A kayak is a useful measure of scale. Put one beneath the roof of Tham Khoun Xe and the cave suddenly becomes easier to understand: the small human shape gives the surrounding darkness an almost architectural size.

Photographer and filmmaker Ryan Deboodt explored this river cave in Laos for a photographic project that attracted attention in 2016. His images combine enormous chambers, moving water and carefully placed light.

Deboodt brought various cameras and equipment to capture these images -- he even used a drone to get some of the footage. - Ryan Deboodt’s photographic journey through Tham Khoun Xe river cave, Laos
Kayakers illuminated beneath the high roof of Tham Khoun Xe
Kayakers illuminated beneath the high roof of Tham Khoun Xe. Gallery attribution: Ryan Deboodt.

A river continues beneath the mountain

Tham Khoun Xe, also associated with the name Xe Bang Fai, is part of the limestone landscape of Hin Nam No in central Laos. The river is not a decorative pool inside a dry cavern; it is an active part of the cave system.

The landscape now belongs to the transboundary Phong Nha-Ke Bang and Hin Nam No World Heritage property, expanded across the Vietnam–Laos border in 2025. UNESCO identifies the area's underground rivers and major cave passages as central to its significance.

This is a helpful connection with Son Doong in Vietnam. The sites share a broader karst landscape, while remaining different caves with different visitor arrangements.

What the photographs reveal

In Deboodt's images, a small illuminated boat helps your eye find a starting point. From there, you can follow the water towards a chamber wall or the brighter opening in the distance.

The light is part of the photographic production. Do not expect the whole cave to look evenly illuminated during a visit, or assume that the bright areas are naturally glowing water.

Ryan Deboodt's work is the place to explore the project in its wider filmmaking context. The expedition involved arranged access beyond the limits described for ordinary visitors at the time.

Ask what a current visit includes

Begin with the park and an authorised local operator rather than a map pin alone. Confirm whether a trip enters the cave, how far it goes and which sections are appropriate under the expected river conditions.

Ask about the complete journey: road transfer, walking, time on the water, equipment, guide support and the return. A short distance inside a cave can still be part of a substantial day reaching and leaving it.

Explain your experience and any access needs before booking. River conditions and seasonal changes matter more than whether an old photograph looks calm. Let the guide's current assessment determine what is possible.

Notice the country above the cave too

An underground visit can dominate the imagination, but the surrounding villages and landscape deserve attention. Allow time for the journey, meals and the people helping make the visit possible.

Light entering the river cave above a small kayak
Light entering the river cave above a small kayak. Gallery attribution: Ryan Deboodt.

Keep the cave environment undisturbed, take litter out and follow instructions around formations and equipment. A photograph is a memory of the place, not a reason to alter it.

Tham Khoun Xe's strongest impression may be the moment your eye adjusts and the roof becomes visible. The kayak still looks small; now you have a better sense of just how much world lies around it.

Deboodt brought various cameras and equipment to capture these images -- he even used a drone to get some of the footage. - Ryan Deboodt’s photographic journey through Tham Khoun Xe river cave, Laos
Deboodt brought various cameras and equipment to capture these images -- he even used a drone to get some of the footage. - Ryan Deboodt’s photographic journey through Tham Khoun Xe river cave, Laos
Deboodt brought various cameras and equipment to capture these images -- he even used a drone to get some of the footage. - Ryan Deboodt’s photographic journey through Tham Khoun Xe river cave, Laos
Deboodt brought various cameras and equipment to capture these images -- he even used a drone to get some of the footage. - Ryan Deboodt’s photographic journey through Tham Khoun Xe river cave, Laos

Tham Khoun Xe through Ryan Deboodt’s camera

Deboodt’s project followed a two-day exploration described in the original account. UNESCO’s later description identifies Xe Bang Fai for its exceptionally large active river cave passage and a major gour pool formed by calcite deposits. That is a more precise distinction than calling every aspect of a cave the world’s largest. Passage dimensions, total length and the scale of an individual formation describe different features of the underground landscape. [1]

The water provides both a route through the space and a visual reference for its scale. A small boat or person in a large chamber can help the viewer understand dimensions that a photograph of rock alone might conceal. Camera position and lighting also shape the impression of depth; darkness beyond the illuminated area should not be read as a mapped continuation.

The account describes special access for the photographic team, which helps explain why the project reaches beyond the visitor limits reported at the time. The light and camera work are part of that organised production too. An ordinary outing should be judged by its own route, guides and river conditions, rather than by how many of Deboodt’s frames it can reproduce. The wider landscape can remain compelling even when the practical plan is smaller: the approach, entrance and changing relationship between daylight and the cave already give a journey its own sequence.