Hang Son Doong, or the Mountain River Cave, is the world's largest cave located in Vietnam. It was formed about 2 to 5 million years ago during the late Pliocene or Miocene epoch. The cave was undiscovered until a local resident named Hồ Khanh found its entrance in 1991 and later rediscovered it in 2009 with the help of a team from the British Cave Research Association.
The cave system stretches for 5 kilometers and has a ceiling height of 200 meters, making it the largest cave ever found on Earth. To imagine its size, the cave can fit a 40-story skyscraper inside it.
The Discovery and Exploration of Hang Son Doong
Hang Son Doong is located in the heart of Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Quang Binh Province, Vietnam. The park offers more than 150 caves and limestone karst formations, and many of them are still unexplored. Most of the cave systems in the park are connected, and together they form a total length of 200 kilometers.
The entrance to Hang Son Doong was hidden by vegetation and was first found by Hồ Khanh, a local logger, in 1991. He heard the sound of a river and wind coming from inside the cave, but he did not explore it further due to fear of wild animals. He tried to relocate the entrance later but failed for 18 years.
In 2009, Hồ Khanh contacted Howard Limbert, a British caver who was leading an expedition to explore the caves in Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park. Hồ Khanh guided Limbert and his team to the entrance of Hang Son Doong, and they became the first people to enter and document its impressive size.
The passage of Hang Son Doong has a volume of 38.4 million cubic meters, a length of 9 kilometers, and a width of 198 meters. It is so wide that a Boeing 747 could fly straight through it. Despite being covered by forest foliage, even the entrance to the cave stands at 50 meters high. Inside, a fast-flowing river runs through the cave and has carved it out over hundreds of thousands of years. During the rainy season, the river floods and fills up the vast system, making it inaccessible.
The Wonders and Wildlife of Hang Son Doong
Hang Son Doong is not only huge but also beautiful and diverse. It is home to some impressive stalagmites, including the world's largest one that stands at 70 meters high and is nicknamed "Hand of Dog". Adding to the otherworldly atmosphere inside the cave, there are two sinkholes or giant holes that open up windows to the roof along the dark corridor that allow forests to grow inside the cave. One of these sinkholes is believed to have formed in the last 500,000 years as a result of the forest floor becoming too dense and collapsing.
The trees in these sinkholes grow up to more than 30 meters high and often cause explorers to get lost and disoriented among the dense bushes. Birds, monkeys, and snakes have been found inside these sinkholes. Because many species in this area are on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, these caves provide hope for biodiversity conservation and possibly some undiscovered species.
Hang Son Doong also has some unique features that are not found in any other caves in the world. For example, it has its own climate system with clouds forming inside due to temperature differences between the air inside and outside the cave. It also has some rare formations called cave pearls or calcite crystals that are formed when water droplets create layers of calcite around grains of sand over time. These pearls can be as big as baseballs and are scattered on the cave floor like jewels.
How to Visit Hang Son Doong
If you are interested in visiting Hang Son Doong, you have to be very patient and lucky. The Vietnamese government only allows 300-500 visitors to enter the cave every year. You may have to wait for two years or more to get a chance to go there because there is a long waiting list.
The only operator that offers tours to this cave is Oxalis Adventure, a Vietnamese adventure travel company. You can contact them if you want to book a tour or get more information. Oxalis also has other cave expedition packages such as Hang En, Tu Lan, and Hang Va.
If you get approved, you can travel to Vietnam and meet with your tour group. The tour only runs once a week every year between February and August. In each tour, only 10 guests are allowed. You will be accompanied by two cave experts, three local guides, two cooks, two park rangers, and 20 porters who will help carry your belongings.
Forget about luxury resorts and hotels. Joining this tour will give you an unforgettable and rare experience. You will also have to pass a strict health test before joining the expedition because this tour lasts for five days and involves challenging terrain.
The cost of this tour is not cheap either. In 2018, it was about USD 3,000 per person or about Rp. 40.350.000.
Conclusion
Hang Son Doong is a natural wonder that showcases the beauty and diversity of Vietnam's landscape and wildlife. It is an amazing destination for adventurous travelers who want to explore one of the most spectacular places on Earth. However, visiting this cave requires a lot of preparation, patience, money, and luck because it is very exclusive and limited.
If you ever get a chance to see Hang Son Doong with your own eyes, you will surely be amazed by its size and splendor.
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