Kong Lor Cave (Tham Kong Lo or Konglor Cave) – one of the most amazing and longest caves in Laos, located in Phoulinpoun National Park.
I managed to see this unearthly beauty, and I want to tell you in detail about this marvelous cave. This place definitely should not be missed, when you are in Laos.
What is the most amazing thing when you hear “Kong Lor Cave”?
Probably the most interesting facts about this cave are:
- its length is more than 7 kilometres;
- the cave has two entrances through the mountain, and there is an underground river;
- you can go through the cave only by motor boats;
- there is an oasis with stalactites, stalagmites, columns in the middle of the route through the cave.
Where is the Kong Lor Cave located and how to get to it?
It’s quite easy to find this cave in the maps and in tourist guides, but getting there is usually not as easy as it seems at first glance.
It is located in the north of Laos, and you can get there by a car or a motrobike from the nearest village, literally just 1 km from Kong Lor Village (Phou Hin Phoun NPA)! If you are using a car then you can get there from Tha Khaek, which is around 180 km, or from Vientiane – around 6-7 hours (315 km); or even from Savannakhet 300 km… and 515 km from Pakse.
The three of us were travelling together and we stayed in the nearby village of Ban Nahin, so we used rented motorbikes.
The road to the cave for the most part is quite cracked and has a lot of holes, but only on one side (which is interesting, why?!). So, the asphalt road is good and it will be much more pleasant to drive going back.
Kong Lor Cave entry fee and service variations
There are two ways to visit the cave:
- the first one is just to walk around the surroundings and you will be able to see the main entrance to the cave;
- the second one is to go on an unforgettable adventure on a boat through its entire length, stopping approximately in the middle of the path to take pictures of illuminated stalactites, stalagmites and stalagnates. Also, you can swim in the river with the local children from the nearest village, and even try some local food at the exit of the cave! After taking a rest you will return along the same path back, pleased and happy.
The fee for a walk around the national park and visiting the grotto is 2000 kip.
The second option is a boat trip through the cave:
- 130,000 kip for three people;
- 120,000 for two people;
- 110,000 per one person.
The entrance to the cave and surroundings is open daily from 08:00-16:00.
The duration of the tour is about 2.5 hours.
We left our motorbikes on a guarded parking lot for only 2000 kip. You can also leave a car there for 10,000 kip.
After some negotiations and disagreements, we decided to take the boat for the two of us, and after half an hour, wearing life vests, we dived into the most amazing and incredibly large-scale part of the underworld, filled with fireflies of our headlamps and noise of fast driving towards boats with enthusiastic participants.
In just about 2.5 hours, this is how long our round-trip trip through the cave lasted. We were staying on the shore full of emotions of joy from what we saw in one of the most beautiful caves of Laos.
I definitely, highly recommend visiting the Kong Lor Cave to see nature and the beauty of Laos! Your impressions and emotions will fully justify the money spent.
My Advice – be sure to bring comfortable slippers or sandals with you, as you will have to stay in the water several times to stretch the boat through hard-to-reach places.
See you in the next stories! 😉
