2 Best Sights in The Central Coast, Vietnam

The must-see Paradise Cave is one of the most beautiful park caves you can visit on a day trip. Tours and transport can be arranged from the Tourism Center in town, but if you are feeling energetic you can cycle along the stunning 16-km (10-mile) Nuoc Mooc Spring Eco Trail within the national park (tickets are available at the entrance gate). The scenic trail takes you all the way to Paradise Cave where you'll find another ticket booth. It's a long trek from here to the cave entrance, but an electric golf cart is available to whisk you to the stairs (all 500 of them) or the ramp that leads up to the cave entrance. The mouth of Paradise Cave is small, hidden behind the cliffs and trees. From there, more stairs will lead you down into the cave's magnificent chambers, linked by a wooden walkway that winds around majestic rock formations deep into the belly of the cave. To get to Paradise Cave, follow the road through town past the Phong Nha ticket office. Continue on that road for 16 km (10 miles) until you reach the intersection; take a right at the huge billboard.

Up until the discovery of Son Doong, the beautiful Phong Nha Cave was the national park's most famous treasure. It’s the park's easiest cave to navigate and there really is no need to visit it with a guide. Buy tickets from the Tourism Center in the village and hop on a dragon boat from the small pier nearby. The boat takes you on a picturesque journey along the Son River right into the giant river cave where you disembark to explore 1,500 meters inside. Here you'll view the most splendid formations, stalagmites, and stalactites, enchantingly lit in a rainbow of colors. The boat to the cave costs about 350,000d, but this can be split among passengers (maximum of 10 passengers). Don't forget to tip your rower.