Explore Vietnam's spectacular cave, Son Doong cave - Blog - Vietravel Asia

Explore Vietnam's spectacular cave, Son Doong cave
Nghia Huynh
Explore Vietnam's spectacular cave, Son Doong cave

Son Doong cave is not only the largest cave in Vietnam, but it’s the largest cave in the world. Only opened to tourism in 2014, this spectacular natural wonder is a sight to behold and is one of the most captivating destinations in Southeast Asia. From a picturesque river that flows through the cave to the tropical rainforest landscapes, this historic beauty was created three million years ago.

Explore Vietnam's spectacular cave, Son Doong cave
qdnd.vn

Located in the heart of the UNESCO-listed Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park in the Quang Binh province of Central Vietnam, this hard-to-reach cave offers an otherworldly expedition for thrill seekers. Only accessed by a multi-day camping adventure, you can trek into the depths of this three-mile deep, 500-foot wide and 656-foot high cave to admire its natural beauty.


The cave is so large that it could fit a 747 plane through its largest cavern. You’ll feel like a tiny spec as you marvel at the enormous stalagmites rising from the ground and stalactites hanging from the ceiling. A combination of misty clouds and lush jungles, the ancient passages are lined with fascinating fossils.

Explore Vietnam's spectacular cave, Son Doong cave
Piumi Rajapaksha

Discovered by a man trekking through the jungles of the Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park in 1990, he stumbled upon a limestone cliff and could hear the sounds of a raging river from inside. It wasn’t until 2009 until he led the British Cave Research Association to what would later become known as Hang Son Doong, or “Mountain River Cave.”


The Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park boasts the oldest karst system in Asia, between 400-450 million years old, while Hang Son Doong is around three million years old. The cave is dotted with giant sinkholes that collapsed 300,000 years ago to create massive openings, where cave pearls the size of baseballs have been formed by water on its ceiling.


To reach the cave, you must first pass through the Ban Doong ethnic minority village. Located in the Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park, life has been unchanged in this tiny village for many centuries, as the dense jungles isolate them from the rest of the world. Exploring the famous cave is an intimate experience, as tours are limited to only one operator with 10 visitors per week from February to August.


Source tripstodiscover


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