Ban Na Hin is the small market town where the Thakhek Loop turns toward its most famous attraction, and it sits on Route 13 at the foot of a limestone ridge. A cluster of guesthouses, noodle shops and fuel stalls line the highway, and riders stop to eat, refuel and chat with other travellers before the turn to Konglor. The town is quiet, with few buildings of any size, but it is surrounded by amazing scenery of sheer limestone cliffs rising from green fields and forests.
The limestone massif behind the town is the Phou Hin Bun national protected area, a vast, rugged karst landscape of towers, sinkholes and caves that stretches toward Vietnam. Many of the caves are still unexplored, and wildlife survives in the dense forest. The rock is old seabed, laid down hundreds of millions of years ago and thrust up as the Indian plate pushed into Asia, and then worn by rain into needles and domes. The scenery is especially fine in the early morning, when mist fills the valleys and the cliffs rise out of it.
The road along Route 13 is a main north-south highway, and here it is a fast, well-surfaced road with long, gentle curves, but with trucks and buses that run quickly. Take care at the junction with the Konglor road, where traffic enters from the side. Watch for animals and for motorbikes without lights at dusk. The roadside stalls sell sticky rice cooked in bamboo, grilled chicken, and papaya salad with chilli that can burn your lips.
Practical matters are straightforward. There is fuel here, and it is wise to fill up fully before heading for the cave, because the road beyond is long and remote. Simple guesthouses provide a bed and a fan. Evenings are warm, with a chorus of frogs and insects, and the night sky is clear. The hot season brings temperatures above thirty-five degrees, and the rainy season brings mud. The cool season is the best time.