Buffalo Cave

Useful Information

Location:	Dam Khe, Ninh Hai village, Hoa Lu district, Ninh Binh province. 10 km from Ninh Binh city center. From Ninh Binh follow QL1A south 3.8km, turn right on DT491C to Hoa Lư 3.4 km, turn right to Thung Nham 1.8 km, turn right 1.2 km. (20.2262326, 105.9188825)
Open:
Fee:	Adults VND 75,000. [2024]
Classification:	Karst Cave
Light:	n/a
Dimension:	L=10 m.
Guided tours:	self guided
Photography:	allowed
Accessibility:	no
Bibliography:
Address:	Buffalo Cave Tours, Dam Khe, Ninh Hai, Hoa Lu Dis, Ninh Binh Province, Tel: +84-979-546-073. E-mail:
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then. Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

Description

Buffalo Cave is named after the water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) which is quite common in this part of Vietnam. The area has wet rice fields, and the buffalo is adapted to being submerged in water most time of the day. Their hooves are spread wide apart to prevent them from sinking into the thick mud of swamps and riverbeds. In agriculture, they are used to pull plows in the rice fields. This cave seems to be a part of day trips or even multi-day trips which include working in the rice field with the local farmers. It also includes riding on a buffalo and fishing with a nom, a typical Vietnamese fishing-tackle. The regular entrance ticket includes the cave tour, buffalo feeding, fishing by nom, duck feeding, the natural swimming pool, and a drink at the Buffalo Cave Bar.

We normally try to give the local name of a cave, in Vietnam that something with Dong of Hang. We tried to find the Vietnamese name of this cave, but it is never published. This site is intended for foreign tourists, their website is in English and French only, the prices are in USD. The whole site is based on the farming and cooking experience, and the cave is simply a name.

Actually, there is a cave, and there is even a bamboo bridge across the river to the cave entrance. Quite spectacular is a waterfall from the cliff above the cave entrance and a platform in the river which allows taking a shower. Once you reach the cave portal, the passage soon becomes quite small, entering further looking out you can see a heart-shaped passage profile. However, that's it: a shower, a huge portal and 10 m of heart-shaped passage.

In other words, the "show cave" does not include a decent cave, although the site is named Buffalo Cave.