Through the mountain
By boat in the dark.
Jakub Hałun — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Jakub Hałun — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Alexander Blecher, blecher.info, all 452 pictures, overview — CC BY-SA 4.0
One of Asia's most astonishing caves: a river that cuts about seven kilometres through the heart of a limestone mountain, so visitors cross the whole mountain by wooden boat in the dark, from Kong Lor village on one side to a green valley on the other. The trip starts at a huge mouth swallowing the turquoise river among rocks and forest. Then the light fades, leaving only the guide's lamp to reveal a ceiling tens of metres high and walls that widen into vast halls. Halfway, the boat stops at a lit chamber hung with stalactites and stalagmites in strange shapes, where you walk among them. In the dry season the water drops and passengers sometimes step out to push the boat over gravel; the round trip takes about two and a half hours. The cave lies on the famous Thakhek Loop, a mountain circuit of caves, villages and karst peaks that travellers ride over three or four days. Sources differ on park and boat fees, and boats are usually paid per boat. Bring a torch and shoes that can get wet. Rural Laos still holds unexploded ordnance from the 1960s-70s war, so keep to marked paths and never touch metal objects, per UK travel advice.
By boat in the dark.
Lit up.
In the forest.
Phou Hin Poun National Park, Khammouane province, about 190 km by road north of Thakhek
By bus or car, about four hours from Thakhek and six from Vientiane, or by motorbike on the Thakhek Loop; staying in the village is easiest.