Top 8 Most Stunning Karst Landscapes in Asia

Phong Nha - Ke Bang is part of the oldest limestone mountain region in Asia, formed around 400 million years ago, and is linked to the major geological and tectonic cycles of Earth. This limestone area, located in Quang Binh Province, covers approximately 400 hectares.

The most prominent feature of the Phong Nha - Ke Bang limestone mass is its karst topography, which occupies more than two-thirds of the World Heritage site. It is the largest and most intact limestone massif in Vietnam, extending into Hin Namno, Laos. This makes it one of the oldest and largest tropical limestone regions in the world, with globally significant geomorphological and geological features.

The Phong Nha - Ke Bang region also contains the Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park, covering 85,754 hectares. Scientists have identified 568 plant species and 876 animal species here, including 133 large mammal species, 81 reptiles and amphibians, 72 fish species, and 259 butterfly species.

Phong Nha Cave, located within the Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park, is the most famous of the region's caves. It stretches 7,729 meters and contains 14 caverns, with an underground river measuring 13,969 meters in length. The cave's entrance is about 20 meters wide and 10 meters high, featuring stunning stalactites and stalagmites. These formations were created through the accumulation of limestone from the karst process over millions of years, with rainwater dissolving the rock and forming unique shapes like lions, thrones, and Buddha statues.

Phong Nha - Ke Bang was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its geological and geomorphological significance in 2003. It was again recognized in 2015 for its exceptional biodiversity.

Location: Bo Trach and Minh Hoa Districts, Quang Binh Province, Vietnam

Dong Van Stone Plateau Geopark, also known as the Dong Van Karst Plateau, is a magnificent highland located across four districts: Quan Ba, Yen Minh, Dong Van, and Meo Vac in Ha Giang Province, Vietnam. Covering an area of 2,356.8 km² and sitting at an average altitude between 1,400 and 1,600 meters above sea level, this plateau is characterized by sharp limestone peaks, narrow gorges, steep slopes, and numerous valleys, rivers, and streams that have been carved through the landscape. Over 90% of the plateau is covered in limestone, creating stunning karst topography. The region is still undergoing intense weathering, producing awe-inspiring stone formations that resemble trees and creating a ‘stone forest’ effect.

Fossils of ancient species dating back 400 to 600 million years have been found here. Recognized by UNESCO's Global Geoparks Network, Dong Van Karst Plateau stands out as a unique geological region that reveals significant historical records of Earth's development. It also boasts extraordinary natural features, distinctive landscapes, rich biodiversity, and the deep-rooted cultural traditions of the local communities. On October 3, 2010, the area was officially designated as a Global Geopark by UNESCO.

Currently, around 250,000 people from 17 different ethnic groups, including the H'mong, Dao, Tay, and Nung, live in this region. Other rare ethnic groups such as the La Chi, Pu Peo, Pa Then, and Lo Lo can also be found here.

Location: Located in the northernmost region of Vietnam, covering the districts of Quan Ba, Yen Minh, Dong Van, and Meo Vac in Ha Giang Province.

Gunung Mulu National Park, located in the Marudi district of Miri, Sarawak, Malaysia, is renowned as one of the most extensively studied tropical karst regions in the world. Covering an area of about 52,865 hectares, the park is bordered by the Brunei frontier and is surrounded by three towering mountains: Mount Mulu (2,376 meters), Mount Api (1,750 meters), and Mount Benarat (1,585 meters). What makes Gunung Mulu particularly famous is its vast limestone cave system, which is considered the largest in the world, hidden deep within the lush forest.

The extensive cave network within Gunung Mulu National Park has been sculpted by natural weathering processes over millions of years, with the weather still continuing to shape these mysterious caverns. These caves are renowned for their perfect structure, combining pristine limestone formations with towering waterfalls. Visitors can look forward to extraordinary underground wonders in this majestic park.

In 2000, the national park was officially designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Spanning 52,864 hectares (528.64 square kilometers), it is the largest national park in Sarawak.

Location: Marudi District, Miri, Sarawak, Malaysia

Phang Nga Bay is located in the Andaman Sea, nestled between Phuket Island and the Malay Peninsula in southern Thailand. Spanning 400 square kilometers, the bay is famous for its towering limestone cliffs, dramatic caves, and pristine coastline, all of which create a stunning landscape. The bay is known for its clear waters and beautiful beaches, making it a picturesque destination for tourists.

Originally established in 1809 during the reign of King Rama II, the area was the site of a military conflict with Myanmar, leading to the displacement of the people of Thalang in Phuket, who relocated to Phang Nga. In 1931, Takua Pa was merged into the Phang Nga province. The area was severely affected by the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, which claimed thousands of lives, including Bhuni Janssen and the Thai King's grandson. However, Phang Nga has since recovered and is now a popular tourist destination.

Phang Nga Bay is home to at least 28 species of mangrove plants, algae, and coral, thriving in this rich ecosystem. The bay also supports around 88 species of birds, 82 species of fish, 18 species of reptiles, 3 amphibians, and 17 mammal species. Among its 42 islands, the most famous is James Bond Island, known for its appearance in the movie "The Man with the Golden Gun".

The bay has been recognized twice by UNESCO as a World Natural Heritage site, first in 1994 for its aesthetic value, and again in 2010 for its geological and geomorphological significance.

Location: Located in the Andaman Sea, between Phuket Island and the Malay Peninsula in southern Thailand.

The Tràng An Cave Ecosystem is a popular eco-tourism destination located within the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Tràng An in Ninh Bình Province, Vietnam. This breathtaking landscape features a network of limestone mountains that are around 250 million years old. Over millennia, the area's soil, climate, and sea water have shaped deep valleys, caves, lakes, and wetlands, forming one of the most striking karst landscapes in Southeast Asia.

The karst formations of Tràng An represent the final phase of tropical humid karst evolution. The region was formed through intense geological processes, which fragmented large limestone blocks over hundreds of millions of years. This created a comprehensive karst landform, including towering limestone peaks, valleys (sinkholes), subsidence structures, sediment layers, subterranean rivers, caves, and cave deposits. Tràng An is home to 31 valleys and 48 submerged caves, including some spectacular caves that stretch as far as 2,000 meters, such as Địa Linh, Sinh Dược, and Mây caves, each with its own unique charm.

The iconic karst towers of Tràng An are among the most beautiful and awe-inspiring in the world. The towering cone-shaped limestone peaks rise as high as 200 meters above the surrounding landscape, creating a striking visual spectacle. These peaks are interspersed with deep valleys and sinkholes, while dense, pristine forests cover the rocky cliffs, enhancing the area's natural beauty and tranquility. Tràng An was officially recognized by the Vietnamese government as a national heritage site and has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage dual-site since 2014.

Location: Situated on the southern edge of the Red River Delta, in Trường Yên commune, Ninh Bình Province, Vietnam.

Sơn Đoòng Cave is renowned as the largest karst cave in the world, stretching over 8.573 kilometers in length. The cave reaches heights of 195 meters at its highest point and spans up to 150 meters in width. Located in the core of Phong Nha-Kẻ Bàng National Park, this colossal cave sits near the Vietnam-Laos border and has been recognized twice by UNESCO as a World Natural Heritage site, in 2003 and 2015. Sơn Đoòng Cave is situated in the Bố Trạch district of Quảng Bình province, Vietnam.

The cave was formed approximately 2 to 5 million years ago, when river waters carved through the limestone, creating a massive underground tunnel beneath the mountains. In softer rock areas, the ceiling collapsed, forming sinkholes that eventually led to the creation of the vast cave chambers seen today.

Sơn Đoòng Cave was first discovered by a local forest ranger, Hồ Khanh, in 1990-1991. During a storm, while seeking shelter, Khanh stumbled upon the cave’s entrance but was too afraid to explore it. In 2007, a Royal British Expedition team conducted a search for new caves in the Phong Nha-Kẻ Bàng area but found nothing. However, after observing natural phenomena in the region, Howard Limbert, a member of the team, confirmed the presence of a large cave nearby. In 2008, Hồ Khanh returned to the jungle and finally discovered Sơn Đoòng. The following year, he guided Howard Limbert's team to the cave, which was then officially named Sơn Đoòng Cave.

What makes Sơn Đoòng Cave particularly unique are its distinctive features, such as:

• The “Vietnam Wall,” a 90-meter-high stalactite wall
• The campsite inside the cave
• The “Dog’s Paw,” a natural stalactite formation inside the cave
• The massive sinkhole of Sơn Đoòng

Location: Sơn Trạch commune, Bố Trạch district, Quảng Bình province, Vietnam.

Ha Long Bay is a small bay located on the western shore of the Gulf of Tonkin in northeastern Vietnam. It encompasses the waters and islands surrounding Ha Long City in Quảng Ninh Province. The bay's landscape, shaped over millions of years, is a karst formation featuring towering, eroded limestone peaks and islands that make for a breathtaking and unique visual spectacle recognized globally.

Geologically, Ha Long Bay is believed to have formed nearly 500 million years ago, during which the region underwent multiple phases of mountain building, sea retreat, subsidence, and sea expansion. The bay and its islands stand as striking evidence of Earth's grand geological processes, with its ancient faulted and subsided structures representing a rich chapter in the planet's history.

The bay is home to thousands of islands and several stunning caves, contributing to its aesthetic value. The beauty of Ha Long Bay lies in the interplay of three natural elements: stone, water, and sky. The bay’s islands are of various shapes and sizes, creating a mesmerizing landscape that seamlessly blends with the surrounding sky and sea, resembling a traditional Chinese landscape painting.

Ha Long Bay is home to over a thousand plant species. Among the diverse flora found are mangrove trees, sandy island vegetation, and plants that thrive on steep cliffs, hilltops, cave mouths, and crevices. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has identified seven endemic plant species in the bay. The tropical evergreen rainforest ecosystems in Ha Long and Bai Tu Long bays support a variety of wildlife, including 477 species of magnolias, 12 species of ferns, 20 species of mangrove plants, 4 amphibians, 10 reptiles, 40 bird species, and 14 mammal species.

In 1962, Ha Long Bay was designated a national scenic site, and in 1994, it was recognized by UNESCO as a World Natural Heritage site for its exceptional aesthetic value. It was re-designated in 2000 for its outstanding global geological and geomorphological features.

Location: Eastern coastal waters of Vietnam, within Quảng Ninh Province.

The Stone Forest of Shilin is a natural stone forest located in the Shilin Yi Autonomous County in Yunnan Province, China. Originally the seabed of a vast ocean, the area was gradually exposed as water receded, revealing massive limestone peaks. Over millennia, the relentless erosion from wind and water sculpted these formations into impressive shapes, creating a classic example of karst topography.

Scientists estimate that the Shilin Stone Forest formed approximately 270 million years ago, during the Carboniferous period of the Paleozoic Era. The site was first named “The World's First Wonder” during the Ming Dynasty. In 2004, it was recognized by UNESCO as a Global Geopark and was later designated as a key national scenic area by the Chinese government.

The Stone Forest spans an area of around 400 square kilometers, containing thousands of towering limestone pillars in varying sizes and shapes. The tallest pillars reach up to 200 meters, while the shortest are about 10 meters high. As visitors venture deeper into the forest, they are mesmerized by the natural rock formations, including stalactites, caves, lakes, and unique landscapes that create a stunning labyrinth of nature’s artistry.

The Stone Forest consists of three main areas: the Greater Stone Forest, the Lesser Stone Forest, and the Naigu Stone Forest.

• The Greater Stone Forest is characterized by its towering, sword-like formations, with some rocks resembling pagodas and animals.
• The Lesser Stone Forest stands out with its distinct gray color, unlike the black and yellow hues seen in the Greater Stone Forest.
• The Naigu Stone Forest is part of the South China Karst region, a biodiversity hotspot famous for its limestone karst formations, and was recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 2007.

Location: Shilin Yi Autonomous County, Yunnan Province, China