DISCOVER THE REAL VIETNAM
For more information about our tours and excursions or if you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at info@victoryroadvillas.com. Our Reception team will be happy to assist you.
Please note that for safety reasons, some of our excursions have age restrictions.
All prices are inclusive of tax and service charges.
Phong Nha Cave is a majestic river cave and was the rst cave in the area to be opened to tourists in 1997. Phong Nha Cave is seen by dragon boat – local people will motor you up the river taking in the view of the stunning natural Karst Mountains and local river life and then row you through the cave. Like Venice but more natural!
The second cave located above Phong Nha Cave is called Tien Son Cave. It is a smaller cave with intricate formations. The 400 steps to get up to the cave you are rewards you with spectacular views of the local area, as well as some peace and quiet as not everyone is up for the climb!
It is easy to visit Phong Nha Cave on your own and because of this there aren’t any organised tours that go there, but we can arrange a private tour guide service from Victory Road Villas. Otherwise, we are more than happy to give you a map as well as some information about the cave and the area if you head out on your own.
It should take your about 3 hours for the boat ride and cave visit. Maybe longer if you want to spend more time wandering around and enjoying these beautiful caves.
ENTRANCE AND BOAT FARES
Entrance to Phong Nha Cave – 150,000vnd
Entrance to Tien Son Cave – 80,000vnd
Boat Price (shared) – 360,000vnd (1 cave)
When visiting both caves the price of the boat is 400,000vnd
Please speak to Reception for further information and maps of the area and how to get to Phong Nha Cave Ticket O ce and Boat Station.
Bong Lai Valley is an authentic Vietnamese rural valley that is interspersed with farms and small villages. There are now a number of small attractions in the valley making it a great relaxing day or half day out in the countryside.
The Pub with Cold Beer is the original watering spot in the valley for thirsty tourists. The beer is, as advertised, cold, and everything you eat there is grown in the village. Chicken is the specialty of this farm to table experience, with chicken so fresh that when you arrive it will still be scratching around the veggie patch! While you wait for your lunch to cook you can rent a tube and oat down the river or just lie in a hammock with a cold beer or get as involved as you like with the preparation of your chicken. The Pub with Cold Beer has been praised by The Hu ngton Post and The New York Times.
If you want to get further o the beaten track, head a few more adventurous kilometres down the track to the Wild Boar Eco Farm. Enjoy some refreshments and delicious freshly cooked pork with a more rural setting than The Pub With Cold Beer, with views over the river. This is a great spot to swim or hang out in the huge Vietnamese house that Mr. Cuong built.
Moi Moi Restaurant is a great spot for lunch, o ering some fantastic traditional food options in a rural setting on a small farm that grows pepper, watermelons, cassava, corn and more.
Stop in at The Duck Stop on your way and feed the ducks for some great photos! Pick up some Phong Nha black pepper from a local farmer as a souvenir while you are there.
GETTING THERE
Bong Lai Valley is best seen on a bicycle or motorbike. Take a bicycle, rent a motorbike in town or head out easy rider style on the back of a motorbike with a licensed diver for a stress free and safe way to travel. Private tour guides are also available from Victory Road Villas.
Please speak to Reception for further information, maps of the area and for private tour and transport options.
So you want to get out and see the countryside and the attractions of the National Park on a motorbike, but without a licence and a lot of experience you think this is unwise? Well you would be right, and we have really great solution!
Thang’s Phong Nha Riders are a hand selected group of men that are on hand to use their signi cant local knowledge on the roads to keep you safe, make sure you don’t get lost and to help you see the sights of the area safely. They will watch the road so that you can appreciate the scenery, take photos and enjoy the ride.
Many of the Phong Nha Riders used to have jobs working in the jungle before the National Park was established. Now they have a new way to earn a living taking tourists to see the local area.
The Phong Nha Riders don’t speak a lot of English and they are not tour guides, but for a very reasonable price you can give them employment for the day and see the area at your leisure without being on a tour.
PHONG NHA-KE BANG NATIONAL PARK
• Paradise Cave
• Dark Cave
• Phong Nha Cave
• 8 Ladies Cave
• U Bo Mountain
• Botanic Gardens
• Nuoc Moc Eco Trail
BONG LAI VALLEY
• The Pub with Cold Beer
• The Duck Stop
• The Wild Boar Eco Farm
• Pepperhouse
• Moi Moi Restaurant
There are many options and itineraries available and the prices depend on where you want to go. Please speak to Reception for further information.
Mines Advisory Group (MAG) is non-pro t organisation that works to save and improve lives by reducing the devastating e ects that the remnants of con ict have on communities around the world. MAG has worked in 35 countries since 1989, moving in to current and former con ict zones to clear the remnants of those con icts.
Vietnam remains heavily contaminated by Explosive Remnants of War (ERW), speci cally Unexploded Ordnance (UXO), from a con ict that ended 40 years ago. The latest data reveals that 19.3 million items were dropped by the US Army alone during the con ict, amounting to 14 million tonnes of ordinance – nearly three times the amount used by the allies in the World War II. These gures are also incomplete, and do not account for ground ghting and failed sorties. It is estimated that 10% to 30% of ordnance did not detonate. 300,000 – 800,000 tonnes of UXO still contaminating approximately 15% of the surface of Vietnam.
Central Vietnam is the most a ected region, particularly in the area known as the ‘de- militarised zone’ lying on the 17th parallel, which demarcated the border between North and South Vietnam. Quang Binh Province (the home of Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park) and Quang Tri (directly south) are the two most contaminated and UXO a ected provinces in the country. Each square meter of land in Quang Binh was exposed to, on average, 29kg of ordnance and 100% of communes are also still contaminated. As well as causing deaths and injuries, UXO also block access to land which could be used for farming and development projects – to this day, nearly a quarter of people in Quang Binh still live below the poverty line.
MAG has been working in Vietnam since 1999, and in Quang Binh since 2002, releasing nearly 10 million square meters of land back to communities and removing and destroying over 215,000 items of UXO and landmines. In Quang Binh alone, MAG’s work has bene tted over 1.3 million people. MAG has worked extensively clearing land in Bo Trach and Minh Hoa Districts, which Phong Nha National Park straddles, and has cleared sites within the park itself. These areas remain extensively contaminated, and MAG will continue to work to keep these communities safe in the future.
If you would like to help us support MAG, and would like to help promote the organisation, please make a donation into the MAG Donation Box.
Paradise Cave & Dark Cave NATIONAL PARK TOUR (A)
More DetailThis National Park Tour will give you an overview of the National Park and the popular attractions at a very a ordable price. Whilst driving a loop around the National Park, you will stop to see the touristic highlights of the park. Starting with some history and culture in the morning at 8 Ladies Cave and War Martyr Memorial Temple, you then visit the spectacular Paradise Cave where you will have time to take in the scale and beauty of this cave passage. After lunch you will take on the activities of the adventurous and popular Dark Cave.
ADVENTURE LEVEL
Low to Moderate – Suitable for most ages and abilities. Some physical tness required including climbing stairs, swimming and walking on uneven and slippery ground. Some scrambling is required in Dark Cave, and there is lots of mud. Please note that there is
a weight requirement for the zip-line – you must be between 40kg and 90kg.
ACTIVITIES
- 8 Ladies Cave (Hang Tam Co) & War Martyr Memorial
- Paradise Cave (Thien Duong)
- Dark Cave for zip-lining, kayaking, swimming and a mud bath
TOUR INCLUDES
- Transport by minivan
- Lunch and drinking water
- All entrance fees and English speaking guide
Tour departs daily at 8:30am
1,350,000 VND / PERSON
Children under 1.1m are free. Children between 1.1m and 1.3m are half price.
Dark Cave is not suitable for children under the age of 4. Please speak to reception for options and more information.
The 7km trek through Paradise Cave is a unique way to experience this spectacular cave. This tour takes you through the stunningly lit tourist section of the cave to the end of
the boardwalk, where your guide will open the gate for you to step down on to the cave oor and begin your caving adventure.
Explore the magni cent cave formations in the darkness with just the light of your headtorch, perhaps see the endemic eyeless cave sh, and marvel at the wonders of this huge passage that is 100m wide and 150m high in sections.
You will get to swim through a section of the cave (or take a boat if you can’t swim) before you explore more of this underground wonder and emerge in to the light of the doline chamber. You will enjoy lunch underground, and if you are lucky be awed by the sunbeams that penetrate the cave on a sunny day.
ACTIVITIES
Exploring the depths of this spectacular cave with just a head torch to light the way!
ADVENTURE LEVEL
Moderate – Suitable for most ages and abilities. Physical tness is required including climbing stairs, swimming and walking on rocky boulders and uneven, slippery ground. Some scrambling over rocks will require use of your hands.
WHAT TO BRING
- Long trousers and good trekking shoes
- Wear swimwear under your clothes
- A travel towel
TOUR INCLUDES
- Transport by minivan
- Packed lunch and bottled water
- All entrance fees
- English speaking guide
Tour departs daily at 8:15am
2,650,000 VND / PERSON
Children under the age of 10 are not able to participate in this tour. Please note that this tour does not run if the water levels in the cave are very high in the rainy season (October & November).
For the best possible way to see the National Park and surrounds, get us to take you out for the day on a Russian Ural Motorbike and Sidecar. A unique adventure customised just for you, and there really is nothing that compares to driving through the Vietnamese countryside by Ural and Sidecar. Enjoy a fantastic lunch with wine and drinks included. Our English speaking guides and drivers are very knowledgeable about this area, the fauna, ora, history and traditions of Vietnam.
This exceptional tour is the best way to get the most of a day out in the area. Take your pick from a range of destinations to create your own personalised itinerary:
- Phong Nha Cave
- 8 Ladies Cave and the War Martyrs Memorial
- Paradise Cave, Dark Cave and Botanical Gardens
- A loop of the National Park, the Ho Chi Minh Road and Victory Road
- The beaches of Quang Binh
- Local shing and farming villages
- The Pub With Cold Beer and more…
TOUR INCLUDES
- All transport, food, water and drinks
- All entrance fees and English speaking guides
Departure time agreed with customers
2,500,000 VND / PERSON
Please speak to Reception for more information and for family deals.
The Abandoned Valley is located in a remote area of the world heritage Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park. This tour takes in 12km of the Ho Chi Minh trail, through the Abandoned Valley, exploring the Vietnamese tropical forest and experiencing the history of the Vietnam-American war as you trek along the narrow track. Explore the other exit of the now famous Dark Cave, and explore unspoilt Hang E where you can swim in a crystal clear natural spring. Hang E is one of the most beautiful river caves in the Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park and is in a completely unspoiled environment.
The porter team will prepare you a fantastic barbecue lunch in the jungle to fuel you
up for the trek back out of the valley. This tour is a great opportunity to get in to the jungle, explore two unspoiled caves and experience authentic Vietnam whilst supporting employment for local people.
ADVENTURE LEVEL
Moderate to high – a good level of tness is required for the challenging terrain of the 12km jungle hike.
GEAR PROVIDED
Vietnamese trekking shoes if required (we suggest bringing your trekking shoes just in case our boots don’t suit you), head torch, helmet, gloves and lifejacket.
TOUR INCLUDES
- Drinking water, snacks and BBQ lunch
- All transport, National Park entrance fees and Park ranger
- Trekking and caving gear, head torch, helmet and lifejacket
- English speaking tour guide and porter team
Tour departs daily at 7:30am
1,650,000 VND / PERSON
A minimum of 2 people need to be booked on this tour in order for it to operate.
Not suitable for children under the age of 8. Please speak to Reception for more information.
TRA ANG AND MA DA VALLEY TOUR
One day of jungle trekking & swimming TRA ANG AND MA DA VALLEY TOUR
The Ma Da Valley was opened to tourism in August 2016. This new area of the world heritage Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park includes the Tra Ang Cave and Ma Da Lake. The tour takes in 8km of trekking in the Ma Da Valley in primary jungle, exploring the Vietnamese tropical forest.
The porter team will prepare you a fantastic barbecue lunch that you will enjoy in the jungle with traditional foods. This tour is a great opportunity to get in to the jungle without taking on a major expedition in an area where few tourists have been before. Explore an unspoiled cave, swim in a stunning lake and experience authentic Vietnam whilst supporting employment for local people.
ADVENTURE LEVEL
Moderate – Fitness is required for 8km of jungle trekking and up to 600m of swimming in Tra Ang cave.
GEAR PROVIDED
Vietnamese trekking shoes if required (we suggest bringing your trekking shoes just in case our boots don’t suit you), head torch, helmet, gloves and lifejacket.
TOUR INCLUDES
- Drinking water, snacks and BBQ lunch
- All transport, National Park entrance fees and Park ranger
- Trekking and caving gear, head torch, helmet and lifejacket
- English speaking tour guide and porter team
Tour departs daily at 8:00am
1,650,000 VND / PERSON
A minimum of 2 people need to be booked on this tour in order for it to operate.
Not suitable for children under the age of 8. Please speak to Reception for more information.
ABANDONED AND MA DA VALLEY TOUR
Three caves, two valleys, two days ABANDONED AND MA DA VALLEY TOUR
The Ma Da Valley was opened to tourism in August 2016 and combined with the Abandoned Valley makes a great two day tour, seeing 3 caves and camping in the jungle in a tent or hammock in the world heritage Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park.
The tour takes in 20km of trekking in the Ma Da Valley and Abandoned Valley in primary jungle, exploring the Vietnamese tropical forest, Tra Ang cave, Hang E Cave, the Abandoned Valley side of Hang Toi (Dark Cave) and Ma Da Lake.
Explore unspoiled caves, swim in a stunning lake and experience authentic Vietnam whilst supporting employment for local people.
ADVENTURE LEVEL
Moderate to high – tness is required for 20km of jungle trekking and swimming in caves over 2 days.
GEAR PROVIDED
Vietnamese trekking shoes if required (we suggest bringing your trekking shoes just in case our boots don’t suit you), head torch, helmet, gloves and lifejacket.
TOUR INCLUDES
- Drinking water, snacks and BBQ lunch
- All transport, National Park entrance fees and Park ranger
- Trekking and caving gear, head torch, helmet and lifejacket
- English speaking tour guide and porter team
Tour departs daily at 8:00am
4,700,000 VND / PERSON
A minimum of 2 people need to be booked on this tour in order for it to operate.
Not suitable for children under the age of 8. Please speak to Reception for more information.
HAI’S ECO CONSERVATION TOUR
One day jungle trekking & wildlife HAI’S ECO CONSERVATION TOUR
The Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park is considered one of the best hotspots of biodiversity in the world. It is home to many endemic species – plants and animals found nowhere else on the planet. You will get great insight in to the fauna and ora of the park and learn about conservation from a local expert with many years of experience.
View the beautiful scenery of the park in safety on the back of the motorbike of
a licensed Vietnamese local rider as you travel between the Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre and the Botanical Gardens. After seeing the Wildlife Rescue Centre and its patients and residents, you will take a challenging trek through the tropical forest in the National Park using a “Secret Route” which the soldiers used during the war. Have a barbecue lunch in the entrance of Weapon Cave. After the trek you have the option to swim in a natural swimming pool. See the semi-wild enclosure in the Botanical Gardens, the half-way house for rescued animals before they are released.
This tour is a great way to see what happens in the background of the National Park, will get you up and close with many of the animals that inhabit it, and is a great way to support the local conservation e orts. The tour does include quite a tough hike through 8-10km of jungle to a primary forest, so please be quite t!
ADVENTURE LEVEL
Medium to High – tness is required for the 8-10 km jungle hike on challenging terrain.
TOUR INCLUDES
BBQ lunch, drinks and snacks, all entrance fees, local tour guide speaking uent English, transportation by easy rider motorbikes.
Tour departs daily at 8:30am from Bamboo Café
1,450,000 VND / PERSON
A minimum of 2 people need to be booked on this tour in order for it to operate. Please speak to Reception for more information.
Ruc Mon Cave Adventure is for those who are seeking for an authentic trekking experience and those looking to explore the fascinating cave formations that are available in this cave. Within a day, you will have an energy filled day and challenge yourselves with perfect combination of outdoor activities such as jungle trekking, biodiversity exploring, stream crossing, caving and swimming!
Enjoy a mouth-watering BBQ lunch with the whole team right in front of the entrance of Ruc Mon Cave. In this adventure tour, you will actually swim into the cave before starting to hike into the cave; an array of caving diversity and unique formations will be awaiting you after a relaxing swimming journey. Get off the beaten track and discover the custom and culture of the true Vietnamese countryside and experience the massive chamber below a thousand darting stalactites in Ruc Mon Cave.
ACTIVITIES
6km of jungle trekking and 500m of rocky terrain in cave. Cave Hiking for 1.5km in dry cave and 700m in River Cave. (Includes swimming)
ADVENTURE LEVEL
Moderate – reasonable fitness is required for the trek.
ITINERARY
09.45 am: Reaching Yen Phu Village and start trekking
10.45 am: Explore Ca Boi Waterfall and trek to Ruc Mon Cave.
11.30 am: Reach entrance of Ruc Mon Cave and lunch
12.30 pm: Jungle trekking for 350m with rocky terrain.
13.00 pm: Explore 2 floors of Dry Cave in Ruc Mon System
14.00 pm: Go downwards for 70m using ladder to reach River Cave
14.30 pm: 500m of swimming and explore inside the River Cave
15.30 pm: Swim/kayak back to the entrance and enjoy a drink
16.30 pm: Trek back to Yen Phu Village
GEAR TO BRING
Long trousers, long shirt, sunscreen, insect repellent, hat, swimming gear, change of socks, towel and personal items.
TOUR INCLUDES
BBQ lunch, drinks and snacks, local tour guide speaking English, transportation, safety equipment, life jacket and gloves, dry box, first aid kit.
Tour departs daily at 7:30 AM, returns 18:00 PM
1,650,000 VND/PERSON
Minimum 2, maximum 20 people
Guests under 12 years old, elderly and people with pool health are not recommended for this tour.
Enjoy an impressive full day cultural experience on quality mountain bikes as you cycle through the beautiful landscape of the Phong Nha area, with great service and attention to detail given by your guide. He will take you off the beaten track in a flexible itinerary, so you can discover traditional village life mostly unchanged over the last few hundred years, and he will introduce you to local farmers, fishermen and entrepreneurs. Those who have taken the tour have called it “Local adventure tourism at its best!” so if you are a bit caved out, feel like some fresh air and some light exercise, and would like to meet and see fascinating local people and learn of their culture, jump onto one of these marvelous Phong Nha bike tours!
What to bring: Sunglasses; sun-cream; cycling shoes; swimming gears; rain gear.
Notes: A quality international standard mountain bike and helmet are included in the tour price. Please inform us your height when you book the tour to arrange the suitable bike size. Unexpected changes on itinerary might happen due to the weather conditions.
Itinerary
08:30-08:45: Our team will pick you up at your hotel in Phong Nha to go to the starting point for briefing and to review the rules on village roads.
08:45: Cycling along Son River to reach to Bong Lai village with the opportunity to join in local farming activities in the rice paddies or peanut fields or learning how Vietnamese style popcorn is made. Stop at Gia Hung village, where there is a local homemade rice wine shop, which is known as the best in the area. Learn how to make rice wine – you are invited to taste this amazing local spirit! Leaving the village, you will be riding a local ferry or over a floating bridge to get to the other bank of Son river. From here, we will be cycling on unpaved road paths. After some uphill, descend into Bong Lai valley where you will stop at a local farm runs by a VC Veteran couple, Mr. Vi and his Lady. Learn how they do farming and enjoy the seasonal fruits in their farm. Have a pleasant talk to the family while waiting for your from-farm-to-table lunch.
Lunch is served with the roasted chicken and vegetable feats magical peanut sauce (home-grown) or with pork cooked in bamboo tree as VC’s style. Later, cross the Rao Con River to get to the famous attraction of Phong Nha – the Pub with cold beer – which is featured on Huffington. Take your cold drink and enjoy the view from the hill in fresh air. Free until time to cycle back the town via the paths that are off the beaten track, cross the Banana village and many beautiful rice fields (rice can be seen from Jan-Aug). Tour ends about 16:30.
Duration: Full day
Level: Easy
Cycling Distance: 17-28km
Road Surface: Back roads
Region: Phong Nha, Central Vietnam
Availability: Daily
Group size: 2-12 (min 2 to operate)
Tour starts: 8:30am
Tour ends: 4:30pm
Price from: 45USD / 1,050,000vnd
The Quang Binh province in Central Vietnam is quickly developing in
reputation as the adventure capital of Southeast Asia. Gargantuan
limestone caverns beg exploration beneath the UNESCO World Heritage
Listed Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park. Many adventurers are coming to
the area to venture inside these ancient caves. Now more exciting activities
are available for those searching for more pursuits on the surface. One such experience is mountain biking in Phong Nha, which offers a mix of tough off-road trails, rural surroundings, historic sights and enchanting scenery. The mountain biking in Phong Nha takes us deep into the heart of it and leaves us longing to venture back out on two wheels to relive the experience. The legendary Ho Chi Minh Trails that facilitated the movement of soldiers and war supplies from North Vietnam to battlefields in South Vietnam during the Vietnam/American war. These trails were known as one of the greatest military engineering achievements of the 20th century. There is not only one or 2 Ho Chi Minh trails. Our guide will tell you more about it than C.I.A ever knows.
What to bring: Sunglasses; sun-cream; cycling shoes; swimming gears; rain gear.
Notes: A quality international standard mountain bike and helmet are included. Please inform us your height when you book the tour to arrange the suitable bike size. Unexpected changes on itinerary might happen due to the weather conditions.
Itinerary
08:30-08:45: Our team will pick you up at your hotel in Phong Nha to go to the starting point for briefing and to review the rules on village roads.
09:00: Leave the town for Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park. Stop at Ho Khanh’s house to learn about the caving passion of “the King of the Cave Kingdom”. Ho Khanh is the man who discovered Hang Son Doong – the world’s largest cave – back in 1991 while he was illegally logging in the jungle. He is now working as the porter leader for the expeditions to Hang Son Doong while assisting the British Cave Research Association in exploring new caverns in the region. Soon, you will be crossing the Son River on a local boat by Mr. Tham and his wife; who have been paddling the boat since the war time up till now. Once landing to the village, learn the local culture, how the rice is grown or how the villagers feed their fish in the river. Local farmers and buffalo worked the fields in much the same way that they have for centuries. While the rest of the world develops rapidly, here in Quang Binh many things remain unchanged.
Pedal to get through village, you will reach the Ho Chi Minh original trail, which facilitated the movement of soldiers and war supplies from North Vietnam to battlefields in South Vietnam. Meet up with some veterans as the village former Chairman – Mr. Thiet whose front gate opens right onto the original Ho Chi Minh trail, and get tales from his past. Once emerging from the historic trails, you will ride through vast pastures encompassed by the typical karst scenery that Phong Nha is known for. Picnic lunch & free swimming in the jungle. After lunch, cycle under the shades of the limestone along Ho Chi Minh HW and turn to another village to visit Wine Cave – where the V.C made rice wine when they were hiding from bombs from the U.S aircraft. There is a symbol of peace still remained in the cave. Back to the town about 16h30. End the adventure.
Duration: Full day
Level: Easy to moderate
Cycling Distance: 35-40km
Road Surface: Backroads & Offroad
Region: Phong Nha, Central Vietnam
Availability: Daily
Group size: 2-12 (min 2 to operate)
Tour starts: 8:30am
Tour ends: 4:30pm
Price from: 1,500,000 vnd
