Hello Phong Nha Ke Bang, hello Son River

Phong Nha - Ke Bang is a provincial town of Bo Trach District, Quang Binh Province. It's widely known as a National Park, that inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2003. It's ~500km far from Hanoi and 200km from Cua Lo Beach.

After a lazy relaxed morning in Cua Lo, we moved toward Phong Nha.

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.

We arrive Phong Nha at about 4pm, the selected Phong Nha Escape homestay is quite cute. The homestay locates right on the bank of Son River. The locals here call Son River with a very popular name: the Troc river. This is a tributary of the Gianh river and flows completely on the territory of Quang Binh province. An upstream part of the river is 7,729m long, flows underground in limestone mountains in Phong Nha Ke Bang National Park, and flows out from Phong Nha cave mouth located on Phong Nha village, Son Trach commune, Bo Trach district.

Sun spreads golden rays into the room through a window facing to the river. Can not wait more, we rushed to the river and manage the sup swimming fluently in the flow. Sunset comes down lower, the sun hides behind the roof of the church on the other river bank.

Oh, Phong Nha, we are happy to be here with Son River, deep the body into the cool river flow and totally forget all the difficulties of the life.Read more