3 Must Visit Caves on
THAKHEK LOOP
The 3 must visit Caves on the Thakhek Loop
When you decide to journey the Thakhek loop, you will come across some of the most unique and diverse scenery in all of Laos. The Thakhek loop has numerous wonderful and beautiful mountains, rice fields, viewpoints and CAVES! Lots and lots of caves. The Thakhek loop is well known for its grand extraordinary caves which draws travellers from all corners of the world.
If you wanted to, you could honestly visit like 5 caves a day but like most travellers at a certain point all the caves kinda somewhat become the same looking. You become “Caved Out!”
Unless you’re an avid caver and are infinitely intrigued by the fascinating nature and formation of caves, I don’t think it’s necessary to discover all the caves and crevasses on the map. The Thakhek Loop offers so much else as well for you to dive into. But there are definitely some must see caves on the loop and caves that’ll leave your jaw dropping in absolute awe. These caves were some of the moments that became my absolute highlights of my time on the Thakhek Loop.
So here I’ve gathered 3 of the most unique and spectacular caves worth visiting when riding the Thakhek loop.
If you are planning a trip to Thakhek, check out some of my other posts:
3 Caves you must visit on the Thakhek Loop
The 3 caves you should visit on the Thakhek Loop are:
- Tham Nang Ene Cave
- Dragon Cave
- Kong Lor Cave
If you choose to journey on the Thakhek loop anti clockwise (which is the popular route that people take and one that I’d recommend also), you’ll enter these caves in the order listed above. You can expect to reach Tham Nang Ene Cave on day 1, Dragon Cave on day 2 and Konglor Cave on day 3 or 4.
Each cave offers something new and isn’t your typical cave experience. Each cave separates itself from each other and aims to give visitors its own unique experience. Some of these caves are tight and at head ducking height whilst some are filled with enormous caverns that’ll leave you speechless!
1. Tham Nang Ene Cave
If you choose to ride the loop anti clockwise (like most of the travellers on the Thakhek loop), you’ll most likely come across Tham Nang Ene Cave as one of your first stops of your entire trip.
This cave is well built for visitors and has great lighting to show off the incredible interior of the cave. This cave comes off as rather unique compared to all caves I’ve been whilst travelling because the stairs and railings kind of give off a mediaeval/Harry potter impression/vibe.
The architecture in contrast to the cave is quite the site to see and definitely worth visiting on the Thakhek loop. There is also a stream that runs through and out towards the entrance of the cave which gives a great contrast between the cave itself and the water that flows through it. There is a boat and a boat dock in the stream however I’m not sure if you can actually get a tour from the boat. It would be something fascinating to do however when I was there, there wasn’t anyone offering rides.
Nevertheless, enjoy the marvellous stalagmites and stalactites in the various sections of the cave. Tham Nang Ene cave is a great first stop on the Thakhek loop. I would recommend allocating between 25 – 45 minutes for this cave.
Entry Price
To enter Tham Nang Ene Cave it only costs around 30 000 Kip which is roughly $1.40 USD.
If you’re planning on doing the Thakhek Loop, check out my guide:
2. Dragon Cave
Dragon cave is located past the town of Lak Sao and on the way to Na Hin. Depending on how fast or slow you are travelling the Thakhek loop, this can be a great stop for day 2 of your trip. This stop is also a great resting point as it not only has a cafe and restaurant but also in front leading to the cave is a neatly made garden and stream where you can buy some fish feed and feed the fish!
I have no idea why this cave is called Dragon cave but it’s definitely worth visiting.
I’m not sure what type of traveller you are nor what you would consider a ‘good’ cave but for me Dragon cave might have been my favourite cave I visited when in Laos!
Now now before you get the impression that this cave is the biggest or the most majestic cave in the whole of Laos, it’s not but what I really liked about it is how adventurous and free it feels when exploring the cave.
The interior of the cave is unsupervised with minimal lighting which gives you a truly authentic experience of exploring the cave. There are no barriers or do not cross markers in the cave so you can get right up close to the stalagmites and stalactites and get to observe them as close as you want to.
There are sections of the cave that get tighter and bigger and some sections where the ceiling gets low to the point where you need to duck and crouch to get through. Honestly this sense of adventure I think is what is missing from other caves. If you are looking for a different and authentic cave experience I highly recommend visiting Dragon cave.
Aside from the cave itself, the cave also leads to a pretty nice viewpoint overlooking the surrounding mountains and landscape. The viewpoint is just a quick walk from inside the cave and it’s relatively easy with a bit of elevation gain. If you are in the cave, go for a visit, it’ll be worth your time.
Entry Price
The entry price for dragon cave is a bit more expensive, if I remember correctly around 40 000 Kip (roughly 1.9 USD). That being said you get a lot for this price including exploring the cave itself, access to the viewpoint and also a small garden in front of the entrance of the cave for you to explore
Location Pin on Google Maps
3. Kong Lor Cave
Most travellers who embark on the Thakhek loop would say this was the highlight of the loop and if there was one cave to do, this would be it.
Kong Lor Cave is one of if not the biggest cave in Laos and it also houses one of the longest cave river systems in South East Asia. The limestone cave is about 7.5km long and boasts some of the most breathtaking cave experiences you could ever experience.
If you choose to do a tour of the cave you will encounter giant stalagmites and stalactites and unimaginably grand caverns within the cave. The tour takes place on a small wooden boat which takes you along and through the cave with many highlight stops along the way. The tour actually goes through and out the other end of the cave and let me tell you, don’t miss the views when exciting the cave. It is magnificent!!!
When visiting Konglor Cave I do recommend wearing something you don’t mind getting wet in. Expect some water to splash on you when riding the boat!
Entry Price
Compared to all the other entrance fees along the Thakhek Loop, the entrance fee to Konglor Cave is quite expensive. Almost all entry fees to every other attraction is no more than 50 000 Kip (roughly $2.32 USD)
The base price for a tour of the Konglor Cave is around 200 000 Kip (roughly $10 USD) and this price is for groups. If you do it solo the costs will amount to closer to 300 000 Kip ($14 USD). The price does include everything including your guide, boat tour, head torches and life vests. This price however does not include any food or drinks.
Location Pin on Google Maps
Should I bring a torch?
Although a torch isn’t necessary, if you have one I would say bring it. Using a torch would definitely elevate the experience as you can choose specifically what you want to see or just use it to explore lesser lit areas. Although I didn’t have a torch, having a torch especially when exploring Dragon Cave would have definitely made the experience more exciting and adventurous. I would say it’s best to come to Thakhek prepared with a torch instead of trying to buy one in Thakhek. The locals do not speak English and it would be difficult to communicate exactly what you are looking for.
Final Thoughts
The Thakhek Loop offers some of the most stunning and jaw dropping caves in the whole of Laos. Whether you are planning on doing it solo or with a group of travellers definitely do not skip on the caves. In my opinion the Tham Nang Ene Cave, Dragon Cave and Konglor Cave each offer a truly unique experience and separates itself from other caves. If you are wondering which caves to explore when journeying on the Thakhek Loop I highly recommend visiting these caves.
Have fun out there!