Journey to Vietnam’s Beautiful Landscapes – Above and Below Ground…

Written on Saturday, January 7, 2023 by Emma Whiting Travel

After the hustle and bustle of Hanoi, I was so looking forward to experience some of the beautiful Vietnamese landscapes and countryside. My destination was the Phong Nha National Park and to get there, we chose to embark on a 10-hour overnight train journey aboard the historic “Reunification Express” southbound to Dong Hoi. The full journey links north to south, from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh, and was so-named following the reunification of the country.  It was certainly no Orient Express, but it was clean and comfortable with sheets, pillow and blanket provided.

On arrival in the morning, we headed to our base at the Chay Lap Farmstay, nestled in amongst some amazing rock formations. It was all so lush and green. For the next few days, we explored some spectacular caves. The Phong Nha National Park claims to have the largest cave network in the world, and after visiting some of the more accessible ones, they were incredible.  The sheer size of some of the caverns were enormous and quite breathtaking. One cave in particular, Dark Cave, had no artificial lighting, so with headlamps fitted we made our way in.  After some slipping and sliding along the narrow path, we ended at a large mud pool with about 15 other people splashing about and laughing hysterically. It was so much fun.

I can’t wait to go back to this stunning country – with beauty above and below!

If you’d like to read more about Vietnam, click here