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Phong Nha - Ke Bang is a national park and UNESCO World Heritage Site in the Bo Trach and Minh Hoa districts of central Quang Binh Province, in north-central Vietnam, about 500 km south of the nation's capital, Hanoi.

Location:

Phong Nha - Ke Bang is a national park and UNESCO World Heritage Site in the Bo Trach and Minh Hoa districts of central Quang Binh Province, around 40 km north-west of the provincial capital city of Dong Hoi. The road distances are about 500 km south of the capital Hanoi and 260 km north of the port city of Da Nang.

The national park:

Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park is situated in a limestone zone of 2,000 km2 in Vietnamese territory and borders another limestone zone of 2,000 km2 of Hin Namno in Laotian territory. The core zone of this national park covers 857.54 km2 and a buffer zone of 1,954 km2. 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.

The caves:

Phong Nha-Ke Bang is home to the largest cave in the world and covers 300 different grottoes and caves. with a total length of about 126 km. Before discovery of Son Doong Cave, Phong Nha held several world cave records, as it has the longest underground river, as well as the largest caverns and passageways.

The park derives it name from Phong Nha cave, the most beautiful of all, containing many fascinating rock formations, and Ke Bang forest. In April 2009, the world's largest cave Son Doong Cave, was discovered by a team of British cave explorers of British Caving Association. This national park was listed in UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites in 2003 for its geological values as defined in its criteria viii.

Tourism:

The park is accessible by road (National Road 1A or Ho Chi Minh Highway 450 km south of Hanoi, 50 km north of Dong Hoi, 210 km north of Hue); by rail at Dong Hoi Railway Station on Hanoi-Saigon Railway; by air at Dong Hoi Airport 45 km south of the park.

Tourists are served at the Tourism Service Center at Son Trach commune of Bo Trach District, the entrance of this center is located by Ho Chi Minh Highway. Tourists are required to buy entrance ticket for package services, including entrance fee, boat service. Ecotourism tour (if needed) requires additional service fee. Tourists then will be transported by boat along the Son River upstream to the Phong Nha Cave and Paradise Cave. Local tour guides can speak English, French and Mandarin Chinese.

The number of tourists has increased dramatically since the park was listed in UNESCO's World Heritage Sites. Quang Binh Province has invested into upgrading the Phong Nha-Ke Bang visitor site to turn it into one of Vietnam's major tourist destinations.

Phong Nha Ke Bang is part of a tourism promotion program called: "Middle World Heritage Road" which includes the ancient capital of Hue, the Champa relics of My Son, Hoi An ancient town, royal court music and the Space of Gong Culture in the Central Highlands of Vietnam. Travelers can visit Quang Binh with many kinds of tours:

- Tour for expedition of caves and grottos in boats and with professional cave expedition means.
- Ecotourism, discovering the flora and fauna in this national park in the Ke Bang Forest.
- Mountain climbing, trekking: There are extreme sloping mountains here with a height of over 1,000 m, which is a real challenge for adventurous climbers.