![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/passportsnothallpasses.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/img_6133.jpg\")
<\/a>\nWe ended up going into a couple of different caves. \u00a0One of them was called Phong Nha Cave.<\/p>\n
After seeing that cave, we motored over to the Dark Cave. \u00a0This one was my favorite. \u00a0The only way in was swimming or boating up to the entrance and then walking in. \u00a0Outside of our helmet lamps, the cave was completely dark. \u00a0We walked and hiked and climbed and slid about 1000 meters back to end up in a giant mud pond. \u00a0We had a bit of luck to end up as the only ones in the entire cave the whole time we were in the cave but for when we were exiting. \u00a0It was beautiful and spooky all at the same time. \u00a0Obviously I don’t have pictures, but suffice it to say that every single one of us had sore muscles the next day to remind us of our spelunking. \u00a0Even the kids were sore.<\/p>\n There was a really cool water play area set up in the river a few hundred meters from the cave. \u00a0Zip lines, water bikes, an over the water obstacle course, and other activities were crowded with backpackers and westerners. \u00a0Should anyone need a tip, please don’t make the mistake I did which was to apply sunscreen and then immediately get on a zip line attempting to go out in the water. \u00a0It turns out sunscreen makes your hands very slippery increasing the difficulty of holding yourself on the zip line. \u00a0Oops. \u00a0No serious injuries so all’s well that ends well.<\/p>\n We rode bicycles back to the start of our tour.<\/p>\n<\/a>
\nWe loaded up on a boat, motored down the river and then the two boat operators rowed us into the cave. \u00a0It had a beautiful entrance and outside of lighting was completely in its natural state.<\/p>\n<\/a>
\nIt was interesting to learn that because the rivers rise so much during rainy season, the caves are closed due to flooding all the way to the ceilings.<\/p>\n<\/a>
\n<\/a>Once we rowed throughout the cave, we explored on foot briefly. \u00a0The locals told us that during the “American Agression in Vietnam” (aka Vietnam War), several thousand Vietnamese would live in the caves to hide from the bombers. \u00a0Just outside the mouth of the cave were what appeared to be bomb scars in the rock.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/a>The highlight of that portion was taking a bike ferry across the river. \u00a0We were all pretty sure we were going overboard, but luckily we all stayed on.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/a>
\nWe slept that night in Dong Hoi (in a cool little AirBnB run by a British man). \u00a0The rooms were just above his restaurant and rented out for $10USD per night. \u00a0Outside of the dogs, it was probably our cheapest stay on the trip. \u00a0It right on the river so we were able to watch the locals fishing in the harbor.<\/p>\n