Phong Nha-Kẻ Bàng National Park

About 500 kilometers away from the Vietnamese capital Hanoi, lies the Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park. The park covers an area of 86,000 hectares and is located right on the border with Laos. The karst formation of the Phong Nha-Ke Ban National Park is the oldest karst region in Asia. Hundreds of cave systems and underground rivers are located below the Earth's surface. This includes the 56 km long Son Doong cave system. This cave system consists of at least 150 individual caves with lakes, rivers, and its own jungle. The Son Doong Cave is considered the largest cave in the world. The UNESCO added the national park to the list of World Heritage Sites in Vietnam in 2003, among other reasons, due to its incredible biodiversity.

Since the Son Doong Cave can only be visited on a multi-day trek, we decided to visit the Thien Duong Cave ('Paradise Cave') instead. The cave stretches for a length of around 31 kilometers, but only the first kilometer is accessible without a tour. From the parking lot, we reached the cave entrance after a 40-minute hike. The last part of the hike was relatively steep. Sweaty - due to the high humidity caused by the approaching storm - we reached the entrance of the cave. Fortunately, the interior of the cave provided the necessary coolness. The Paradise Cave would definitely be a suitable filming location for a pirate movie. Amidst the mist, hundreds of stalagmites and stalactites emerge. These differ in size and shape, and sometimes in color (from beige to rust red). The huge rock formations that have formed over hundreds of years were particularly impressive. The beauty and size of the cave are overwhelming!

After about 1.5 hours, we climbed out of the pleasantly cool cave and were almost overwhelmed by the heat outside. The sky had visibly darkened and rain was in the air. We decided to wait out the rain showers before continuing our journey. We endured the intense but short tropical storm with a nice lunch in a covered restaurant. Afterwards, we continued our journey on a scooter through the beautiful nature. In addition to the caves, Phong Nha is also a scenic highlight. Evergreen trees and mountains dominate the park. When viewed from above, the forest resembles a green carpet. Everything is so densely intertwined that there is no way for us humans to pass through. For the wildlife living here, this is a blessing. New animal species are regularly discovered. The chirping of the cicadas, which according to our own perception have different pitches, such as a circular saw, a fire alarm, or even worse tinnitus, as well as the sounds of monkeys, are clearly audible. Only very few roads lead through the national park. We encountered very few other tourists on our tour. The tranquility of nature, the incredible expanse of the forests and mountains, and the fresh air give us a feeling of elevation.

On the second day, we visited a 'traditional' duck farm. Even before our arrival, we knew that it was a tourist-oriented mass production. But since Mathias absolutely wanted to ride a water buffalo at least once in his life, we went there anyway. After a small snack, feeding the ducks was the first order of business. We are extremely grateful that there is no video evidence of this. Squawking and quacking - yes, the noises came from us - we ran around in the duck enclosure. The ducks chased after the food in our hands as if their lives depended on it. For us country bumpkins, this was definitely less spectacular than for the city dwellers present. Finally, at the second activity, we were able to ride on the 700 kg water buffalo named Donald Trump. The animals are truly incredibly muscular and luckily very docile. On the farm, we were able to discover other exciting things like pepper and chili plantations as well as numerous rice fields.

On the last day, we visited the Botanical Garden. The name of this attraction is completely inappropriate. There are only a few trees labeled, otherwise this place has absolutely nothing to do with a botanical garden. You could walk through the jungle on a path. Sometimes it was less walking and more balancing and climbing - the path was definitely not suitable for high heels. This did not deter local families from going on an outing. Women came in high heels and the children were simply carried. What would be unthinkable in Switzerland is normal here. The uncomplicated nature and cheerfulness of the people never cease to impress us. And the Vietnamese people have absolutely no fear of contact. Suddenly someone sits next to you, gently embraces you, and two seconds later the photo is already taken. If you smile kindly, this is considered an invitation to the rest of the family. We also feel honored to be an integral part of so many family photo albums. The people in the countryside are truly very warm-hearted.

With many beautiful impressions, we board the night bus to Hanoi at 10:00 PM.