Phong Nha Ke Bang is a national park of Vietnam which was recognized twice as UNESCO World Heritage Site, once in 2003 and another time in 2015. The national park is located in two districts of Quang Binh Province, namely Bo Trach District and Minh Hoa District, about 50km from Dong Hoi City and 500km to the south of Hanoi Capital.
Spreading 200,000 hectares in the area of limestone mountains, Phong Nha Ke Bang National Park is set to protect one of the largest karst regions in the world with approximately 300 caves and grottos and preserve the ecosystem of Annamite Range in the North Central region of Vietnam. The noticeable feature of Phong Nha Ke Bang National Park is its karst topography with limestone caves and grottos, underground rivers, and rare and precious flora and fauna listed in Vietnam Red Book and IUCN Red List. According to scientific reports, Phong Nha Ke Bang karst was has evolved since the Paleozoic (about 400 million years ago), therefore, it is known as the most ancient karst in Asia.
In comparison to other three national parks, which were also recognized as the World Heritage Site by UNESCO, namely, Gunung Mulu National Park (Malaysia), Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park (Philippines), and Lorentz National Park (Indonesia), Phong Nha Ke Bang is at the older age. Its geological structure is more complex and its underground river system is more diverse and complex. Especially, according to British Cave Research Association (BRCA), Phong Nha Ke Bang has the most valuable cave system in the world with four dominant features: the longest underground rivers, the highest and widest cave entrance, the widest and most beautiful sand shores, and the most attractive stalactites.
It is estimated that the total discovered length of the cave system in the national park is not less than 100km, however, many areas haven’t explored yet until now. The most outstanding explored caves in Phong Nha Ke Bang include Phong Nha Cave System, Vong Cave System, Tien Son Cave, Thien Duong Cave (Paradise Cave), and Son Doong Cave. Especially, Son Doong Cave, which was discovered in 2009 by BRCA, is known as the largest cave on the globe up to present.
Visiting Phong Nha Ke Bang National Park, tourists can experience different types of tourism such as cave’s and grotto’s expedition by boat, ecotourism (discovering the diverse flora and fauna), and mountain climbing & trekking.
Other attractions in Phong Nha: Paradise cave, Phong Nha Cave, Dark Cave, Son Doong cave, Swallow cave.
