found throughout this region.
Open daily from 07:30-16:00
Dark cave you’ll need at least two and a half hours for all activities: Zipline, mudbath, kayaking…
Price 450.000 VND per person and included: entrance fee, mudbath, zipline, kayak and all equipment to the cave
Children ( from 90 cm to 1,3 m): 150.000 VND per person
Thiên Đường “Paradise” Cave is a newly found cave in this area. Prior to the discovery of Sơn Đoòng cave, it was regarded as the largest and longest cave in Phong Nha-Kẻ Bàng.
Phong Nha Paradise cave
Some of the most beautiful and spectacular stalactites and stalagmites in the park are found within Thiên Đường. The cave was discovered by a local man in 2005. The first 5 km of this cave was explored by explorers from the British Cave Research Association in 2005; later they in 2010 the whole 31.4 km was explored and announced by the association.
paradise-cave
At 31.4 km long, Thiên Đường cave is longer than Phong Nha cave, previously considered the longest cave in this national park. The height can reach to 100 m and 150 wide. The limestone formation is also more spectacular than that of Phong Nha Cave. The British cave explorers was impressed by the beauty of the rock formation inside the cave, they named it “Paradise Cave” (Thiên Đường in Vietnamese). Access road and tourist facilities was built by Truong Thinh Group, it was opened up to tourists on 3 September 2010 with a 1.2 km path to see the formations.
Open daily from 07:30-16:00
Paradise cave costs 250,000 VND per person (ticket for non-polluting electric golf cart to the base of the stairs entrance to the cave).
You’ll need at least two and a half hours to visit
We had a fantastic day out to the phong nha caves. I couldn’t recommend this company enough. Super friendly and helpful. Very informative before you purchase, and contributes through out the experiences. Amazing value for money, we were a group of four friends and we had a private guide her name was Helen and she was one of the most loveliest people ever, Helen was super informative and we learnt a lot, she made our day super special. We went to paradise and dark caves which were both fantastic, dark caves is a lot more active a zip line kayaking and mud baths! So much fun! This is a fantastic company with A* service throughout. Thank you so much
Holly, Sophie, Steff and edin xxx
