Northern Central Coast

Lonely Planet • 31st August 2024

The Joy of Quiet Places

A raging typhoon besieges the land, forcing the waterways into a frenzy. Seething rivers overwhelm the embankments, flooding the villages and submerging the rice paddies. The jungle-clad karst mountains rise above the chaos, but a deluge erodes their cavernous insides. Each time a typhoon hits, these caves grow a little bigger.

VoiceMap • 3rd June 2025

Palaces, Pagodas, Tombs, and Train Tracks: A History Tour of Hidden Huế

Most visitors overlook Vietnam's former imperial capital, but this provincial city has a momentous story to tell.

Silkwinds (SilkAir) • 1st July 2019

COVER STORY: Journey to the Underworld

"Don't step there," our guide says, pointing to a dubious area of brown sludge. "We might lose you."

Silkwinds (SilkAir) • 1st February 2020

Keys to The Kingdom

Its early evening and the gentle waters of Hue’s tree-fringed Perfume River reflect a clear half-moon. Resting on the pristine riverbank is Ben Xuan Garden House Theatre, flaunting imperial architecture emblematic of the city’s history as Vietnam’s last royal capital...

AFAR • 1st December 2021

Where to Go in 2022: Phong Nha

Phong Nha–Ke Bang National Park, a geologically notable site in central Vietnam, has tempted daredevils since 2013, when Son Doong, the biggest cave on the planet (large enough to hold a Boeing 747), opened for multiday tours. The Phong Nha–based company Oxalis Adventure is hoping to launch a fresh adventure in 2022 that’s set to rival the Son Doong Expedition, its flagship experience.

The Toronto Star • 12th April 2021

Hidden Depths in Vietnam

The discovery of the world's biggest cave is a tourist draw -- and a route to sustainable travel.

The Red Bulletin (Red Bull) • 2nd April 2020

Venture Travel: Son Doong

"What a view,” quips my guide, Hieu, as I gingerly traverse
along a 50m-long razor-sharp ridge jutting up from a gaping crater carved into the depths of the Earth. I assume he’s joking, because
when I peer down, there’s nothing but pitch blackness in the cosmic abyss.

Vietnam Tourism Board • 3rd February 2019

A Complete Guide to Phong Nha

Phong Nha is an adventurer’s paradise. Millions of years of flooding have chiseled out the world’s largest caves, meandering rivers entwine ancient karsts, and jungle-clad mountains lend an otherworldly atmosphere.

Vietnam Tourism Board • 24th August 2019

In Phong Nha, the Adventure of a Lifetime

What do drooping dragon claws and bulging broccoli sprigs have in common? You’ll find formations resembling both in the Tu Lan cave system, one of Vietnam’s most diverse subterranean kingdoms. Son Doong, crowned the biggest cave on the planet in 2009, continues to steal headlines. But that doesn’t mean it deserves all the attention. Phong Nha offers every caving experience imaginable.

The Tu Lan cave system is woven together by a network of streams that carve up the countryside. This took place

Mabuhay (Philippine Airlines) • 1st October 2019

Towering Heights

With underground chambers wide enough to fit a soccer field, the caves of Vietnam are among the world's largest. And with an increasing number of them opening to the public – all a few million years old – the country is becoming a hot spot for adventure tourism.

SilverKris (Singapore Airlines) • 8th November 2019

Going Underground

As the world’s largest and third-largest caves respectively, Hang Son Doong and Hang En loom large on Asia’s adventure tourism circuit. But don’t let them overshadow central Vietnam’s other underground dominions. Here are six other caves worth discovering, all of which you can only visit with a licensed company that provides guides, food, water, safety equipment and headtorches.

For multi-day expeditions you’ll stay in outdoor campsites in paradisal surroundings. Some are perched on riverbends

Vietnam Tourism Board • 3rd February 2019

3 Days in Hue for Culture Seekers

Enchanting Hue is one of Vietnam’s most overlooked destinations. Imperial opulence, colonial relics, and picturesque landscapes set the scene for a sensory-rich getaway. Hue residents are proud but warm, eager to share their exceptional cuisine and the city’s monumental history with visitors.

Vietnam Tourism Board • 3rd February 2019

An Inside Guide to the Hue Tombs

From moss-covered towers hidden in the hills to faded stone warriors proudly protecting the dead, the Hue tombs evoke the feeling of a forgotten, almost mythological world. The kings of the Nguyen Dynasty designed their own tombs, reflecting their varying temperaments, philosophies, and priorities.

Vietnam Tourism Board • 3rd February 2019

Motorbiking Hoi An to Hue Over Hai Van Pass

Hoi An to Hue is one of Southeast Asia’s most spectacular coastal journeys, and the best way to see it is by motorbike. The windy climb over world-famous Hai Van Pass is a definite highlight, but there’s much more to see. Follow this full-day itinerary — about 150km without detours — to discover striking temples, placid lagoons, and ancient ruins, and finish on the beach in Hue.