Beyond the caves
For a lot of people the countryside is the real highlight. Farm lunches, clear rivers, empty jungle roads and a serious slice of war history. Here's what to do between the caves.
Do Quyen Waterfall via ferrata
A via ferrata straight across the face of a 300m waterfall in Bach Ma National Park. Not in Phong Nha, about four hours south, and the best non-cave adventure Jungle Boss runs.
from $295 (7.500.000 ₫) · 2 days / 1 night, Jungle Boss, transport from Hue included
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Bong Lai Valley
A lazy half-day loop through farm country, home to the legendary Pub With Cold Beer, the Duck Stop and the Wild Boar Eco Farm.
from $6 (150.000 ₫) · per stop for food, free to ride
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Mooc Spring
Crystal clear spring water, bamboo walkways through the jungle, kayaks and a rope swing. The place to cool off on a hot day.
from $9 (220.000 ₫) · peak season adult ticket
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Motorbike loops
The real way to see Phong Nha. Empty jungle roads, river crossings and viewpoints, with loops from a couple of hours to a full day.
from $6 (150.000 ₫) · bike rental per day
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Ho Chi Minh Trail & Eight Ladies Cave
Ride the old wartime supply roads through the park, past memorials including the moving Eight Ladies Cave on Road 20.
Free · free, best by motorbike or tour
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Phong Nha Botanic Garden
A 40 hectare slice of preserved forest with a 30m waterfall, jungle trails and a chance to see langurs.
from $3 (80.000 ₫) · adult ticket
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Kayaking & river swimming
Paddle the clear rivers, swim in spring-fed pools, or float down the Chay River. Easy, fun and refreshing.
from $4 (100.000 ₫) · kayak rental per hour
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The Duck Stop
Feed ducks, ride a buffalo, eat a proper family lunch at one of Vietnam's most loved farm stops, deep in Bong Lai valley.
from $8 (200.000 ₫) · lunch per person, duck show free
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Pub With Cold Beer
A jungle bar in a clearing where you pick a live chicken, it gets cooked over coals, and the beer is properly cold. There is no menu and that is the point.
from $14 (350.000 ₫) · whole chicken plus sides per group
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Wild Boar Eco Farm
A family-run farm and restaurant deep in the valley, serving wild boar and home-grown veg with a swimming pond out the back.
from $10 (250.000 ₫) · set lunch per person
Read more →Hang Tam Co (Eight Ladies Cave) Memorial
A cave on Road 20 where eight young volunteers died in a 1972 bombing, sealed in by a landslide. The most moving wartime site in the park.
Free · free, donations welcome
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Phong Nha town & night market
Walk the main strip in Son Trach in the evening for cheap street food, fresh juice, a beer at Easy Tiger and a sense of why everyone stays a night longer than planned.
from $4 (100.000 ₫) · a meal, a couple of beers
Read more →Chay Lap jungle trail & farm cycle
A flat, easy bike route through Chay Lap village, with rice paddies, river crossings and a jungle trail at the end. The countryside ride for non-riders.
from $2 (60.000 ₫) · bike rental for half a day
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