The Tham Phu Kham Cave (or Tham Poukham Cave) is nearly as famous as the Tham Chang Cave and also one of the must-sees in Vang Vieng. It is located near the Blue Lagoon 3 but you’ll have to do a little trekking to get there. We really don’t recommend visiting the cave alone. For two reasons. First one: Just getting there can be quite dangerous. It goes quite steeply upwards and you’ll have to walk through the jungle. It’s a short but rough walk and if you ain’t careful you may fall down and hurt yourself badly. Second: Exploring the cave is pretty adventurous. There’s no light inside but slippery floors and many steep slopes. Not to mention you’ll have to climb a lot to get to the different sections. So you have to be really careful here as well. Watch your step, walk slowly and always use a headlamp. You can rent one below at the water spring.
Despite the risk, you shouldn’t miss the Tham Phu Kham Cave in any case. There are underground waterfall streams, impressive rock formations and even a bronze relining Buddha inside the main chamber. If you want to be save we recommend hiring a local guide. You don’t need to do that but exploring the cave by yourself can be really dangerous. We were a bit too cocky and it nearly ended bad. So, don’t do the same mistake. Of course, if you’re an experienced speleologist, it’s a whole different story. In that case just go ahead. Because of the danger we don’t recommend this cave for families. It’s simply too dangerous for small children. Anyway, that this is a great adventure is beyond question. Without any doubt one of the best activities in Vang Vieng.