The Dark Cave was first explored in 1990 by members of a team of primarily British caving fanatics led by Howard and Deb Limbert. They had come to Phong Nha that year to assess what caves were in the area and explore some of them. Also known as Hang Toi in Vietnamese, Dark Cave is a wonderful and very accessible example of the beautiful caves that are found throughout this region. The name Dark Cave derives not from how dark it is inside the cave, but from the black basalt rock that can be found within the limestone. In total the cave is 6km long, but due to fluctuating water levels and extremely sharp rocks, only a few people have ever been all the way through it.
Dark Cave
The Dark Cave is an overflow cave at the end of the Phong Nha cave system. When the river gets too high during the wet season, it forks into two rivers, near the Tra Ang bridge and Tra Ang intersection of Highway 20 and the Ho Chi Minh Trail (West). The fork to the left flows down into the Abandoned Valley through Hang E and exits the Valley through Dark Cave, flowing through the 10km passage and into the Chay River, downstream from Nuoc Mooc. This is the more remote exit of Dark Cave and it can be visited on the 1 day Abandoned Valley Tour alongside Hang E Cave. This exit of the Dark Cave can also be seen on the 2 days, 1 night Ma Da & Abandoned Valley Tour, which additionally visits Hang Tra Ang, Elephant Cave and Ma Da Lake.
The other, more well-known exit of the Dark Cave has been developed into a kind of activity park, with a zip-line, flying foxes over the river and kayaking. There is also a Vietnamese restaurant there, so you can easily grab a bite to eat before or after. The 1 day National Park Tour includes the Dark Cave and activities, or alternatively you can visit the cave by yourself and pay the entrance fee on arrival. View or download our free map for directions. Travellers and locals alike can pay the entrance fee to explore the cave, roll in the mud of the side passages and swim in the turquoise waters of the Chay River. It is a real adventure cave and a great activity for all the family.
