The Phong Nha – Kẻ Bàng National Park in the central province of Quảng Bình is one of the top 10 wild places to visit in Southeast Asia, according to the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post. — VNA/VNS Photo

HCM CITY — The Phong Nha – Kẻ Bàng National Park in the central province of Quảng Bình is one of the top 10 wild places to visit in Southeast Asia, according to the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post newspaper.

The UNESCO site beat other famous national parks such as Ba Vì, Cúc Phương and Cát Bà in the northern region to make it into the list.

Established in 2000, Phong Nha – Kẻ Bàng is frequently referred to as the "Kingdom of Caves" for its magnificent specimens.

The 900-sq-km national park, which UNESCO recognised as a global heritage site in 2003, is home to over 300 caves and grottoes that date back some 400 million years.

Around 30 caves are now open to visitors, creating a tourism boom and giving much-needed revenue to the once war-torn province.

Sơn Đoòng, part of the Phong Nha – Kẻ Bàng National Park, has hogged the international spotlight since it opened to tourists in 2013, four years after members of the British Cave Research Association finished their exploration and declared it the world’s largest.

Last year, Quảng Bình welcomed a record-breaking 3.9 million tourists, up 18 percent from the previous year. — VNS