Konglor Cave in Laos

We were only in Laos for a couple of weeks, when we decided to hire a motorbike to drive around Southern Laos. On a route known as the Thakhek Loop, we met a few other backpackers, and before we knew it, we’d formed an impromptu biker gang! We drove the loop together, each of us with one particular destination in mind— the Kong Lor Cave. 

The cave is located approximately 130 kilometers north of Thakhek on the Nam Hin Bun River, and is known as “one of Southeast Asia’s geological wonders.” When we finally arrived here on day four of our motorbike journey, we were eager to behold this karst limestone formation we’d read so much about.

The mouth of the cave is simply a small opening at the bottom of a large mountain. There are a handful of locals at the site ready to take passengers ok a boat ride through the cave, at the cost roughly $6 USD per person. We carefully piled onto the small wooden boat, just barely holding our balance, as a guide paddled us into the darkness of mountainside.

The deep eerieness of the cave swallowed us as our guide’s torchlight led us in. Quickly the cave became astonishingly wider, stretching to nearly 300 feet in some parts. The limestone formations inside were massive and wondrous. The cave is as tall as 100 meters high in some parts as well.

It actually took us nearly half an hour to get to get to the other end of the cave, as the winding tunnel is about seven kilometers long! The other end of the cave opens to a beautiful creek surrounded by lush greens on both sides— a tropical beauty. The guide let us off here for lunch, and there were nice walking paths nearby.

After taking in the natural beauty of this wonder and having ourselves a little break, we took off to return to the mouth of the cave. It was an hour and a half boat ride back to the cave entrance, and the wonder of floating beneath a mountain was absolutely incredible. It is a hidden gem in the south of Laos and an adventure we will forever cherish!