Cuong Rung Farm and the Monkey Bridge Challenge

If you’ve been researching your Phong Nha travels on TikTok and Instagram, you’ll be acutely aware of The Duck Stop, where you can basically cosplay as a cult leader for the afternoon – if the cult was made up entirely of ducks. But there’s more to this countryside road than Donald and friends.

Instead of turning back once you’re done with the quacking beasts, turn your scooter left and venture another three kilometres to find Bo Trach’s more old-school attraction: ‘Monkey Bridge Farm’.

Owner Mr. Cuong has turned his family farm into a tourist attraction, where visitors can take part in various adventurous activities and enjoy spectacular views over the river and forest.

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It’s rare for Monkey Bridge Farm to be included on local tours, so you’ll need to make your own way there. A huge part of the fun of Phong Nha for me was exploring on a scooter we’d rented from our hostel (Central Backpackers), and making our own way around the spectacular landscapes.

The ride is around 25-30mins, and swings by some other attractions (The Duck Stop and The Pub With Cold Beer), with the first half along a busier highway, and the second through country roads and farming fields. Once you arrive, there’s ample parking for scooters.

There’s not an ‘entry fee’ to Cuong Rung Farm per se – however, visitors are expected to take part in an activity or pay a ‘spectator charge’ of 50,000VND – which includes a beer in this stunning spot. A group who arrived just after this bemoaned this fact, but it’s absolutely fair in our book.

Make sure you bring enough cash with you from one of the ATMs in Phong Nha – card machines aren’t the vibe out here.

The Monkey Bridge Challenge

The Monkey Bridge Challenge is the main reason most visitors find themselves at Cuong Rung Farm. A ‘monkey bridge’ in Vietnam is a narrow pedestrian bridge historically found in the Mekong Delta, built from a single plank of wood. And your challenge here is to cross one of these bridges without falling into the water below…

…except you’re not on foot. You’re on a bike.

To start the challenge, you get geared up with a helmet and life jacket and, if you’re like us, get a short pep talk from the exuberant owner. Then it’s time to hurl your bike across the bridge, attempting to keep momentum, stay balanced and reach the other side. Everyone gets three chances per go, and unless you have incredible skills and do it first time, you’re highly likely to get wet.

After dicing with danger on my most recent bike excursion in Ninh Binh, I sat this one out and allowed Ashley to show his stuff. By ‘show his stuff’, I mean, fall in three times. I’d say it’s harder than it looks – but honestly? It looks pretty hard from a spectator standpoint too!

Mr Cuong gave us some helpful advice if you want to give it a go: get enough speed to give you momentum, but not too much you go flying off, and to stay focused on the end. Don’t look down, and don’t second guess yourself – that’s how Ashley failed his third and final attempt.

If you manage to complete the challenge, a free beer awaits you!

The Big Swing

The Big Swing was far more my speed – no skill required, just a head for heights. The swing sits at the edge of a clifftop above a meandering stream below.

I took one step, and swung out towards the drop ahead of me, flying out over the river below. And don’t worry – you’re strapped on to the swing, so no danger of falling off.

It’s also a fantastic photo opportunity – I did it in my usual travel uniform of shorts and vest, but for some dramatic, Bali-swing-style shots, you could definitely throw a flowing dress or sarong in your day back.

To bring our adrenaline back to normal levels, we took a seat and appreciated the view a little longer. With tables overlooking expansive green farming fields, it’s an idyllic place to relax before continuing your journey. (It’s also very close to The Pub With Cold Beer, another Phong Nha old-school backpacker institution.)

Sometimes, the most exciting and authentic activities when you travel aren’t the big, shiny toys or well-manicured hotspots. They’re a few planks of wood reinvented by an innovative farmer; a well-loved bicycle and a simple spot with a view. In visiting Phong Nha, we were transported to a simpler time of backpacking, when routes were plotted on paper maps and the words of a local took you somewhere you’d never expect to find yourself.

I’m pretty sure we never expected to find ourselves on a bicycle over a plank of wood, anyway.

More Phong Nha guides:

• The Best Cave Tours in Phong Nha
• How To Visit Paradise Cave in Phong Nha