We are spending the Christmas holiday in Phong Nha, a farming community in western Vietnam and 40 km from the Laos border.  It is home to the world heritage site and national park containing the largest and most spectacular cave system in Vietnam.   We found refuge in a farm who opens its doors to visitors.  Wonderful family and the warm company of 7-8 other nationalities each with their own travel stories to share another adventure.  One of our colorful fellow travelers is going around the world snapping pictures of people wearing bunny teeth, he had us at first bite . . .That’s right doc!

 

We reached the dong Ha caves first by scooter like many Viet people use then by boat, and wandered through a couple of spectacular caves with ribbons and other formations That I don’t know the names of but were really cool.  Then we went to paradise cave, the one featured by National Geographic as one of the worlds longest caves: 31 km long!  It has only been open to the public since 9/2010 so only the first km is prepared for visitors.  To say it was spectacular is an understatement.  It deserves the title world heritage the acorn looking structure is one million years old near its base.  We asked the guide what it was like beyond the current public space, and he replied it just gets better.  This will become a destination, glad we got here early.