Chay Lap Farmstay

Chay Lap Farmstay sits in a farming village on the edge of Phong Nha Ke Bang National Park, one of the oldest karst landscapes on earth. Limestone towers rise straight out of the rice fields, the emerald Chay River loops past the gardens, and the loudest thing most mornings is a buffalo. Rooms are low key and handmade, from domed farm rooms clad in recycled pallet pine and bamboo to tiled garden houses with shaded porches built for families.

Days are easy to fill. Cycle the lanes between paddies, kayak the Chay, swim in the pool, or head out to Paradise Cave, Phong Nha Cave and the botanic garden with local guides. The kitchen cooks Quang Binh dishes using produce from the farm and neighbouring smallholders, and there is a cookery class if you want to take the recipes home. Staff come almost entirely from the surrounding villages, so evenings often end with stories about how this valley looked before the caves brought visitors.