We were up and downstairs by 6.15am and hit the streets looking for some Pho for breakfast. Kevin was adamant that he wanted a baguette which we were able to find for him. We set off after breakfast to Phong Nha Ke Bang Nation Park. We arrived at Paradise Cave (Thien Duong Cave) our first cave by 8.30. We grabbed our tickets VND 250k pp, got the transport VND 25k pp to the base of the mountains which was 2km away. We then had to climb 570m up the bloody side of the mountain on the sloping path to get to the cave opening. Standing at the entrance was like standing at a door that was open and the air conditioning was running full blast. Well let me say, this is amazing. The cave was discovered in 2005 and is 31km long. We made our way down the wooden stairs, about 200 steps and followed a boardwalk for 1.6 km. At times the cave was 100m high and 150m wide, it was massive. The stalactites and stalagmites were amazing and millions of years old. I was in awe. We walked a bloody long way and then we had to turn around and go back up the stairs and down the side of the mountain. Coming out of the cave you were fighting against more local people coming into the cave. We were surprised that we hadn't seen many Westerners but hundreds of local Vietnamese. We got back to the car and headed back to Phong Nha Ke Bang parking area and paid to take the boats to Phong Nha cave. It cost VND 150k pp for the ticked and also a cost for the boat is VND 350k which we shared with other people. You travel by boat up the Son River past some lovely scenery along the banks of the river with the mountains as a backdrop. At the mouth of the cave the river continues underground. The boat engine is turned off and the ladies row the longboat through the cave. Again the cave is amazing and they nudge the boat to the sand beach where you disembark and wonder through the cave back towards the entrance. The stalactites and stalagmites were stunning. The cave had held some world records before the discovery of Son Doong Cave within the Park. We returned to our boat for the journey back. Once back we headed to a local Restaurant for lunch, which was a set menu of Vietnamese food. Duc would bring his tour groups to the Restaurant. We made sure we didn't have any seafood as this is close to the area where the fish had been poisoned by a company pouring their waste into the ocean and many people had become sick. After lunch we got back into the car and headed back toward Hue. It was a four hour trip which was bare able in the heat of the day. We stopped briefly in Dong Ha to buy some more Lao Scotch at the Restaurant where we had lunch on the way up and for a toilet break. We arrived in Hue at 6pm and booked into Than Thien Friendly Hotel near the river. This Hotel is a sister Hotel to where we stayed 3 years ago Holiday Diamond and just around the corner. It was a 3 star Hotel and Duc had rung and booked saying he was a tour driver and so got good rates for us. Our room was VND 350k plus 100k for breakfast. They also accepted the PDF of our passport but also wanted the visa pages. I did not have these but told her the dates. In our room the beds were to die for, so soft after what we have had and also what we have in HoiAn. I could stay here forever. We had decided to do our own thing for dinner as Kevin did not want Vietnamese food. He wanted pizza and there was a place right next door to satisfy his craving. He headed off and I stayed and did some emails and charging of devices. After half an hour I joined him just as he was finishing his pizza. I ordered some spinach and cheese tortellini as an appetiser. Was most enjoyable.
