Dong Hoi is the capital of Quang Binh Province, approximately half way between Vinh
and
Hue. Usually, visitors spend the night here only if they wish to visit Phong Nha Caves, a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2000.
What to do? Most of Quang Binh Province is lined with sand dunes and beaches in which Da Nhay
and Ly Hoa Beach (60 km north of the city) are the most popular tourist destinations.
However, the main attraction of Dong Hoi is a trip to the Phong Nha Cave, a spectacular
cave was used by the Northern
Vietnamese as a field hospital during the war and
declared as a World Heritage Site by the Unesco in 2000.
When to go? In Dong Hoi, the spring is cool, humid and foggy with the average temperature from18
to 25 degrees Celsius. The summer sees the hot, dry weather with the temperature
may be as high as 35 degrees Celsius. It is rainy in the fall but the weather is
comfortable with the temperature around 25 to 30 degrees Celsius. In the winter,
it may be rainy and the temperature may go down to 12 degrees Celsius.
The best
time to visit Quang Binh and
Phong Nha Caves is the dry season, between February
and April when the weather is cool and there is no flooding.
Travel Tips: Travelers should check carefully the weather in this area during November and December
before travel as during this period, the river is prone to flooding, the underground
cave may be close. Though it's possible, but also may be dangerous to visit the
dry cave.
