Serene and unpretentious, Thakhek rests along the Mekong River opposite the Thai town of Nakhon Phanom and serves as the ideal launching point for one of Laos’s great natural wonders: the spectacular Konglor Cave. Set within the Phou Hin Bun National Biodiversity Conservation Area, this immense limestone cavern winds for nearly 8 kilometres through the mountains, soaring up to 50 metres high in places and revealing extraordinary displays of stalactites and stalagmites. Visitors enter by boat along the Hin Bun River, which flows through the entire length of the cave—an otherworldly journey through cool darkness and cathedral-like chambers. Beyond Konglor itself, the surrounding national park offers its own allure, cloaked in ancient rainforest and dotted with dramatic karst formations, glittering pools and hidden lakes. Quiet, scenic and full of natural marvels, Thakhek is a rewarding base for exploring one of central Laos’s most remarkable landscapes.