Dark Cave in the Phong Nha–Kẻ Bàng National Park has become a famous tourist attraction. —VNA Photo

QUẢNG BÌNH – Tối (Dark) Cave in Quảng Bình Province is a popular destination for tourists thanks to its glorious natural scenes and fun sports activities.

The cave is in Phúc Trạch Commune in Bố Trạch District, 65km from the west of Đồng Hới city, and opened to visitors in 2011.

At its entrance is the Chày River, an eight-metre deep tributary of the Son River, with a characteristically green colour.

Here visitors can sail Kayaks or do Stand-up paddle boarding (SUP) while admiring the scenery.

The cave has a length of 7.5km with a 250m wooden walkway built inside. It is both dry and wet in places.

Dark Cave was formed tens of million years ago. Water flowing through the Kẻ Bàng limestone mountain over aeons hollowed out its base, eroding rock and creating the cave, according to scientists.

Its interiors are unspoilt and have a wide variety of stalactites.

Besides, it is a shelter for animals, including swallows, bats, Hà Tĩnh langurs, and others.

Its temperature is always between 15 and 20 degrees Celsius.

Visitors can take a mud bath in a natural mineral lake within the cave, a unique feature, making it popular with foreign visitors since a mud bath has health and beauty benefits.

Phạm Trang, a tourist from Nam Định Province, said she took a mud bath several times and the experience was distinctive and offered great comfort and purity.

Visitors can also take part in Việt Nam’s longest river zipline games.

They will swing across the Chày River in protective clothes and get a panoramic view of the scenery.

A visitor experiences zipline across the Chày River. — VNA Photo

After activities on the river, tourists can try rustic dishes such as charcoal-grilled chicken, giang leaf soup, wild veggie, and others cooked by locals.

The best time for visiting the cave is between February and July.

Since the cave is on multiple tourism trails, tourists can also visit nearby places such as Phong Nha Cave–Dark Cave, Mooc Stream–Dark Cave, Thiên Đường Cave (Paradise Cave), and many other routes.– VNS