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Hang Son Doong: How to visit the biggest cave in the world

Quang Binh attracts tourists by the beautiful beaches, wonderful caves and friendly local people. Speaking of cave expedition in Vietnam, perhaps everyone thinks of Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park where owns hundreds of beautiful caves, typically Son Doong is the biggest cave in the world and it contains a forest inside itself .

However, to travel to Hang Son Doong is not a simple thing. This post will introduce you some of the most essential travel experiences of Son Doong Cave, which can help you get a memorable journey.

Brief information of Son Doong Cave and tour to visit it

Son Doong Cave (Hang Son Doong) is located in Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park in Son Trach Commune, Bo Trach District, Quang Binh Province. Hang Son Dong is currently the largest natural cave in the world with an estimated length of 5km, a 200m height, and a width of 150m.

In 1991, a local farmer Ho Khanh discovered the cave; however, until 2009, Son Doong Cave was known to the world for the trip of the explorers of the Royal British Cave Association.

Currently, Oxalis is only one company that is allowed to organize the Son Doong Cave tour for 3,000 USD per person to join a group of max 10 guests, all tickets to visit the cave need to be booked in advance. Although it has a high price, many adventurous tourists who love to explore nature and cave are willing to spend much money just to conquer the largest and most beautiful cave in the world.

This tour requires more from 25 people supporting the discovery including the transportation staff, a cave expert, and a guide. Each year, a few hundreds of tourists are limited to explore Son Doong Cave, because of the protection of cave nature, the big budget of the tour, and healthy requires to trek.

Short notes about Hang Son Doong:

• Time for exploring Son Doog Cave: from January to August
• Duration: 4 days / 3 nights (additional 2 nights at the hotel, before and after the tour)
• Level of adventure: Difficult (30 km+) and only for guests who are physically fit
• Number of tours: Departure weekly
• Number of guests: Tour departure from 6 – 10 guests
• Age limit: 18 years or older
• Price: 69,800,000 VND = $ 3000/person

The best time to visit Son Doong Cave

The company organizes a tour to Son Doong cave which is allowed to be exploited from January to August every year. The remaining months are rainy season in Quang Binh, so it is not safe to explore Son Doong cave.

According to the experience of visiting Hang Son Doong, the best time to explore it is from the end of February to April . This duration is the most beautiful time with cool and pleasant weather, which is going for trekking.

Prepare before traveling to Hang Son Doong

What should you prepare before going to Son Doong cave? That is a question that many guests ask us about this tour. There are some notes that you need to know.

The items are necessary, such as clothes and personal belongings. The most important point is that you need to train and keep good health and fitness. Journey to conquer Son Doong Cave is a hard level of trekking and walking in the forest, and overcome many hills, rivers and cliffs, which requires you to have a suitable condition.

Before taking part in this tour, health professionals will check your wellness by asking about your health status. You should answer these questions correctly.

To join the tour comfortably, before joining this conquest, you need to practice walking and running at least 10 km/day for about 3 to 6 months. All of these things aim to give you the best preparation for your fitness. And when you take the average speed to walk up the stairs of a 10-storey building and you feel alright, that’s when you can join the Son Doong Tour.

Journey to explore the biggest cave in the world

After you’ve had the best preparation for your physical state, it’s time to start your journey to explore the fascinating Son Doong Cave. The van of the company can only take you to kilometer 39 of Ho Chi Minh road, and then from here, you will start your exploration to conquer Son Doong cave.

• It is because the cave is located further in the primitive jungle, so to reach this cavern; you have to walk quite a long distance.
• You will walk down the valley, through the village of Van Kieu ethnic group.
• As usual, you will have lunch and rest here and then continue for the journey to En Cave (Hang En).
• The group has dinner and spends overnight at En Cave to power up a difficult journey in the next morning.
• Duration to explore all Hang Son Doong is about 4 days 3 nights with many difficulties, but the exciting and valuable discovery for people who love nature.
• It’s amazing and also impressed with a mysterious and charming world that lives inside the cave.

You will admire the incredible stalactites, a primeval forest with extremely rich and unspoiled vegetation. The inside of the cave is a different life from the outside. You will discover the creativity of nature.

Top 5 highlights inside Son Doong Cave

• Son Doong is the largest natural cave in the world with a height of 200m enough to accommodate 40-storey buildings or dozens of big Boeing types.
• Eden garden in the ground: The landscape inside Son Doong creates an incredibly majestic scene with rivers, mountains and a forest with an immensely unique and diverse ecosystem.
• The Great Wall of Vietnam: The system of natural cliffs with a height of more than 80m makes this area known as the Great Wall of Vietnam.
• Large stalactite system: in Son Doong, the stalactite system resembles the strong giants with stalagmites up to 70m high and has different shapes.
• The biggest grotto pearls are found in the cave with a size larger than a baseball.

Some notes you need to remember when traveling to this cave

• A tourist experiencing Son Doong cave does not need to carry anything. There are members of staffs who support you.
• The travel office also prepares your tents to rest. A number of public toilets are also set up in the cave to ensure hygiene for visitors and the surrounding environment.
• In order to have a perfect excursion, you need to comply with all the regulations set by the company.
• If there is a problem occurred that makes the journey impossible to continue, travelers have to return, not to go on.
• Normally, this nature tour has activities such as climbing, wading streams, some essential items, including soft shoes, flashlights, anti-squeeze drugs, and anti-fungal drugs.
• Clothes should be light, easy to dr Thin warm coats are the most convenient for the night.
• Should choose shoes for trekking, easy to drain because it will have to operate in a humid environment for a long time.
• There is no bathing room in the cave. There is only a limited amount of water to eat and basic personal hygiene. If you want to be cleaner, you can bring a lot of wet towels and hand sanitizer with you.

Tips to take pictures in the dark cave

The techniques of taking photos in the cave are really different, because the environment of Hang Son Song is very dark, completely wild and wet, so in addition to cameras, lenses and brackets, visitors need to prepare big lighting systems of lamps.

“Flash types are just like fireflies, hardly bright enough to reflect the grandiose of the cave. The most effective way to shoot is to expose it with the support of many people to take the vast space without no natural light, “Anh Cuong shared.

These activities often consume camera batteries very quickly and certainly can’t just take a photo. You should carry them enough to get more pictures of your wish.

 When broadcasting live inside Son Doong cave to the United States, ABC TV show needs 150 people to carry goods and equipment for their work.

Tours to Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park: Transfer from Hoi An to Phong Nha Hoi An to Ha Long Bay Tour via Hanoi 7 days

FAQ about Hang Son Soong

Why the price of son son dong tour is quite high .

$3,000 is high for a tour with 4 days and 3 nights (including 2 days for accommodation before and after the tour). It’s value to do this because $ 3,000 tour price has includes 10% VAT, 660USD visiting fee and forest environmental services submitted to the management board of Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park.

Each tour of Son Doong needs a lot of people to support tourists to make sure the safety, comfort, hygiene, and guiding.

Does $3000 include airline tickets?

No, $3,000 is only the tour cost, excluding other expenses to Quang Binh. The guest must pay for airlines tickets , trains, or cars to travel to Quang Binh to start the tour. Thus, the total amount they have to pay for the Son Doong trip can be higher than this price depending on how far you will travel to this province.

If I cannot afford to tour, can I discover Son Doong cave by myself?

No, you cannot. Anyone or any groups who wants to visit Son Doong Cave without the permission of the management board of Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park are in violation of the law. If you cannot visit Son Doong Cave, you can visit the Paradise Cave or Phong Nha Cave instead.

Can I join a group when I am alone?

Although each tour is limited to 10 guests, you can join the tour if traveling alone. When registering to do a tour, please tell the tour operator!

How is the temperature in the cave?

On the way to travel to the cave, the temperature can be very cold from December to March (8-15 degrees Celsius) or hot in June – August (32-38 degrees Celsius). If it rains, the roads are slippery and full of mud. However, the temperature in the cave remains stable at 23 – 24 degrees Celsius and you should bring a light jacket.

How far will the group have to walk and climb?

The entire trip will be longer than 50 km, but this number is only approximate because you will have to climb up the mountains and cliffs, trekking in the trails, and cross the river.

Do I need to carry helmets, seat belts, or caving tools?

The company will provide you with a full range of caving tools, including helmets, safety belts, flashlight … You can bring a small flashlight to move at the campsite at night.

How does the group eat and spend overnight during the trip?

You are provided with tents, a thin mattress, and sleeping bags. Also, you should bring a small pillow to sleep comfortably

The tour company will serve a varied and full menu in the cave such as pork, beef, chicken, fish, rice and lots of vegetables. Food is stored in the best safe and hygienic condition. Guests must inform before wanting to bring more food.

Which outfit should I wear to explore?

You bring 3 sets of clothes made of dry materials. One of them is used for cave exploration and trekking (hiking) because it can get wet along the road. A set of dry clothes is used at the campsite and the last set to change. If you go in February – March, you need to bring more coats to keep warm.

What kind of shoes should be brought along during the trip?

The road is quite dangerous; visitors will wade in stages and climb over the big cliffs. Therefore, you should choose the type of boots that can be drained quickly (absolutely do not use shoes with waterproofing agents that will not remove, so your shoes will be heavier than usual).

If you have a pair of shoes with good grip, you should use it. Make sure the shoes can be used for 6 days of exploration. If you cannot find suitable shoes, the company can lend you a special type of special shoes, but you need to prepare shoe linings to protect your foot.

What type of backpacks should you wear?

You should carry a small backpack to contain cameras, water bottles, and personal drugs. The service staff will bring your entire remaining luggage. Dry or waterproof bags are not really necessary because you only cross the shallow streams.

How can I go to the toilet?

At each campsite, the servers will prepare a microbial composting toilet (using rice husks to eliminate bad smell and decompose quickly). Gel to wash hands is also available for the guests to use before meals and after going to the toilet, avoiding infection.

Which personal belongings should you bring?

You only need the regular items like insect repellent spray, deodorant spray, chrome powder (use when camping for foot keep it dry), anti-fungal medicine and shampoo which are friendly with environment.

Is there a place in the cave to bathe?

You will have a place to bathe at Hang En campsite (first and last night). There are also bathing places inside Son Doong, but you have to go further to get water. Guests can bring a small towel to use on the trip.

Do I need to check a good physical status to join the expedition?

Yes, in order to conquer Son Doong, you must register the tour and wait for your turn. The guests must pass two theoretical and practical tests of extremely strenuous physical strength. If you do not pass, you will not be allowed to participate in Son Doong Tour, because this is a hard adventure tour.

Do I need to buy travel insurance?

Yes, you should. The tour company will buy travel insurance for travelers, but the coverage has value in Vietnam (Vietnamese quality). Thus, you should purchase travel insurance from an international travel insurance company or from your country.

What type of camera and devices supporting photography?

You should carry your own kinds of devices such as digital cameras, GoPro, batteries … If you are a professional or semi-professional photographer, you will not regret bringing the excellent camera to take pictures for great moments. If you bring GoPro, carry a strap to attach it to the helmet.

You will have a lot of time to take pictures in Son Dong Cave, and it is easy to have beautiful photos here with the support of the expedition. Explorers should have enough batteries for cameras. And, protection covers your camera from sand and dust.

Can I charge a camera in a cave?

The best way is to bring extra batteries and make sure the camera is fully charged before you go. Many phones need extra chargers to take precautions.

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Explore Son Doong – The world’s largest cave

As home to many spectacular landscapes nationwide from the cascading rice terraces of Sapa, the thousands of limestone karst isles in Ha Long Bay to the maze of rivers in Mekong Delta, Vietnam has no shortage of sights to see. Besides, Vietnam is also proud to be home to the world’s largest cave – Son Doong which is nestled in the heart of the UNESCO-listed Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park in Quang Binh province.

Expert Howard Limbert, one member of the British Caving Research Association (BCRA) who conducted caves searches and surveys in the region from the beginning said to the CNN travel that: “Watch out for dinosaurs. That’s what we called this place when we first discovered it”. This state showed as an obvious reference for the prehistoric atmosphere and the grandeur of this cave which made Son Doong as one of the most captivating destinations for adventurous lovers worldwide to come & experience.

Here is all you need to know about Son Doong Cave.

Table of Contents

1. Overview

2.1. discovery, 2.2. its name, 3.1. when it started, 3.2. how much the expedition costs, 3.3. how to explore, 3.4. what to explore inside son doong cave, 4. things to know, 5. how to get there.

Son Doong is the biggest cave on the planet when measured by cross-section which is believed to be twice that of the next largest passage, in Deer Cave, Malaysia. This is relatively young at about 2-5 million years old in the Asian oldest major karst area dating back 400 million years of Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park.

Son Doong was formed on a fault line of the Truong Son mountain range and eroded by the Rao Thuong River for millions of years, forming a giant tunnel underneath the limestone mountain. Cracks in the ceiling of the cave were corroded and subsided, forming large holes to the outside. Water droplets that have fallen from the ceiling of the cave for millions of years create cave pearls with the size of a baseball. Inside that magnificent space is a separate world, a rare natural wonder that surprised the conquistadors of Son Doong.

Amazing doline in the cave

Being discovered and explored in the first time of 2009, Son Doong Cave only opened to the public since 2013.

At more than 200m high, 175m wide and 9.4km long, Son Doong cave could fit an entire 40-story New York City block skyscraper or allowed a Boeing 747 comfortably fly through without any danger for its wings. The new discovery by mid-2019 added an extra 1.6 million cu metre of volume to its existing 38.5 million cu metre, which is the equivalent of climbing 8848m of Mount Everest and discovering a mound that made it 1000m taller, as Limbert recently told CNN.

The cave becomes unique with the 2 enormous hố sụt (cave roof collapses or dolines) and underground rainforests as well as the “Great Wall of Vietnam” – a 90m high calcite barrier. There are various unusual cave formations including towering stalagmites, phytokarst and huge cave pearls inside.

Map of Son Doong Cave and Thung Cave diving expedition (Source: cnbc.com)

Cave experts are now still researching the connection between Son Doong Cave and nearby Thung Cave to find the connection. If it is successfully made in the future, Son Doong will become the largest cave in the world by both volume and cross-section.

2. Discovery and its name

Son Doong entrance was first discovered by a local man, Ho Khanh, in 1990 while he searched food and timber in Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park for the income, and later took shelter from a storm at the base of a huge cliff in the jungle where he found a deep hole at the base of the rock that was emitting wind and even puffs of cloud. Thoughts of the gulls in the legendary tales living in rock caves blowing wind out made him scared and discouraged him from entering the cave.

Overwhelmed feeling while inside Son Doong cave

Its location was forgotten until 2008 while hunting for food, Ho Khanh stumbled across the entrance again. A following year in 2009, he met Howard and Deb Limbert from BCRA, who were conducting exploratory caving expeditions in the area by this time. Then, he led Howard Limbert and his team to the opening.

They began the exploration of the cave but the process was stopped by a large high flowstone-coated wall or later named as the Great Wall of Vietnam. It was traversed in 2010 when the group reached the end of the cave passage and determined it to be the largest ever discovered in terms of the size of its cross-section which shook the caving world.

Jungle trekking before reaching Son Doong cave

Since Ho Khanh was the first to discover this cave, it was firstly called Ho Khanh cave. But sooner then, the expedition asked Mr. Khanh’s permission to rename the cave as “Son Doong” which was created by combining the name of Son (meaning mountain) and nearby Doong village where is home to less than 40 Bru-Van Kieu ethnic minority.

3. Expedition

Son Doong expedition is rated as type of international class adventure tour with tour’s design criteria as well as safety standards according to European standards.

The cave was open to the first tourist group by 1st Aug 2013. However, the access was strictly controlled and limited for only 1000 permits each year to guarantee the environment and ecology of Son Doong cave.

“Wedding Cake” at 1st Doline

All tours are exclusively organized and led by Oxalis Adventure Tours. Howard Limbert and his wife, Deb are the technical directors.

Running from January to August yearly (after which the cave becomes impassable due to rainy season) for the required expedition of 4 days 3 nights, Son Doong tour just welcomes 10 guests as maximum for each. Each tour requires 30 other staffs/attendants to escort, including cave expert, tour guide, safety assistant, chef and porter bringing a total of about 600kg of equipment in and out of the cave. Everything brought in must be taken out of the cave, including human waste.

Once a life time experience in Son Doong cave

It is US$ 3000/person.

You can wonder why it costs US$ 3000/person for just 4 days? Not cheap at all. The answers are because this price covers 660 USD entrance fee and forest environmental services paid to the management board of Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park; fees for all staffs/attendants, expenses for airport pick up / drop off, hotel, meals; administration and other administrative expenses; 10% VAT.

To reach Son Doong Cave, you need to pass through Doong ethnic minority village which is surrounded by dense jungles and only accessible by foot. The village is home to less than 40 Bru-Van Kieu people. The discovery of the cave alleviated the villager’s hardships by their subsequent conservation partnership with Oxalis. Exploring the village and interacting with the locals are also an exciting part of the journey, in which you can learn a view of a way of life that has been unchanged for centuries.

Underground river near the Great Wall

It takes two days of intense jungle trekking and river crossings in order to reach the entrance of Son Doong Cave. Once inside, you will experience your own skills to abseil, climb, crawl, and wade/swim through underground rivers to complete your journey. Camping, eating inside the cave with taking extraordinary photos make your trip even more amazing. Hang En (En Cave), the world’s third largest cave is also included in the tour where you can enjoy swimming if interested.

The eco-system in Son Doong Cave is very unique because it is large, and even has its own localized weather system. Many rare limestone cave pearls are scattered in dried pools inside the cave.

The Dog’s Foot Block (khối bàn chân chó): This is a massive natural stalactite block in Son Doong Cave. From a distance, the Dog’s Foot Block can be seen, a majestic spectacle of the largest cave.

From this position you can almost admire the panoramic view of Son Doong Cave.

Fossil corridor (hành lang hóa thạch): An area where cave walls are filled with coral fossils dating back 300 million years old. This area is right next to the first campsite.

Campsite in the cave

The first campsite (bãi trại 1): located near 1st cave ceiling collapse or doline. The camp ground is nestled on a fairly flat sandy area and has a beautiful view looking towards 1st doline.

Sunbeam breaking through the Doline

1st Doline – Watch out for dinosaurs (hố sụt 1 – vọng khủng long): Formed by a part of the cave ceiling that collapsed thousands of years ago, sunlight can enter the cave allowing foliage to grow inside the cave and microscopic organisms thrive in the darkness. At 1st Doline, there is also a large stalactite layered block named “Wedding Cake” by tourists. On the other side of 1st Doline is a large cave called “Rat Run”, from here you can see the panoramic view of this cave ceiling collapse. This is the ideal place to take pictures of the most beautiful Son Doong Cave.

Garden of Edam (2nd Doline)

2nd Doline (hố sụt 2): This is also known as “Garden of Edam”. The formation of a sinkhole allows light to enter the cave and creates a small forest with trees and vegetation.

2nd campsite (bãi trại 2): Also known as seaside camping because of its location on a cave covered with white sand like the beach. This is also considered the campsite with the most majestic view in the world.

Great Wall of Vietnam

The Great Wall of Vietnam : is the highest stalactite wall with 90m tall, located at the end of Son Doong Cave. This section of the cave is also the place where the highest ceiling is about 200 meters.

In this journey, you will also discover Hang En, the world’s third largest cave.

Moreover, the cave is rich in other forms of life as well. The cave explores have seen monkeys, snakes, squirrels, rats, flying fox, birds and bats. The team also discovered 7 new species of fish, spider, scorpion, shrimp, wood lice and plankton. All of them completely white and without eyes, the evolutionary consequences of existing in complete darkness.

Son Doong tour welcomes guests from January to August yearly. You can book tours at a time that suits the accommodation, schedule and availability.

The Son Doong Cave Expedition is considered difficult (highest level) and you must be physically active with regular trekking experience. Distance: 17km trekking, 8km caving which includes rope climbs and rocky scrambling, 800m elevation change, 90m climb of the “Great Wall of Vietnam”.

The difficulty in the jungle is very dependent on the weather. It can get very cold here during January to March (8-15oC) and very hot during June to August (32-40oC), not to mention anytime it rains the jungle becomes very slippery and muddy. However, in the cave it usually ranges from 18-23oC in the winter (when a fleece and extra warm clothes are necessary) to 22-25oC in the summer, when shorts and t-shirts will suffice around camp.

Hard expedition but worthy for those who are adventure lovers

Check weather conditions via accuweather.com in advance to get an idea of what the weather will be like during your tour for the best preparation.

Swimming is not a part of the Son Doong tour. You can swim in Hang En and splash in the rivers on certain days when you’re washing up if you wish. However, there are no required swimming sections on the tour.

Guests only need to bring their own drinking water, snacks (trail mix, nuts, protein bars, etc), camera and personal belongings to use during the day. Other items that you use at the campsite every night as well as safety equipment, food and other items will be taken care by the porter team.

There will be a wide variety of different types of food served in the cave, even for those who are vegan or gluten-free. A notification ahead of time is required for better care.

Sun Group – a Vietnamese development company – has been pushing to build a cable car to Son Doong Cave, which could potentially ferry 1,000 visitors an hour to the cave. Staunch opposition from UNESCO and activist group Save Son Doong encouraged the Vietnamese government to temporarily halt the construction permits in 2015. The project will only be proceeded with the approval from the World Heritage Commitee.

Located in the heart of Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park in Quang Binh Province, the closet city to reach is Dong Hoi which is around 1 hour of drive away.

Location of Son Doong Cave (Source: Google Maps)

There are many ways for your travel to Quang Binh from Hanoi (~ 500 km south), Ho Chi Minh City (~ 1200km north) and other cities by airplanes, trains and coaches.

Network of caves in Central Vietnam have transformed the region. Once one of Vietnam’s poorest, it is now the world’s most popular spot for cave exploration and the country’s fastest-growing tourist destination. If you are adventurous lovers and meet all health requirements, don’t miss Son Doong Cave expedition the once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Vietnam Travel team will more than welcome you to visit Vietnam and we are always pleased to assist whenever you set the holiday to our beautiful country!

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Son Doong Cave Tours 1 Day, 3 Days and Price (Trip Cost and Booking)

Son Doong Cave is the world’s largest natural cave located in the heart of the Phong Nha Ke Bang National Park in Vietnam. It is a must-visit destination for adventure seekers and active travelers who are looking for an unforgettable experience. In this article, we will discuss the details of Son Doong Cave Tour and if it is feasible to do in 1 Day, the alternatives, and the pricing of 3-day tour.

1. Can I do Son Doong Cave Tour in 1 Day?

Many visitors wonder if it’s possible to do the Son Doong Cave Tour in just one day . While it may seem like a good idea to fit the tour into a tight schedule, it is not feasible. The Son Doong Cave is the largest natural cave in the world, spanning over five kilometers in length and up to 200 meters in height. It is impossible to explore this cave in just one day without missing out on the highlights and the unique experiences it offers.

Instead of trying to squeeze everything into one day, we highly recommend considering the 3-day tour to Son Doong Cave. This will allow you to fully experience the cave and all its natural wonders without feeling rushed or missing out on any highlights.

During the 3-day tour, you will have ample time to explore the cave and its stunning formations, swim in the underground rivers, camp in the cave, and take in the incredible sights and sounds of this natural wonder. This tour is designed to give visitors the ultimate experience, providing ample time for rest and relaxation while exploring the cave.

If a 3-day tour isn’t feasible for your schedule, there are still other day trips and activities in the area that are worth considering. For example, you could visit the Paradise Cave, Phong Nha Cave, or Dark Cave, all of which offer unique experiences and natural beauty.

2. Son Doong Cave Tour 3 Days and Price?

2.1. son doong cave tour 3 days.

If you’re looking for an adventure of a lifetime, the Son Doong Cave Tour 3 Days is a must-do. This tour takes you deep into the heart of the world’s largest natural cave, Son Doong, and provides you with an experience that you’ll never forget. Here’s what you can expect from the tour:

A. Tour itinerary and highlights:

• Day 1: Your adventure begins with a pickup from your hotel in Phong Nha, followed by a drive to the park entrance. After a safety briefing and final preparations, you’ll start trekking through the jungle towards the entrance of the cave. The hike takes around 4-5 hours and covers 10km.
• Day 2: After a night spent camping inside the cave, you’ll explore different parts of Son Doong. This includes visiting the Garden of Edam and the Great Wall of Vietnam, two of the cave’s most impressive natural features.
• Day 3: The final day of the tour involves a trek back through the jungle to the park entrance. You’ll arrive back in Phong Nha in the afternoon, where you can relax and reflect on the amazing experience you’ve just had.

B. Activities in the cave:

The Son Doong Cave Tour 3 Days is not for the faint-hearted. The cave is challenging to explore, with steep climbs, slippery terrain, and unpredictable weather. However, the experience is worth it, as you’ll get to see some of the most incredible natural formations in the world. Some of the activities you’ll participate in include:

• Trekking through the cave and jungle
• Climbing steep walls and boulders
• Swimming in underground rivers
• Camping inside the cave

C. Requirements and restrictions:

• Minimum age for the tour is 18 years old
• Participants must have a good level of fitness and be able to hike for several hours each day
• Maximum group size is 10 people
• Visitors must obtain a permit to enter the cave, which is limited to a certain number per year

D. Recommended gear and clothing:

• Sturdy hiking boots with good grip
• Lightweight, breathable clothing that dries quickly
• Waterproof jacket and trousers
• Hat and sunglasses to protect from the sun
• Head torch with extra batteries
• Personal medication and toiletries

Insider tips:

• Book your tour in advance, as spots fill up quickly
• Be prepared for the physical demands of the tour by training beforehand
• Bring a waterproof camera to capture the stunning scenery inside the cave
• Listen to your guide’s instructions carefully and follow safety protocols at all times
• Leave no trace behind by taking all trash and belongings out of the cave with you

Overall, the Son Doong Cave Tour 3 Days is an adventure of a lifetime. By following the recommended gear and clothing, and insider tips, you’ll be able to make the most of your experience and create memories that will last a lifetime.

3, Son Doong Cave Tours Price

If you’re interested in taking the Son Doong Cave Tour, it’s important to understand the cost and what’s included in the package. Currently it costs US$3,000 per person in a join-in tour.

3.1. Inclusions and exclusions:

The Son Doong Cave Tour is an all-inclusive package, which means that most of the expenses are covered in the price. This includes:

• Park entrance fees
• Camping equipment and gear
• Food and drinks (except alcohol)
• Professional guides and porters
• Transportation to and from the park entrance

However, there are a few things that are not included in the price, such as:

• Travel insurance
• Personal expenses (such as souvenirs or snacks)
• Alcohol or other beverages not provided by the tour

3.2. Additional costs and fees:

In addition to the tour package, there may be some additional costs and fees that you’ll need to consider, such as:

• Flights or transportation to and from Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City
• Accommodation in Phong Nha before or after the tour
• Tips for guides and porters
• Fees for permits or visas (if applicable)

3.3. Booking and payment process:

To book the Son Doong Cave Tour, you’ll need to contact one of the tour companies that offer the package. You can find a list of authorized companies on the National Park website. Once you’ve selected a company, you’ll need to provide them with your personal details and pay a deposit to secure your spot on the tour. The remaining balance is usually due a few weeks before the tour begins. It’s important to read the company’s booking and cancellation policies carefully before making any payments.

• Consider booking well in advance to secure your spot and avoid price increases
• Compare prices and inclusions/exclusions from different tour companies before making a decision
• Bring some extra cash for personal expenses or emergencies
• Don’t forget to factor in additional costs such as flights and accommodation when budgeting for the tour

Getting from Hanoi to Son Doong Cave

Getting from Hanoi to Son Doong Cave is relatively straightforward. The best way to get to the cave is by flying from Hanoi to Dong Hoi, which takes around 1 hour. From there, you can take a shuttle or private transfer to Phong Nha, where the Son Doong Cave tours depart from. The journey from Dong Hoi to Phong Nha takes around 1 hour by car. Alternatively, you can take a train or bus from Hanoi to Dong Hoi, but these options take longer and may not be as convenient. It’s important to plan your transportation in advance to ensure a smooth and hassle-free journey.

Final Thoughts

Visiting Son Doong Cave is a once-in-a-lifetime experience that offers breathtaking scenery and unique adventure activities. It’s important to choose the right tour package that fits your schedule and budget. We hope this blog post has provided you with all the necessary information to plan your trip to Son Doong Cave. Book your tour now and get ready for an unforgettable adventure!

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Son Doong Cave

Son Doong Cave, located in the heart of the Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park in Vietnam. It’s one of the World’s most awe-inspiring natural wonders. Discovered in 1991 and opened to the public in 2013, this colossal underground cavern has quickly become a bucket-list destination for adventure seekers and nature enthusiasts alike. With its massive chambers, pristine underground rivers, and unique ecosystems, Son Doong Cave offers an unparalleled opportunity to witness the raw beauty of our planet’s subterranean realms. This comprehensive travel guide will provide you with essential information and tips to make the most of your journey into this extraordinary cave system.

1. Planning Your Trip

1.1 When to Visit

The management opens Son Doong Cave for visitation from February to August, which is the dry season in Vietnam. The most favorable period for visiting is from February to April when the weather is mild, and the probability of rainfall is lower. However, it is crucial to plan your trip well ahead because the authorities issue only a limited number of permits each year as part of their conservation efforts.

1.2 Obtaining Permits

To explore Son Doong Cave, you need to book a tour with a licensed tour operator, as independent visits are not allowed. The authorities strictly regulate the number of visitors, so it is crucial to secure your permit as early as possible. Select tour operators can help you obtain permits and handle the logistics of your journey.

1.3 Physical Requirements

Son Doong Cave trekking tours are physically demanding and require participants to be in excellent physical condition. Trekkers should be prepared for long hikes, challenging terrains, and unpredictable weather conditions. It’s essential to consult with your tour operator and doctor before booking your trip to ensure you are physically fit for the expedition.

2. Getting There

2.1 arriving in vietnam.

The most common entry point to Vietnam is Hanoi, the capital city. From Hanoi, you can take a domestic flight to Dong Hoi, the nearest airport to Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park. Alternatively, you can take a train or bus to Dong Hoi from major cities like Ho Chi Minh City or Danang.

2.2 Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park

Upon arriving in Dong Hoi, you can hire a taxi or take a shuttle bus to Phong Nha town, the gateway to the national park. This charming town offers various accommodation options, restaurants, and tour operators who can help organize your trip to Son Doong Cave.

3. The Son Doong Cave Expedition

3.1 Tour Operators

As Son Doong Cave can only be explored with licensed tour operators, it’s essential to choose a reputable company that follows sustainable tourism practices. Look for operators with experienced guides, excellent safety records, and a commitment to environmental conservation.

3.2 Tour Itinerary

The Son Doong Cave expedition typically lasts 4-5 days tour in Quang Binh and involves trekking through the jungle, crossing rivers, and navigating inside the cave. Each day presents unique challenges and rewards as you traverse the diverse landscapes. The highlight of the tour is spending time inside Son Doong Cave, witnessing its colossal caverns, ancient stalagmites, and the breathtaking beauty of its formations.

3.3 Accommodation and Meals

During the expedition, accommodation will be in tents inside the cave or campsites along the trekking route. Meals are typically provided by the tour operator and are designed to provide sustenance for the physically demanding journey. The tour operator typically provides meals and designs them to provide sustenance for the physically demanding journey. Vegetarian and vegan options are usually available upon prior request.

4. Inside Son Doong Cave

4.1 the enchanting chambers.

Son Doong Cave’s vast chambers are a testament to nature’s grandeur. The first chamber, called “Hand of the Dog,” is a massive space adorned with impressive stalagmites. As you delve deeper, you’ll encounter “Watch out for Dinosaurs,” a chamber with ancient fossils, and “Garden of Edam,” featuring lush vegetation thriving inside the cave.

4.2 The Great Wall of Vietnam

One of the most iconic features of Son Doong Cave is the “Great Wall of Vietnam,” a towering calcite formation that spans an impressive length. This natural wonder creates a surreal backdrop for photographers and a humbling experience for all visitors.

4.3 The Underground River

Flowing through the cave is the mesmerizing underground river. You’ll have the opportunity to wade or swim through certain sections, adding an extra layer of adventure to your exploration.

5. Responsible Travel

Preserving the fragile ecosystem of Son Doong Cave is of utmost importance. Visitors are urged to adhere to strict guidelines. Such as refraining from touching or damaging any formations, carrying out all waste. And respecting the natural environment and local cultures.

Son Doong Cave is a true marvel of nature that offers an unparalleled adventure. And a chance to connect with the raw beauty of our planet. Explore the magnificent chambers and witness the stunning formations of Son Doong cave. These experiences will undoubtedly leave you with memories that will last a lifetime. By respecting the cave’s fragility and natural wonders, we can ensure that future generations also have the opportunity to experience the magic of Son Doong. So, pack your sense of wonder and embark on an extraordinary journey into the heart of Vietnam’s hidden gem.

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Son Doong Cave Expedition

This incredible Son Doong Cave Expedition will give you a wonderful chance to explore the world’s largest cave and exit via the Great Wall of Vietnam. This is the only tour available of Son Doong Cave by the official tour operator Oxalis Adventure Tours.

This journey to the wild, exploring Son Doong Cave requires more than 25 porters, safety advisors & guides. You will explore the entire length of Son Doong Cave, Hang En Cave, and visit Ban Doong ethnic minority village.

Less than 300 places remain available for trips departing in 2019. Please make your reservation below, or contact us to go on our waiting list for 2020.

Imagine trekking straight into the depths of the world’s largest cave which can fit a Boeing 747 flying through the largest passage, on an expedition unlike any other.  Son Doong Cave  is a masterpiece of nature with otherworldly landscapes, enormous stalagmites and statuesque stalactites – hanging from the ceiling and rising from the ground like an alien species. The real jungle inside the cave will amaze you in every way, while misty clouds envelope the scene. The fossil passage will give you the opportunity to understand the formation of this ancient limestone.

• Climb the Great Wall Of Vietnam
• 2 nights camping inside Son Doong Cave (largest cave in the world)
• 1 night camping in Hang En Cave (third largest).
• Portable lighting equipment to capture stunning photographs
• 25km of Jungle Trekking and 9km of Caving
• Visit Ban Doong Ethnic Minority Village

An adventure from start to finish, you will use ropes to climb into the entrance, and climb up the Great Wall of Vietnam, a calcite wall totaling 90m in height. You will always be under the guidance of the Oxalis safety team.

The Expedition is not a race, so you should not expect to rush on this tour. There will be plenty of time for photography and to explore the cave. However, all adventurers are expected to be fit, and have some previous trekking experience (not necessarily climbing or caving experience).

Cancellation Policy:  Once your reservation has been confirmed with final payment, the following conditions apply;  If written cancellation request is received 90+ days before departure a VND 7,000,000 (USD 300) cancellation fee per person is charged and the balance refunded.  If request received 45 – 90 days before tour departure you will be charged a cancellation fee of 50% of total booking price and balance refunded.  If written cancellation request is received less than 45 days before tour departure, no refund will be provided.

BRIEFING: DONG HOI – SAFETY BRIEFING – PHONG NHA

Arrive in Dong Hoi by no later than 2 pm on the afternoon of your briefing day, where you will be met by our driver and transferred to Son Doong Bungalow in Phong Nha. Upon arrival, hospitality services will be happy to help you plan your extra time there. You’ll then have the rest of the day to rest, relax and wander around the village of Phong Nha. You will be required to purchase your own breakfast and lunch on this day.

Around 5:30-6:00pm you will congregate in the hotel restaurant before transfer to Oxalis Headquarters, where you’ll meet your cave expert and guide team for your safety briefing and equipment check. The briefing is mandatory. Anyone who chooses not to join the briefing may be eliminated from the tour without refund.

You are suggested to have all belongings that you will be taking on the trek prepared before the safety briefing. The operation team will collect everyone’s belongings right after the briefing in individual large plastic bags and send them to our porters to prepare for the following day.

You will receive your belongings each evening once you get to your campsite. Therefore, anything you want to take with you during the day you should keep in a separate backpack (e.g. cameras, tripods etc.). Before dinner, you will be given your helmet for the trip; the helmet will then be your responsibility for the duration of the tour. Please note that the  Release Form needs to be signed at the safety briefing. After that, enjoy dinner with your team at around 7:30 pm at Oxalis headquarters, after which you will be transferred back to your hotel for a good night’s sleep.

DAY 1: PHONG NHA – BAN DOONG VILLAGE – HANG EN CAVE

Enjoy breakfast at 8:00 am before departing at 9:00 am for the first leg of the expedition. You’ll leave extra luggage and any valuables at Oxalis headquarters before setting off for adventure.

After a 45 minute drive along Road 20 of the Ho Chi Minh Highway you’ll reach the trailhead, where you’ll start trekking for approximately 1 hour downhill through the forest, which is quite steep at times. Walk for half an hour along a small stream to the minority village of Ban Doong, which is a real highlight for many on this expedition. Learn more about this unique ethnic group of people and enjoy lunch in the village.

After this point, you will be in the sun all afternoon with about 2 hours along a river, with very little shade. You’ll cross the river many times so please expect to have wet feet for the whole day. In the summer, the water is only usually knee deep, but Gore-Tex boots will fill and hold the water so therefore they are not recommended (please see our detailed FAQ for footwear recommendation).

You’ll then reach the entrance to Hang En Cave, home to thousands of swifts. Here you’ll be given your headlight and you will trek/boulder approximately 20-30 minutes to your campsite inside the cave. The group should arrive at camp around 3:00 – 4:00 pm where you can enjoy swimming and washing within the underground river. Dinner will be served at the spectacular campsite with numerous photographic opportunities.

Anyone who is unable to complete any stage of this first day comfortably will be turned around to Phong Nha and will not be permitted to continue the expedition. This will be the decision of the safety team on your tour. Should you be turned around, all tour costs will be forfeited.

DAY 2: HANG EN CAVE – SON DOONG ENTRANCE – HAND OF DOG – SD CAMP 1 – FOSSIL PASSAGE

You’ll again begin your day with a delicious breakfast at around 8:00 am. You’ll be in for a very tough day today so it’s best to enjoy a big breakfast, as you’ll need your energy!

Start your trek at 9:00 am through Hang En Cave for about 30 minutes to reach the magnificent exit, made famous by many photographers over the past few years. You’ll scramble down to the river valley and then it’s an hour walk through the river, so your boots are going to be wet for most of the day; it is unavoidable, yet part of the fun.

You’ll then start climbing a steep hill for about 45 minutes with some rocky sections to start. At the top of the hill you’ll enjoy lunch, a safety briefing and fit your safety harness and prepare for your big journey underground. A steep descent with a couple of short rope climbs brings you at last to Son Doong entrance.

With your safety harnesses, you’ll then start the 80 m descent into the cave by making a number of short climbs, using ropes and safety lines with your guides’ assistance. There is no rappelling or abseiling at any point during the expedition. You’ll then enjoy a few more climbs and bouldering to reach the first and second river crossings inside the cave, which are no more than knee-to-thigh deep depending on the water levels. You should have a wash here, as it will be the last washing place for the day.

On your way to the first campsite in the first large passage of the cave, you’ll have to be extra careful as there are a number of big drops and scrambling over boulders along a rocky path before reaching one of the most spectacular views: Hand of Dog and daylight streaming through the cave, thanks to the first doline! You will then scramble down to the first campsite of Son Doong around 3 – 4 pm. After a tea and coffee break we will head down to view the ancient fossils. Here there is a chance for a short and cool swim, but no washing. You’re in for another big meal with your team before turning in for the night.

Please note that there are no washing facilities at camp on this day.

DAY 3: SD CAMP 1 – WATCH OUT FOR DINOSAURS – GARDEN OF EDAM – SD CAMP 2

Your day begins with a hearty breakfast with your team before a 9:00 am departure towards your second campsite in  Son Doong Cave .  You’ll start with some rocky climbs, which are quite steep in some places, as you reach the first jungle within the cave at Watch Out for Dinosaurs. It will take about 1.5 hours to travel within the cave from Camp 1 to Watch Out for Dinosaurs. We will spend some time here taking photographs and then you’ll be going down the rocky path to reach the enormous Green Gours, one of the most magnificent and famous photography spots on the tour! A light lunch is provided with an incredible backdrop of the first doline. If you are lucky you may even catch some sunbeams, which make for truly spectacular photos.

It is then a walk through the cave past gigantic formations and plenty of cave pearls towards the light of the second doline and main jungle within the cave. Follow the path past the beautiful foliage reaching towards the light, to reach the underground jungle, unlike anything you could experience on the planet! Cross the jungle for around 30 minutes to reach the steep and sometimes slippery path down to your second campsite within Son Doong Cave. You will reach camp around 2 – 3 pm.

After a short rest at your campsite, you are back on your feet and heading deeper within the cave. You’ll pass through a very large dry passage with huge stalagmites and great views back to the second doline. Many new creepy crawlies have been discovered within this passage including white spiders, fish, woodlouse and shrimp species, so be sure to keep your eyes open. You will have many great opportunities for photography here.

You’ll be back at camp again around 5 pm to enjoy a sensational dinner with your team and delight yourself with an evening of games and entertainment, or simply relax and soak up the views at what is quite possibly the very best campsite in the world.

Quick note: you may use a pair of dry boots on this day, as aside from the mud, there are no water crossings! Also, there are no washing facilities at camp on this day.

DAY 4: SD CAMP 2 – WALL OF VIETNAM – SON DOONG EXIT – CHAY LAP FARMSTAY

After refueling with another hot breakfast you’ll pack up camp and start heading towards the Wall of Vietnam. Scaling this wall will use a combination of ladders and ropes, but you will always have a safety line and people to look after you. After this strenuous ascent, you will see the light from the exit. At the top of the Wall, you will enjoy your picnic lunch before passing more flowstones and cave pearls; see the calcited animal skeleton then emerge into the jungle again.

A short but steep and rocky path will lead you down to the bottom of the hill, followed by and a short hike to the road. Cold drinks await you at the top of the hill before a 45 minute drive back to  Chay Lap Farmstay & Resort  where cool towels and a refreshing swimming pool are waiting for you. You will have time to relax after your long trek before enjoying a group farewell dinner with your fellow expedition team members.

Please advise our sales team in advance of your departure time so that they can arrange the logistics of your transfer back to the airport or train station. If you would like to extend your holiday in Phong Nha, let our team know so that we can assist you in booking extra nights at Chay Lap Farmstay & Resort.

DEPARTURE: EXTEND STAYING OR TRANSFER TO TRAIN STATION/AIRPORT

Enjoy breakfast at the hotel and the check-out time of the hotel will be 12pm regardless of your departure time. Why not take this as your opportunity to get to know more about Phong Nha beside the expedition, by staying for some extra days?

You will be blown away by the remarkable scenery, being surrounded by karst mountains, idyllic green rivers, rustic villages with beautiful local people. There are so many places to go and see (Chay Lap Water Sport Center, Paradise Cave, Phong Nha Cave, Mooc Ecotrail, Dark Cave..); sensational local pubs (Easy Tiger, Moi Moi, Pub with Cold Beer..); motorbike/bike tours through the National Park, Bong Lai Valley.

If you are still in the mood for the wild, our one to two-day adventure tours in another marvelous area – Tu Lan Cave System, are highly recommended (see more  here ). Since the cave system is the home of the Hollywood blockbuster movie Kong: Skull Island, you will have a great experience enjoying the landscape and imagining the legendary King Kong!

Our driver will pick you up according to your departure time and don’t forget to let us know in advance if you would like additional night(s) at the hotel and we can reserve that for you.

RELATED ARTICLES

100-hour adventure through son doong cave to celebrate 22 years aia in vietnam, son doong named among the world’s greatest adventurous tours, vietnam caving expedition 1999, vietnam caving expedition 2005, vietnam caving expedition 2010, the official information portal of son doong cave.

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Hang Son Doong

Top choice in Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park

Hang Son Doong (Mountain River Cave), located in the heart of  Phong Nha-Kẻ Bàng National Park , is known as the world's largest cave, and is one of the most spectacular sights in Southeast Asia. It is also one of the most exclusive. Access to the cave was only approved by the government in 2013, and the sole specialist operator permitted to lead tours is Son Trach–based Oxalis Adventure  – commanding a US$3000 per person fee for the four-day/three-night expedition. Numbers are limited to 10 trekkers per trip, who are accompanied by a small fleet of porters and cooks.

This enormous cave was discovered quite recently. Ho Khanh, a hunter from a jungle settlement close to the Vietnam–Laos border, would often take shelter in the caves that honeycomb his mountain homeland. He stumbled across gargantuan Hang Son Doong in the early 1990s, but the sheer scale and majesty of the principal cavern (more than 5km long, 200m high and, in some places, 150m wide) was only confirmed as the world’s biggest cave when British explorers returned with him in 2009.

The expedition team’s biggest obstacle was to find a way over a vast overhanging barrier of muddy calcite they dubbed the ‘Great Wall of Vietnam’, which divided the cave. Once they did, its true scale was revealed – a cave big enough to accommodate a battleship. Sections of it are pierced by skylights that reveal formations of ethereal stalagmites that cavers have called the Cactus Garden. Some stalagmites are up to 80m high. Cavers have also discovered colossal cave pearls measuring 10cm in diameter, which have been formed by millennia of drips, fusing calcite crystals with grains of sand. Magnificent rimstone pools are present throughout the cave, plus rivers that are ideal for swimming.

How to visit Hang Son Doong

Visits to the cave can only be booked with  Oxalis Adventure . Head to their website to check availability and book well in advance. Keep in mind the three-night expedition is a challenging one, with tough trekking, underground river crossings and technical caving included. Anyone who struggles significantly with the climbing elements will be turned back on the first day. Accommodation comes in the form of basic (though spectacular) campsites within the cave itself. The tour runs from January to August.

Oxalis Adventure Tours also run shorter, more affordable tours, both to other caves in Phong Nha-Kẻ Bàng National Park, and around the park itself.

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Discovered in 2012, and opened to visitors in 2015, Hang Va is explored on a two-day/one-night excursion that initially travels along an underground river…

3 . Paradise Cave

4 . Hang Toi

5 . Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park

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7 . Dong Hoi Citadel Gate

21.82 MILES

One of the surviving gates of the citadel, this gate is on Ð Quang Trung.

8 . Tam Toa Church

• How To Explore Son Doong...

How To Explore Son Doong, The World's Biggest Cave

Vietnam is home to many spectacular landscapes—from the cascading rice terraces of Sapa and the thousands of limestone karst isles in Ha Long Bay , to the silky smooth red and white sand dunes of Mui Ne and the maze of rivers and rice paddies in the Mekong Delta , there is no shortage of sights to see. A lesser known fact, however, is that Vietnam is also home to the world’s largest cave. Here is all you need to know.

Hang Son Doong (Mountian River Cave), the largest cave in the world, is located right in the heart of Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park in the Quang Binh province of Vietnam. It was formed during the Cambrian-Permian geological eras, putting it at a date between 400–450 million years old. No words can do justice to the size of this UNESCO protected cave —it stretches for over three miles (five kilometers), and it reaches heights of 650 feet (200 meters). The main cavern is large enough to house an entire New York City block.

What’s even more amazing is that the ecosystem created within the cave has its own weather system and creates its own clouds. Inside, you will find the largest stalagmite known to man, hanging at 262 feet tall (80 meters), and fossils dating back millions of years. Collapsed ceilings have created openings known as dolines, and this has allowed foliage to grow inside the cave. You will come across jungles and rivers enveloped by misty clouds, and microorganisms thriving in the darkness. It is a whole other world, devoid of much human interaction. You will be walking into an image of Earth as it was hundreds of million of years ago. Think of it like A Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne. Maybe you will find dinosaurs inside.

Son Doong was first discovered in 1990, thanks to a local by the name of Ho Khanh who loves trekking the jungles of the national park in search of food and timber to earn a modest income. He saw an opening, and when he peered inside, he saw clouds and heard the soft gurgle of a river inside. He was apprehensive to investigate further, so he went home. Then he forgot where he found it.

It was then found again years later in 2008, by Ho Khanh again. He took note of the path, and subsequently led Howard and Deb Limbert of the British Cave Association to the cave for the first expedition. In 2013, the cave was opened to the public. Expeditions are allowed only through one company, Oxalis, who have a legal permit to run tours. They run an exclusive five-day expedition that is not for the faint of heart. A tour costs 3000 USD, but it is money well spent. Remember, the cave is mostly used for scientific research, and more people have stood on the summit of Mount Everest than witnessed the surreal beauty inside this cave.

Unfortunately, you need to be extremely fit and patient, as there is a waiting list of about two years. The government only releases around 300–500 permits yearly, and it will take time to get yours.

To reach Hang Son Doong, you need to pass through the only village located inside the Phong Nha Ke-Bang National Park. The Ban Doong ethnic minority village is only accessible by foot, as it is surrounded by dense jungles. The village is home to less than 40 people, and their hardships have been alleviated by the discovery of the cave and the subsequent conservation partnership with Oxalis. Exploring this village and interacting with the locals is also an exciting part of the journey, as there is a lot you can learn. The village offers a view of a way of life that has been unchanged for centuries.

Then you will continue on your journey to Hang Son Doong, and it is not easy. There will be two days of intense jungle trekking and river crossings in order to reach the entrance. Once inside, you will have to abseil, climb, crawl, and swim through underground rivers to complete your journey. Making it even more beautiful is that you will get to camp inside the cave, eat, take extraordinary photos, and laugh along with your crew. Hang En, the world’s third largest cave is also included in the tour.

Only 10 guests per departure are allowed, and each one is perfectly cared for. Your group will include two caving experts, three local guides, two chefs, two park rangers, and 20 porters that will help carry your belongings and other luggage such as tents. Everyone’s safety is ensured, as is the preservation of the cave. Tours run once per week each year, between February and August.

Oxalis also offers expeditions to other caves such as Hang En, Tu Lan, and Hang Va. All of these are spectacular and visiting them is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. If there is ever a time in your life that you want to splurge, this should be it. Forget the fancy beach resorts you can find anywhere else in the world. Son Doong cave is unrivaled.

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Ultimate Guide to Sơn Đoòng Worlds Largest Cave

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The world’s largest cave was found in Vietnam, of all places. That is a truly beautiful country and a visit to Sơn Đoòng would be a once in a lifetime experience.

This is certainly not an easy trek – and if you are lucky enough to be one of the 1,000 people that are allowed to tour it a year, you are in for an experience like no other.

Ultimate Guide to Sơn Đoòng (Tours, Pricing, History)

This is the cave of all caves – and one that any true caver would be ecstatic to experience. If they can afford the ticket, besides the travel expenses. It is actually on my bucket list – if my name ever makes it into that elite list before I am too old to actually manage the trek involved.

What does Sơn Đoòng mean?

Son Doong is native to Vietnam and means “mountain river cave” as over 2 to 5 million years ago, a river eroded the area, and underneath the limestone was weakened, and the ceiling collapsed.

History – When was Hang Sơn Đoòng discovered?

Son Doong’s entrance was discovered by Hồ Khanh, a resident, back in 1991 while acquiring agarwood which is an expensive type of timber wood. However, while Khanh was on his mission, the rain began to fall, and he needed a place to shelter.

As he stepped against the entrance of the now popular cave, he heard a whistling sound – made by the wind and a rushing stream on the inside of the “tunnel.” This was more than enough reason for Khanh to turn away and not enter.

However, it was not until 2009 when a team of cavers from the British Cave Research Association decided to survey Phong Nha-Kẻ Bàng. The little tour went from April 10th to 14th of the same year. But then it came to life when they discovered a large, tall, and interesting 600-meter flowstone-coated wall.

The wall was nicknamed the Great Wall of Vietnam, and in 2010, the team managed to walk straight to the end of the cave passage. The Son Doong Cave is situated in Phong Nha Ke Bang National Park in Quang Binh province.

Fun Facts – The biggest cave on Earth

There are lots of fun facts you will love to know about Son Doong Cave and the interesting things you will experience if you decide to take a grand tour…

• Discovered During The Rain – We have to say if the rain wasn’t falling on that day, local farmer Ho Khanh may not have found this unique spot. In 1991, the farmer stumbled on the entrance to the cave as he was doing what he normally does to take care of his family.
• Missing For 15 Years – After discovering the cave entrance in 1991 and leaving when the rain ended, no one managed to cross that path again until 15 years later in 2006. Still, not much discovery was made during the research team’s tour, and it was Khanh who eventually found the entrance again a couple of years later.
• The Largest Cave – Can you believe Son Doong can hold as much as an entire block in New York City? Some sections go up to 200m tall and an average of 150m wide. Interestingly, the ground goes up to 38.5 million cubic meters and can store well over 68 Boeing 777 aircraft. Well, scientists believe it can hold a lot more as the full measurement of the cave is yet to be fully measured.
• Paradise In A Cave – Taking a tour of Son Doong will provide you more than a nature-filled environment of a cave setting, but rich vegetation like you have never seen before. Several biological landscapes with diverse forestry, which many expert cavers and researchers have likened to the Garden of Eden. The beauty is unmatched.
• The Tour Price Will Catch You – We are sure you have heard a whole lot about Son Doong and would love to visit, right? Well, the average price doesn’t really go under $4,000 US. Yeah, you saw that figure as it is! You have to book well in advance as not many people are allowed to be there throughout the year.

Sơn Đoòng Wildlife

When it comes to Son Doong, we can say the animal existence has been divided into two groups- those who live in the forest areas of the cave and those that live in the darker regions. A portion of the cave had collapsed, but it was not all doom and gloom as it ended up flourishing with greenery and more.

This forestry area became home to numerous plants and animals, similar to those in surrounding jungles and forests. This region has become the habitat for animals such as monkeys, birds, snakes, and much more. Not many researchers have gone through the cave immensely, so it is not clear to state all the species that live there.

The darker areas of the cave are home to species of the albino group and other endangered animals and critters. Not many researchers have done an extensive review of these animals. Still, one German caver and biologist, Anette Becher, has noted her closer look at the cave’s dark regions. It revealed animals such as woodlice, millipedes, and much more.

Sơn Đoòng Geological Formations

Going through Son Doong, you will see many interesting features that will make the experience unique and a standout. As you take the grand tour, you will come across a unique and very delicate ecosystem. What I find most intriguing is that this ecosystem has its own weather system with lots of limestone formations all around.

• Stalagmites and Stalactites – There are many stalactites and stalagmites in the Son Doong Cave, with the largest stalagmite measuring over 80 meters or 262 feet tall.
• Fossils – Going through the cave will show you how many fossils could be present in one environment.
• Dolines – Portions of the cave ceiling have collapsed over the years and have formed dolines. This has allowed foliage to grow in a section of the world’s largest cave.
• Jungle and Rivers – In other areas of the cave, you will come across a jungle and rivers with lots of misty clouds covering the area.

Is Sơn Đoòng cave open to public? – Sơn Đoòng Tours

After the first sheltering at the cave entrance in 1991, the next discovery came through in 2009. However, it was not open to the general public until 2013. Among the major attractions are the two huge dolines and the underground rainforests. Also, many people have come to respect nature’s work known as the Great Wall of Vietnam, which is a 90m high calcite barrier.

Going on an expedition through Son Doong is only possible through one major company, Oxalis, which was granted legal permission to conduct tours. The tour packages generally go for five days, and we have to say, it is only the truly determined, and those with willpower who will manage to go through the tour completely.

Seeing mostly scientific tours and research is conducted at this cave, not many permits are granted by the government each year. Interestingly, only 300 to 500 permits are issued each year, so if you are eager to get a visit, you have to exercise a lot of patience until your name is reached on the list. The tour will be accompanied by a visit through the only village close to the cave…the Bsn Doong ethnic village.

Getting to the cave is slightly challenging. You can expect to undergo roughly two days of immense jungle trekking on your tour. Bear in mind, you have to cross a river to get there, too! The tour on the inside consists of climbing, crawling, and swimming through underground rivers to get the most out of your experience.

To complete your journey, you will also get to camp out as part of the tour package…a great experience if you ask us.

You really get what you pay for and this is an incredible experience as you will be cared for by the cave guides , chefs, rangers, and porters. Your luggage will be kept safe as you journey through so you can get as much information and as many photos as you can.

Tours generally run from February to August once per week.

Sơn Đoòng Prices and Discounts

A visit to Son Doong Cave is a journey for those not so “faint at heart” as the cost can be a little drawback for many people. To book a tour with Oxalis Adventure, you need at least $3,000 to secure a package. Yes, it is that expensive but it is almost a week-long adventure!

They only allow 1000 people a year to tour through the cave, in groups of 10. $660 of that fee is the environmental service fee that will be transferred to the management of the Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park. Add in 22 porters, five safety assistants, one international tour guide, a cave expert, two cooks and a forest ranger who accompany every 10 people who take a tour – well, you can see where your money for this experience goes.

This cost would be in addition to air tickets and other minor expenses you might have. However, the good thing about paying this much is that it will be worth every dollar spent. Note, tax is already included in this amount.

Download our FREE Sơn Đoòng Cave Guide (Unofficial)

Where to stay near sơn đoòng.

There are numerous places to chill out when you plan to visit the Son Doong Cave. But, there are always some cool spots worth hanging out that will create a lasting memory. When you book a trip to the region, here are a few of the top-rated places to lodge…

Phong Nha Lake House Resort

It features some of the most intriguing amenities, such as free parking on site, a business center, free WiFi, and other comfortable chill areas. You will also be graced with the likes of amazing living areas to include lake-view villas, dorm rooms, and bungalows.

The best part is only 10 minutes away from the legendary Son Doong Cave journey. It is the perfect spot to spend time with friends and family and bond and create memorable moments. This resort can be found in Khuong Ha Village, Hung Trach Commune Bo Trach District, Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park, Vietnam.

Jungle Boss Homestay

Planning a trip to the Phong Nha Ke-Bang National Park and need somewhere to chill? Well, you will love everything about Jungle Boss Homestay as it was designed to create the perfect “home away from home” experience. The amazing amenities are like no other, with air-conditioned rooms, quiet sitting areas, free WiFi, and much more.

Also, their free breakfast offer is a great compliment you will love and enjoy. You can find this abode at Phong Nha Village, Son Trach Commune, Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park, Vietnam.

Victory Road Villas

If you are looking for a place that creates a contemporary western style infused with local traditions, then the Victory Road Villas is the perfect spot just mere minutes away from the Phong Nha Ke-Bang National Park. With a backdrop of mountainous terrains and surrounded by local villages, you will get everything that the area’s culture has to offer.

The great amenities were designed to create luxury and comfort with king-size beds, amazing entertainment systems to keep you happy, and so much more. Your stay will give you the perfect view overlooking the calm “Song Son” river. It is located at DT 20 Victory Road, Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park, 510000, Vietnam.

Sơn Đoòng Details

• Length : Son Doong Cave is the largest in the world – roughly 38.5 million cubic meters
• Time recommended: Tours generally take days to complete the entire cave
• Trail Type : Varies
• Difficulty : Extreme
• Kid-Friendly : Seeing the terrain can be difficult, it may not be possible to take your child along. Speaking with tour experts could give further details.
• Dog-Friendly: No
• Accessibility: Mostly walking from the parking area
• Fee/Permit: Base tour rate $3,000 (additional funding might be used)
• Hours: Depending on granted permission, it could go for days.

How to Get to Sơn Đoòng

Getting to Son Doong means you have to travel through the only known path – a village located inside the Phong Nha Ke-Bang National Park. Interestingly, the Ban Doong ethnic village can only be reached by foot as the closely surrounding area is covered with dense forestry.

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10 thoughts on “ Ultimate Guide to Sơn Đoòng Worlds Largest Cave ”

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Son Doong Cave – 10 Things You Need To Know

• Posted by by TIN NGUYEN
• February 9, 2022

Since Many domestic and international visitors know to hang Son Doong cave , this place has become one of the best places to visit in Vietnam . And here are ten things you need to know about this cave.

1. When was Son Doong Discovered?

In 1991, a local man named Ho Khanh went to Phong Nha Ke Bang National Park to collect firewood and suddenly got lost in a strange land where there was a massive cave in the limestone cliff with a vast space above to catch the sun.

He also realized that a river was flowing into the cave, after which he returned home again. In April 2009, at the request of a cave expedition from the UK, Mr. Ho Khanh found this cave again and guided the tour to explore Son Doong cave.

2. Where Does the Name Son Doong Come From?

In tours to Phong Nha Ke Bang, visitors, when introduced to Son Doong cave, often wonder where the name of the largest cave in the world is to start? Initially, Son Doong was named Ho Khanh when the cave was discovered.

Later, it was suggested to change the name to “Son Doong” because the shelter is hidden behind the majestic mountains of Doong Village and a river flowing in the cave.

3. Why is Son Doong the Largest Cave in the World?

Son Doong cave is about 5km long, 200m high, 150m wide, considered the largest today. Inside the cave, there is a separate ecosystem formed by sunlight.

The stalactites in Son Doong cave have a height of nearly 80m. Limestones the size of baseballs are scattered across the cave floor. The breathtaking underground scene at the shelter will make you utter amazement at its beauty.

4. How To Visit Son Doong Cave?

To participate in exploring Son Doong cave, you must register with a travel agent and wait for your turn. However, visitors must undergo two rigorous theoretical and practical tests.

Without passing the tests, visitors cannot join tours to Son Doong. That’s because discovering Son Doong is adventure travel. During the journey, visitors have to walk more than 50km through dense forests, rough roads, big rocks.

The explorers will sleep in natural conditions and bathe according to the preparation of the tour company. Visitors will join a tour without modern amenities, like wildlife.

5. Are There Private Tours To This Cave?

Any individual or organization visiting Son Doong without the permission of the Phong Nha Ke Bang National Park Management Board is considered a violation of the law. As such, you can join an adventure tour with an authorized travel agency. That’s the best way.

6. How Much Does a Son Doong Tour Cost?

There are two tour prices to Son Doong operated by a travel agent: about 3,000 USD for foreign tourists and 64.5 million VND for Vietnamese tourists.

To serve a tour of Son Doong of 10 people, more than 30 people support. In addition to porters carrying groceries and cooking, there are cave specialists and safety experts on Son Doong tours.

7. How Long To Wait For a Son Doong Tour?

If you want to register for a Son Doong tour , you have to wait and have to wait for a specific assessment by experts about the tour’s interest in the environment.

In the process of exploiting tourism services. If the landslide situation is high and affects the cave’s ecosystem, the tour company will stop the terms to preserve the original beauty of Son Doong cave.

If you have enough money and health, do not hesitate to book a tour to Son Doong.

8. When is the Best Time To Visit Son Doong?

The ideal time to visit Son Doong is from February to August. The remaining months are the rainy season, unsafe for tourists. Son Doong is very cool; this is the perfect time to explore the cave.

However, it was a bit cold at night. From May to August, the weather is hot and humid. Therefore, visitors must prepare for good health before the trip.

9. What To Bring From Son Doong?

One big note is that visitors cannot take anything from Son Doong. Visitors are not allowed to litter, break trees, cut leaves, absolutely do not touch anything in the cave without experts’ permission because stalactites are still in the process of forming, just a light touch. It can also cause stalactites to stop growing. It is essential that what you bring into the cave is taken out.

10. What About Other Attractions Besides Son Doong Cave?

While waiting to join the Son Doong, you can choose other tours such as the Phong Nha Ke Bang tour to Tu Lan caves, Nhan caves. Phong Nha Ke Bang is a national park in Vietnam that has many exciting services for visitors to enjoy their holidays in Vietnam at this national park.

Read More: 10 Most Beautiful Caves in Vietnam

Currently, I'm the founder and responsible for the content on Explore One Vietnam travel website. After many trips, I have accumulated a lot of experience in traveling to Vietnam, so I want to share these things with international tourists.

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Son Doong: The World's Largest Cave

Discover the hidden jungle inside the cave.

By Quang Binh Tourism Department

Quang Binh Tourism Board, Oxalis Adventure

Tu Lan 4 by Oxalis Adventure Quang Binh Tourism Department

The discovery of the Son Doong Cave In 1990, the Son Doong cave entrance was first discovered by a local forestman named Ho Khanh. As he approached he noticed clouds billowing out of the entrance, and could hear the sounds of a river raging from somewhere inside the cave. When he could feel a strong wind also blowing out from the cave, he decided to move on without further inspection.

Son Doong Cave - 31 by Ryan Deboodt Quang Binh Tourism Department

After many failed attempts, they began to think this elusive cavern might remain lost in the jungle forever more. In 2008 while out on another food gathering trip, Ho Khanh found the mysterious opening again and studiously took note of the path on how to get there.

Son Doong Cave - 18 by Jason Speth Quang Binh Tourism Department

Later, Ho Khanh, accompanied by Howart and Deb - two members of the Royal British Cave Association, who were in Phong Nha at that time, conducting searches and exploring caves in the area, tried to rediscover the entrance. However, since the first discovery was contingent, Ho Khanh could not remember the exact location of the cave entrance.

Son Doong Cave - 41 by Ryan Deboodt Quang Binh Tourism Department

After many failed attempts, they began to think this elusive cavern might remain lost in the jungle forever more. In 2008 while out on another food gathering trip, Ho Khanh found the mysterious opening again and studiously took note of the path on how to get there. In 2009 he led Howard, Deb and a team of professionals back to the cave for the first expedition to enter what would later become known as Hang Son Doong, or ‘Mountain River Cave’.

Stalagmite at base of 1st doline by Oxalis Adventure Quang Binh Tourism Department

After further research they claimed Son Doong to be the largest cave in the world. Other spectacular features make Son Doong an amazing place; underground rivers, huge formations, dolines or skylights, ancient fossils, unique species of fish and insects, plants and trees inside the cave.

Son Doong Cave - 25 by Jason Speth Quang Binh Tourism Department

Two large rivers, Khe Ry and Rao Thuong, join together to form Son Doong Cave. The cave follows a large fault line 100m wide, which contributes to the huge size of the passages. While the Phong Nha Ke Bang limestone is around 400 million years old, Son Doong Cave limestone is less than 3 million years old.

Hang Son Doong 1 Quang Binh Tourism Department

The cave has two skylights, which allow daylight into the cave. This enables the unusual formations like Phytokarst to develop, and also plants and trees to grow inside the cave. Spectacular sunbeams are often seen at the first doline.

Son Doong Cave - 16 by Jason Speth Quang Binh Tourism Department

Mist and clouds usually form in the large cave passages and rise up to the dolines. An incredible place for photography, the huge size of the passage, and the light from the dolines enables everyone to record some memories.

Doline 1 timelapse Quang Binh Tourism Department

Son Doong Cave - 14 by Jason Speth Quang Binh Tourism Department

There's enough space for an entire block of skyscrapers

An entire block of skyscrapers with that height? Can you imagine that? Son Doong Cave is a truly phenomenal place. At almost 9km long with sections reaching up to 200m tall and 160m wide, Son Doong amazes everyone with its extraordinary size and beauty. With a total measured volume of 38.5 million cubic metres, this comfortably surpasses Deer Cave in Malaysia, which was considered to be the previous record holder. Stalagmites up to 80m high have also been surveyed, the tallest ever encountered.

Son Doong Cave - 12 by Jason Speth Quang Binh Tourism Department

Explore the tropical jungle growing inside the cave

This cave will continue to amaze you. The ceiling collapsed hundreds of thousands of years ago forming gigantic windows which allow sunlight to penetrate into the darkness. This explains the lush tropical jungle, tall tropical trees, palms and ferns. Where the ceiling collapsed, forming what we call dolines you may be able to witness the spectacular natural sunbeams. These shine into the cave at particular times of the year, and if you are lucky, you may be there to see it. These scenes are so surreal that no words or photographs are enough; you need to see to believe it!

Climb on the great wall by Oxalis Adventure Quang Binh Tourism Department

Find the underground river and 'The Great Wall of Vietnam

Son Doong has a large underground river, and two river crossings. The final achievement whilst exploring Son Doong Cave is to climb the 90-meter-high calcite wall named ‘The Great Wall of Vietnam’.

Great wall of Vietnam 4 Quang Binh Tourism Department

Camping in the cloud - 1 by Oxalis Adventure Quang Binh Tourism Department

The cave is so huge that it even has its own climate

Son Doong Cave should be considered one of the world’s most unique caves. The huge size of the passage allows clouds to build up from the underground river. These rise up through the giant passages, offering visitors an extraordinary subterranean experience.

Hang Son Doong 5 Quang Binh Tourism Department

Son Doong Cave - 19 by Jason Speth Quang Binh Tourism Department

The Son Doong expedition

Son Doong Cave expedition tour was officially put into operation in 2013, with a roadmap safely consulted by experts of the Royal British Cave Association. Visitors can experience the feeling inside of the world's largest cave between magnificent stalactites and the most mesmerizing scenery on the planet in the natural dolines inside the cave. In order to participate in the world's largest cave expedition, visitors must meet physical conditions, forest trekking experiences, and able to conquer all types of terrain in the cave. All constructions for Son Doong expedition tourism are censored and equipped with high-end materials, minimizing the impact on the cave floor; ensure the highest level of conservation. All exploratory equipment including lights, safety helmets, safety belts, ropes or safety pins are imported and checked regularly by members of the Royal British Cave Association, suitable for use in terrain & environmental exploration. Only a maximum of 1,000 people are allowed to explore the Son Doong Cave every year from February to August. The expedition cannot be done in the remaining time because weather conditions do not allow.

Sunbeam Hang En Quang Binh Tourism Department

Son Doong Cave - 20 by Jason Speth Quang Binh Tourism Department

Son Doong Cave - 13 by Jason Speth Quang Binh Tourism Department

Doline 2 timelapse Quang Binh Tourism Department

Oxalis Adventure

My Son Sanctuary: Ruins from the Champa Empire

Quang binh tourism department, the cultural heritage bingo game, thanh ha pottery village, nha nhac: vietnam's royal court music, the royal look, quang binh : land of the caves, the colorful lanterns of hoi an, how tan hoa lives through the floods, the unique architecture of khai dinh tomb, cu lao cham: the legendary green island.

This Biggest Cave On The Planet, Hang Son Doong Has Its Own Jungle, Ecosystem And A River!

Hang Son Doong Cave, located in the Phong Nha-Kẻ Bàng National Park (a Unesco World Heritage site) of Vietnam is the largest cave in the world. It is over 8.7 kilometres long and can fit a 40-storey high-rise building within its walls.

Opened for public tours only in 2013, each year only a few fortunate adventurers get to witness the out-of-the-world beauty of this mammoth cave.

Ho Khanh, a local farmer first discovered the Hang Son Doong cave in 1991 when he had taken shelter in it from a storm. He lost the exact location of the entrance and found it again only in 2008. He reported it to the British Cave Research Association, who were stationed in Phong Nha at that time. British cavers Howard and Deb Limbers were the first to explore it in 2009 and in 2010 and it was determined to be the biggest cave in the world in terms of the cross section.

This 2 to 5 million-year-old Hang Son Doong cave was formed as water eroded the limestone underneath the Karst mountain. It has its own environment inside with animals, lakes, beaches and a river. This cave also has its own jungle called Garden of Edam, where you might feel like watching out for dinosaurs, given the prehistoric aura of the place. Rare limestone pearls shaped by water drops over centuries are also scattered inside the cave. Its main chamber is more than 5km long, 200 metres high and 150 metres wide. The cave inside boasts some of the tallest known stalagmites, some as tall as 70 metres tall. Before Sơn Đoòng was discovered, the largest cave in the world was believed to be the Deer Cave in Malaysia.

How can you explore the Hang Son Doong cave in Vietnam?

The government of Quảng Bình has only allowed one operator, Oxalis to take adventurers inside the cave, to protect it from mass development that can destroy its fragile environment. The tours run once every week in the months of February to August, not allowing more than 10 tourists at a time.

Who can go on this camping expedition?

The level of this expedition is difficult and is meant for physically active people above the age of 18 years. The expedition goes across 25km of jungle and involves mountain trekking with elevation change up to 400m, knee-deep river crossing around 40 times, underground strong current river crossing and 7km caving complete with rope climbs, rocky terrain, scrambling and 90m ascent of the Great Wall of Vietnam inside the cave.

How much does it cost?

A four days and three nights expedition costs Rs 1,94,708 or US$3,000 per person, which is inclusive of the $660 national park fee. One night before and after the expedition is also included. The tours for 2017 were sold out a day after opening. You can check for available slots and book here for next year.

What if you don't have that kind of money and still want to experience the surreal world within the cave in Phong Nha?

Phong Nha is slowly attaining popularity as an adventure destination in South-east Asia. With thick forest cover, this place has hundreds of cave systems waiting to be explored. While I was there , I got a chance to explore three caves – Paradise Cave, Phong Nha Cave and my favourite, Dark Cave.

Other famous caves in Phong Nha are:

Hang Va: This cave is one of the largest and most beautiful caves in the world and is a perfect alternative to Sơn Đoòng cave. It is part of the Sơn Đoòng cave as they share the same water flow, and some of its stalactites and stalagmites are even more extraordinary than the ones found in the Sơn Đoòng cave. The expedition involves 10km of jungle and mountain trekking, walking on rocky terrain with an elevation gain of 150m, 3km caving in the river with a waist-deep water, with a temperature of 17 degrees Celsius and a 20m traverse using rope and harness. The expeditions are reserved for Oxalis and cost VND 8,000,000 or Rs 22,723 for two days and one night.

Tú Làn Caves

Credits: Grace Lopez

This cave is about 40km from Phong Nha. It is in one of the most beautiful untouched areas of Vietnam, where you can explore minority cultures amidst unexplored jungle, rivers and waterfalls. Again, only tour operator Oxalis is allowed to take expeditions here and it costs VND 5,500,000 or Rs 15,622 for two days and one night.

Phong Nha Cave Boat Station

Credits: Wikipedia

Phong Nha and Tien Son Caves: These caves are beautiful and enormous. They are about 45km or an hour by road from Dong Hoi. It costs 150,000 VND or Rs 426 to visit the Phong Nha cave and 80,000 VND or Rs 227 to visit the Tien Son cave. Renting a boat is a necessity as there is no other way to get to the caves. You can rent a boat that can accommodate 14 people to visit both caves for VND 350,000 or Rs 994.

Dark Cave Vietnam

Representative image. Credits: Mike Baird

This cave was my favourite because of the range of adventure activity involved along in the cave exploration. The ticket price to Dark Cave is VND 4,50,000 or Rs 1278. This price includes zip lining to the river from where you will swim to the entrance of the cave and take a kayak out. The cave is dark and raw and can be explored with only a headlamp or torch. Inside you can experience the weightlessness of being in space as you float in one of the mud rivers inside.

Paradise Cave

Credits: Wikimedia

This cave is claimed to be one of the most beautiful in the world. Approximately 500 stairs lead up to the entrance of the cave and another 100-200 stairs down inside is a beautiful chamber. This place looked like an alien land with weirdly-shaped stalagmites that could pass for calcified aliens. It is one and half hour away if you are staying in Phong Nha. The cave entrance fees is VND 250,000 or Rs 710 and includes an English-speaking guide.

I had never experienced so much of beauty in my lifetime. Phong Nha is wild and marvellous in all aspects. I had the most amazing time exploring the cave, riding along Highway 20 cutting through the national park and imagining the place with dinosaurs still alive.

Keep travelling!

Have you ever explored a cave like Hang Son Doong in your life? Did it blow your mind? Share your story with the 25 million travellers of Tripoto community.

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Exploring the Majestic Son Doong Cave: Vietnam’s Natural Wonder

Introduction: Hidden deep within the lush jungles of Vietnam lies a natural wonder that captures the imagination and takes your breath away: Son Doong Cave. As the world’s largest cave, Son Doong offers an awe-inspiring underground landscape that beckons adventurous travelers seeking a unique and unforgettable experience. Join us as we embark on a virtual journey through the magnificent chambers of Son Doong Cave, immersing ourselves in its grandeur and discovering why it stands as a must-visit destination for nature enthusiasts.

A Geological Marvel: Located in the Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Son Doong Cave is a testament to the geological wonders of our planet. Formed over millions of years, this colossal cave system stretches over 9 kilometers (5.5 miles) in length, with caverns reaching up to 200 meters (650 feet) in height. The vastness of Son Doong is beyond comprehension, with the largest chamber being large enough to accommodate an entire city block.

Awe-Inspiring Beauty: Venturing into Son Doong Cave is like stepping into a mythical realm. As you explore its subterranean labyrinth, you’ll be greeted by breathtaking sights at every turn. The cave’s colossal stalagmites and stalactites, formed through the slow deposition of minerals over time, create intricate and otherworldly formations that seem like works of art crafted by nature’s hand. Glistening underground rivers and crystal-clear pools add to the ethereal beauty, reflecting the cave’s magnificence.

The Kingdom of Biodiversity: Son Doong Cave is not just a geological marvel but also a thriving ecosystem. Its vast chambers and unique microclimate have nurtured a rich biodiversity that is still being explored and documented. The cave’s interior supports an array of plant life, including ferns and mosses that cling to the limestone walls. The darkness of the cave has also given rise to unique species of insects and other invertebrates, adapted to life in this hidden realm. Exploring Son Doong is like discovering a hidden kingdom teeming with life.

The Adventure of a Lifetime: To preserve the cave’s fragile ecosystem, access to Son Doong is limited and controlled. Expeditions into this natural wonder are only possible through organized tours led by experienced guides. These multi-day excursions provide a truly immersive adventure, taking you through the vast chambers, climbing ancient rock formations, and crossing underground rivers. Overnight stays inside the cave allow you to witness the beauty of the cave at different times of the day, from the eerie darkness to the mesmerizing glow of sunlight filtering through cracks in the ceiling.

A Transformative Experience: Beyond its physical grandeur, Son Doong Cave offers a transformative experience for those fortunate enough to explore its depths. The sheer magnitude of the cave instills a sense of humility and awe, reminding us of the power and beauty of nature. The challenges faced during the expedition, such as traversing rugged terrain and overcoming personal limits, can lead to a profound sense of accomplishment and self-discovery.

Preserving a Natural Treasure: As visitors, it is our responsibility to preserve and protect the fragile ecosystem of Son Doong Cave. Sustainable tourism practices and strict conservation measures ensure that this natural wonder can be enjoyed by future generations. By treading lightly and respecting the delicate balance of the cave, we can contribute to the preservation of this remarkable destination.

Conclusion: Son Doong Cave stands as an unparalleled destination for adventure seekers and nature enthusiasts. Its immense size, surreal beauty, and vibrant ecosystem combine to create an experience that is both humbling and inspiring. As we navigate the depths of this geological masterpiece, we are reminded of the intricate wonders that lie within our planet. Son Doong Cave is a testament to the extraordinary beauty and resilience of nature, inviting us to marvel at its grandeur and protect its fragile ecosystem.

If you’re planning a visit to Son Doong Cave, it’s important to plan ahead and make arrangements with authorized tour operators who prioritize sustainability and responsible tourism practices. These operators will ensure that your visit minimizes any negative impact on the cave and its surroundings.

As you prepare for your adventure, it’s essential to come equipped with appropriate gear, including sturdy hiking boots, comfortable clothing suitable for trekking, and necessary safety equipment provided by your tour operator. Remember to respect the cave’s rules and regulations, which are in place to protect its unique environment.

Additionally, while exploring Son Doong Cave, take the time to learn about the local culture and engage with the communities surrounding the cave. The region is home to ethnic minority groups, such as the Bru-Van Kieu and Chut, whose traditions and way of life are deeply intertwined with the natural wonders that surround them. Supporting local communities through responsible tourism initiatives can have a positive impact on their livelihoods and help preserve their cultural heritage.

Son Doong Cave is a remarkable testament to the beauty and diversity of our planet. It reminds us of the delicate balance between humans and nature, and the importance of responsible travel. As you embark on this incredible journey, let the awe-inspiring beauty of Son Doong Cave leave an indelible mark on your soul, motivating you to become an ambassador for the preservation of our world’s natural treasures.

So pack your sense of wonder, a spirit of adventure, and a commitment to responsible travel, and prepare to embark on an unforgettable journey into the heart of Son Doong Cave—a place where nature’s magnificence will forever leave an imprint on your memories.

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Packing list and Cave Expedition to Son Doong, World’s Largest Cave – [Updated for 2024]

Tucked away in the middle of Central Vietnam’s jungle is a nondescript entrance to the world’s largest cave, a cave so massive that it could fit multiple full sized airplanes and 40 story skyscrapers. Inside the cave is a mystical world unlike any other – complete with its own ecosystem, climate, and even clouds.

Here’s some basic information about us and our trip!

Month of our expedition: March Age: late 20s Physical preparations: Rock climbing, 4000-footer hikes in New Hampshire, lots of squats!

Adhere to the 6KG/13.2LB weight limit. Porters are hardworking humans!

Your belongings that do not go in your day pack must be under 6kg/13.2lbs.

In my daypack, I had my camera gear, wet wipes in a ziploc, my cell phone, long sleeve shirt, some small drybags, and my ID.

Oxalis will provide a helmet and a water bottle. I did carry some snacks and first aid supplies, but I wish I didn’t because Oxalis took care of that for me.

All of the rest of my belongings went into a clear plastic bag that was provided to me at the beginning of the trip. It cannot exceed 6kg/13.2lbs. They will weight it.

My plastic bag was 3kg/7lbs. If you can get it under that weight, I am certain the porters will appreciate it.

To keep things organized in that plastic bag, I used these lightweight packing cubes. I had 6 cubes in total.

Below is a list of literally everything I packed. If anything I wrote on this guide helps you, even a little, click on an Amazon link and buy something. I get a tiny kickback, and I will use it towards my next adventure!

This is from the first doline in Hang Son Doong. See the tiny white light in the upper middle of the frame? That’s the headlamp from one of our porters!

Son Doong Packing Tips

Best Bags for Son Doong

Nicole’s backpack.

Here’s the Osprey backpack that I loved using. sprey Sirrus 24L Day Hiking Pack for Women . (Here’s same one for men )

I love the quality of Osprey and specifically chose one that had a ventilated tensioned mesh backpanel. It was lightweight for 8+ hours of trekking, but large enough to carry my photography equipment. Even though I was sweating like crazy, my back never felt disgusting. The hip belt was also great for weight distribution so my shoulders never got tired. The women’s version was ideal because of the thinner straps.

Jason’s Backpack

Jason’s father had gone on the expedition a year before we did and they all used this waterproof backpack . Jason borrowed it from his father.

Though it didn’t have the mesh back panel like mine, the one feature I did envy was that it was completely waterproof via the roll-top access on the top. No pockets on the inside, but he didn’t really need it. It was super lightweight and easy to pack inside of another back when we traveled from the US to Vietnam.

Both bags are 24-25L, which I’d recommend as the perfect capacity.

Dry Bags within the backpacks

Even if your bag is already waterproof, doubling up and putting your essentials in a colorful drybag is a good ideas so that moisture doesn’t creep in and ruin everything. Even though Jason’s backpack is 100% waterproof, he still utilized some of the small drybags for camera equipment.

Pro tips for dry bags

• Get different colored ones so that you can separate stuff appropriately!
• The fancy ones ( like this one ) has a window in it so that you can easily see what’s inside.
• They make heavy duty ones for scuba diving and boating, but if you’re using them within a backpack, the lighter weight ones are perfectly fine.

Here are the drybags that I used and loved

2L drybags ones are great for batteries, Sd cards, phones, etc. I had three of these 4L drybags are great for cameras and lenses. I had three of these as well.

Clothes to pack for Son Doong Expedition for women

I get a lot of e-mails about clothing, specifically for women, so here’s exactly what I packed, with links to everything!

Let’s start with the most important. I brought four pairs (total) of these lightweight socks . Some prefer medium weight socks , but it’s already a thousand degrees in the jungle. Yes, they are more expensive than other socks, but here’s why they’re necessary:

• Merino Wool and lightly cushioned – Any adventure-goer will know about merino wool.
• Hugs perfectly at the ankle and arch of foot – These are performance socks for comfort.
• Calf height – Pull them all the way up!
• No blisters – I can’t say the same for. the rest of my trekmates…
• Pull your socks all the way up and tuck your pants INSIDE of the socks. This way, sand, dirt, and LEECHES don’t find their ways inside.
• Put these socks on. Put your shoes on. Then go into your bathtub and SUBMERGE your foot up to as high as you can. Then go outside and. walk a mile. BREAK THEM IN!
• Each day, the socks will get wet within 10 minutes. You could probably get by with 2 pairs total if you wanted to.

I brought 5 shirts in total.

• (2) sleeveless tanks with built-in bras
• (2) t-shirts
• (1) long sleeve shirt

What to look for in shirts

• Quick dry – This is a must, because you’re either wet from the jungle or from your sweat.
• Breathable and sweat wicking – Self explanatory

For me personally, I love tank tops with built in bras. I find them comfortable for any sort of athletic and adventure activities.

I am in love with these tank tops with built in bras . I could wear them all day.

This long sleeve shift was excellent for the campsite in the mornings. I wore it daily because it was chilly when we woke up, but never chilly enough for a fleece. I carried with me in my day bag, but never used it.

• Wear one of your t-shirts as a sleeping shirt. On the last day, wear this shirt to trek.

Fleece / Outerwear

Light fleece – I never wore this fleece . Never took it out. I wish I didn’t bring it at all. If a piece of clothing doesn’t dry quickly, it doesn’t belong on this expedition.

I brought 3 pairs of pants in total. I. did not pack shorts.

• Wear one of your pants as pajama pants. On the last day, wear this pair of pants to trek.
• I liked pants/leggings that tapered off at the ankles like these ones so that I could wear my socks OVER my pants. This way, so that leeches wouldn’t crawl up my legs. My husband had regular pants, and he just tucked them into his socks.

I brought one pair of underwear for each day – 6 in total. 5 pairs in total.

It was really nice to change into a clean and dry pair of undies when we got back to the campsite. I really liked these undies. Do not bring cotton. It’s not going to dry, and it won’t feel very nice.

E-mail me if you want to talk more about lady things. My time-of-the-month hit during the beginning of the trek. If I can do it, so can you.

Oxalis reminds their guests to be respectful of the staff, porters, and modest culture. I chose to leave the bikini at home and brought one simple swimsuit – Either one of these would be just fine: one piece or tankini .

Shoes for Son Dong and Hang En

I brought two pairs of shoes: Canyoneering trekking and a pair of flip slops.

I had 5:10 Canyoneering boots, which were the best and highly recommended by Oxalis. They were out of stock for women, so I just sized down and purchased men’s shoes.

Before we left for the trek, there was a safety briefing and intro night at the farm stay. Many porters mentioned that I would love my 5:10s, and they were right. There are some steep parts, and I was happy to be able to trust my shoes so much.

What to look for in trekking shoes

• NOT waterproof – It’s important that the shoes can drain
• Ankle support – For some of the jungle treks, river crossings, and scrambling, having good support was helpful, but not necessary.
• Avoid Gore-Tex – They’re great in other situations, but not this ones.
• Excellent grip – There are parts in the cave, where you just need to trust your shoes. Soft and sticky rubber soles are best.

Climbing / Adventure

Oxalis will provide you with a caving helmet, which is excellent. Petzl graciously sponsored me with this one, and I loved it. It breathed well and the light was super bright.

This headlamp was great to have around the campsite and nighttime bathroom runs

Sleeping Bag Liner

At 4.6 ounces, this silk sleeping bag liner made sleeping so comfortable. Oxalis does a great job cleaning and labeling your bag, tent, sleeping bag so that you always get the same one, but having this just made me feel so much cleaner after a day of humid trekking.

Biodegradable Wet Wipes

I want to recommend these wipes to everyone. These are MUST HAVEs.

Jason and I shared one pack. They’re BIG wipes. We used two wipes each in the morning to freshen up (face, neck, arms, legs) and two at the end of the day before crawling back into sleeping bags.

Reminder: There are zero shower or bathing opportunities.

If you wanted to bring one full pack, you could share with your trekmates. They will love you for it.

Hypoallergenic & Unscented 

Eco friendly – 100% biodegradable and start to decompose after 28 days

Not-So-Fun fact: Baby wipes contain plastics and can take up to 100 years to degrade.

I didn’t shower or bathe for the entire trip except for the one swim.

This towel set came with three towels – a full bath one, a medium one, and a small face towel. I brought the middle one, and it was more tha enough.

You want to look for:

Small (15 inches x 20inches.. or even smaller)

Camera GEAR

Seeing as this was a trip of a lifetime, I wanted to make sure that I had the best camera for Son Dong and Hang En.

I love mirrorless cameras. They’re small, powerful, and pack a punch. Both the below cameras have incredible dynamic range.

The Sony A7R III was great for its resolution. We made some large prints, and they’re stunning.

• Sony 16-35mm f/2.8 – If it’s in your budget, you’ll want this. GO WIDE. You’ll want to shoot wide to capture the grandeur of the scenery. 2.8 was ideal to let in as much light as possible when going handheld. Here’s the f/4 version, its less expensive little brother.
• Sony 85mm f/1.4 – I’m a portrait photographer, so I loved having this with me.
• Sony 24-105mm f/4 – This is a fantastic versatile travel lens that Jason loves.

I have four of these SD cards . The Sony A7 III and A7R III both have dual SD card slots, so two were always in the camera. and two for backup.

This Peak Design tripod is lightweight and beautifully designed. I love how quickly the legs extend out and the easy locking mechanism. It always feels secure.

Pre-moistened lens wipes

Bring these lens wipes so that your glass will always be clean! They’re useful for phone cameras too.

Battery Pack

Grab a small Anker Portable battery pack , probably enough to recharge your phone once or twice. You won’t have any service in the middle of the Central Vietnam Jungle, so if you put your phone on airplane mode, it’ll likely last for 2-3 days without a charge.

What NOT to pack

• Dry shampoo/Shampoo/Conditioner – I didn’t bathe at all, and you probably won’t either. I believe there’s only one spot on night #1 that has bathing water. I just tied my hair back in a French braid and left it for a few days. Again, get these wipes !
• Soap – I brought a small bottle, but again I didn’t bathe at all. I did take wet nap baths daily, and it was awesome. Don’t bother with soap.
• Deodorant – I am less prone to body odor. I’ve been told it’s because Eastern Asians have fewer apocrine sweat glands. The daily  wipes   kept me clean. However, there was one person on our trip that was a little stinky, and I wish this person took up my offer of these wet wipes. I’d find an eco-friendly small bottle if you’re prone to be stinky.
• First Aid Kit – The safety assistants have everything and a kit will always be within earshot of you. Don’t bother bringing your own bandages and whatnot. If you have specific medicine, go for it.
• Talcum Powder – I brought a small ziploc, but again… it wasn’t needed. When we got back to the campsite, my wet socks and shoes would come off. I’d use these wipes to wipe down my body and my feet, and then I’d wear flip flops so that my feet would dry.
• Water bottle – I had brought a few 1L Platypus Ultralight water bottles, but at the start of the trip, they give you a 1.5L water bottle and it’s much easier to refill that. Do NOT bring a camelback. The mouthpiece will likely get wet during one of the river crossings, and there’s a high chance of you getting sick from the Central Vietnam Jungle rivers.
• Food & Snacks – The tour provided an abundance of amazing food and snacks. I was shocked at how delicious everything was. I’m a HUGE snacker, and feel like I’m constantly eating. There was plenty of fruit, salty snacks, sweet snacks, crackers, etc. My KIND bars and CLIF bars went completely untouched.
• Shorts – I brought a pair, but it was too cold at night.
• Hiking sticks – Utterly useless. You’ll need your hands to scramble. This is my biggest regret. I left them at the farm stay and didn’t even bring them on the trek. I found a stick and had fun carrying that, but even that wasn’t needed.
• Tent – Oxalis provided the most glorious tent I’ve ever slept in.
• Sleeping bag & Pillow – Extremely comfortable and clean. They’ll label your name on it, so that you get the same mat, pillow, and tent each time. I did really like my silk sleeping bag liner, though.
• Sleeping mat – I’ve never slept with such luxury in tents before. It was so comfortable.
• Bug spray – It’ll probably be useful when you’re at the farmstay, but I had packed it in my 6kg pack, and never used it at all.
• Gloves – Oxalis will provide for you.

Plenty of scrambling

On the first night, we camped in Hang En Cave, the third largest cave in the world.

Here’s our new Australian/South African friend, Jonavan, pulling us in the inflated raft

Our master chef is making us spring rolls

We started our morning with a bowl of pho and fruits. My favorites were the dragonfruit!

Throughout the five days, there were over 30 river crossings. Our socks and shoes were constantly soaked.

This is the tiny entrance to Hang Son Dong Cave

Naturally formed cave pearls. Some of them were the size of baseballs!

Special thanks to Sea To Summit , LensProToGo , and Petzl for sponsoring incredible gear for this cave expedition!

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Dive into the world’s largest cave in the heart of the Vietnamese rainforest

Adventurers from around the world are travelling to this remote Vietnamese rainforest to conquer its unexplored network of caves.

Hidden deep within the Vietnamese jungle, the world’s largest cave is drawing in visitors from around the globe.

Son Doong is over ten kilometres long, boasting two sinkholes and an impressive array of underground vegetation.

It was first explored by a team of British cavers in 2009, who enlisted the help of a local farmer to find the entrance. It has since become a hit with adventurers around the world, eager to explore the location's complex network of tunnels.

"The reason why the cave is so big is the quality of the limestone,” explainsHoward Limbert, an expert studying the site.

“This is the oldest rock in Southeast Asia, 450 million years old. It’s really pure, good quality limestone, and it's still getting bigger. Every year, the cave grows bigger.”

Where is the largest cave in the world?

Son Doong was formed 2.3 million years ago, when a large river eroded a series of fault lines in Phong Nha - Kẻ Bàng National Park.

The grotto now supports an extensive array of rare plant and animal life, benefiting from the high levels of precipitation in the region.

The site was recognised as the world's largest single cave passage by the Guinness Book of World Records in 2009. Its cross-section is believed to be twice that of the next largest passage in Deer Cave, Malaysia.

But it is now believed the cave could be even larger than previously predicted.

"We’ve explored most of the passages,” says Limbert, “but the one passage that remains unexplored is the main river above the first sinkhole.”

Limbert hopes improvements in caving technology will allow his team to conduct more accurate studies of the cavern in years to come.

If proven correct, Son Doong could connect with another cave system entirely, making the passage even longer than current estimates.

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Can I visit Son Doong cave?

Son Doong has been open to caving expeditions since 2013.

In order to preserve the location, strict limitations have been imposed on tourism in the area.

"We have to bring a team of porters, rangers and cave experts to accompany visitors on each expedition,” says Nguyen Chau A., director of Oxalis Adventure.

“We have to make sure everything brought into the cave can be carried out again. Each year, only 1,000 visitors are allowed to go on the Son Doong caving trips, in order to minimise the human impact on the cave ecosystem."

Expeditions cost €2,800 per person, and include equipment, permits and professional guides.

Son Doong is located in Quang Binh province, an area dubbed ‘Vietnam's cave kingdom’ for its impressive array of rock formations.

Watch the video above to find out more about visiting Son Doong.

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Hang Son Doong: The World’s Largest Cave

Hang Son Doong, the world’s biggest cave, has an equally extravagant price to match. It wasn’t easy for me to shed US$3000++ and all the charges for less than a week in the cave.

But even before the deal was sealed, I knew I had to visit Hang Son Doong – the massive Mulu cave systems of Borneo I explored in July 2022 , on top of my previous two caving trips in Waitomo of New Zealand and Lumiang Sumaguing of Philippines , further sparked my curiosity to investigate the world’s biggest cave in Vietnam. 

Sarawak and central Vietnam are rich in limestones perfect for caves. Meanwhile, I am stationed in Singapore, a mere one to three hours flight from both destinations on a budget airline. They’re easier to reach than some smaller caves on the other side of the world, so what’s stopping me from visiting them?

I visited Hang Son Doong in Aug 2023. This post may be updated periodically. Post also contains affiliate links that cost nothing to you but support my blog. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Cheers!

Why You Should Visit Hang Son Doong

How many caves are open to civilian noob-cakes with no caving certs or experience to wander in? Plenty, but with loads of manicured boardwalks and artificial lighting that would have altered the landscapes and scared the cave critters away.

As with my Mulu and Miri cave trips, the less touristy Gua Niah or Niah Cave gave us a much better cave experience than the world-renowned Deer, Lang, Wind, or Clearwater Caves . We had proper trails to follow, sharing with only a handful of visitors, so we got to walk in darkness with our headtorch, smell and hear the bats in the biggest chamber, and see lots of strange insects.

Of course, this pales in comparison to Hang Son Doong, which:

• Opens to max 10 guests per trip. Less people, less noise, less artificial safety structures, more beautiful views.
• Max 1000 guests per year. Less destruction from aliens (us).
• Min 18 years old to participate. No crying or naughty children scooting off or breaking stuff.
• Two jungles and an entire ecosystem in the cave. I’m not sure if there are other caves that visitors can visit with jungles in their dolines.
• Quick changing mist and clouds condition in the cave. It was surreal watching the mist escape from the entrance, exit and dolines of Hang Son Doong.
• Formations that are hard to grasp in their entirety unless you’re there. Cue the Wedding Cake, the Hand of Dog and the view of Doline 1 from the lunch spot.

It’s secluded by the price and restricted by the pax, so you’d get unobstructed great views and undivided attention from the crew in the biggest cave with million-year-old gigantic formations throughout the expedition.

Also, we’re living amid dire weather conditions brought about by climate change. The cave has an underground river system that floods from Sep to Dec. Typhoons and floods terrorise the National Park and Phong Nha every year. So who knows what the future holds?

Hang means Cave , Son means Mountain , and Doong has two explanations. It is the valley where the ethnic minority Bru Van Kieu lives and also refers to the cave with an underground river.

In short, Hang Son Doong refers to the cave in a mountain where a river flows.

In Mandarin, Doong sounds like 洞 Dòng or hole. Cave in Mandarin could be called 山洞 Shān Dòng. So there was a period when I mistook the name for Hang Cave since Hang Son Doong sounds like Han Shān Dòng.

But it isn’t just me. The Mandarin name for Hang Son Doong is either a literal 韓松洞 Hán Sōng Dòng, which is meaningless, or 山水洞 Shān Shuǐ Dòng, which means Mountain Water Cave. 山水洞 sounds poetic and follows the origin better, but sounds nothing like the Vietnamese name.

Size Comparison

Son Doong Cave is nearly 9 km long and 38.5 x 10^6 m3 in size. 

To put things into perspective:

• An Olympic-sized swimming pool is about 2500 m3. 15,400 pools can fit in the cave.
• The cave is 5 times bigger than Deer Cave in Sarawak, Malaysia.
• It is home to the tallest stalagmite (80m).
• The tallest measurable height is 200 m. The height of Marina Bay Sands is 200 m.
• The widest space measured is 160 m. The biggest commercial airliner Airbus A380 has a wingspan of 79.8 m .

The Man Who Found It

Hang Son Doong is unusual, but so is the story that led to its discovery!

The cave exists before we do in the deep jungle of Phong Nha. Back then, Phong Nha was a poor village where livelihood revolved around farming, logging and hunting. Village men often combed the deep forest for the extremely rare and treasured Agarwood, known as the King of Incense , which produces Oud oil worth more than gold!

Illegal logging continued despite the forest’s establishment as a protected Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park.

Here enters Ho Khanh . The man is like others in search of the Agarwood. Unlike others, he also holds an interest towards caves. Ho Khanh happened to stumble into the entrance of Hang Son Doong one stormy day in 1990. Visions of clouds and cold air floating out of the entrance, coupled with the rumbling sounds of water, spooked him so much that they left an indelible impression.

Decades later, cave explorers from Britain visited Phong Nha in search of more caves. Ho Khanh related what he saw to the team, but they could not locate the entrance from the dense jungle.

Despite the expedition’s futility, Ho Khanh was determined to find the cave entrance. He funded his own trip and traced the route he took in 1990, eventually finding the entrance leading to Hang Son Doong.

The British team returned a year later in 2009. With the aid of laser measuring devices, the team found the cave to be five times bigger than the biggest cave in the world.

Why Is It So Expensive?

This question gets asked a lot and was one of our dinner conversations in the cave.

Why is visiting Hang Son Doong so expensive?

• Son Doong Cave is a big cave. Caves are dark with uneven slippery boulders and sharp rocks. One misstep could be dreadful. I had my spookiest and most dangerous cave experience in Lumiang-Sumaguing of the Philippines , and safety is really important! Lots of investment went into managing the safety of the guests , who oftentimes are not caving professionals.
• The 10 guests are supported by a team of 27 – 1 cave specialist, 1 lead guide, 5 assistant guides, 1 porter team lead, 17 porters, and 2 chefs. Food, water, camping needs and caving gear are carried in. Human waste is carried out. I saw the men carrying gas tanks for cooking too! Each porter could carry up to 100 kg (that’s what one of them said!).
• The guides need to receive proper training from renowned cave specialists frequently.
• A part of the three grand goes to cave conservation .

My Hang Son Doong expedition feels more glamp than camp. And I could safely rank it the top glamp trip compared to my other multi-day treks to places like Semeru , Ladakh or Nepal.

We had fresh delicious food prepared for every meal – so much so that the food outside of the camp became less tasty! We always ended up eating more than our daily output.

In light of output, we carried the bare minimum , with most of our load (max 7 kg per pax) going to the porters. So the calories you’ll burn would mostly come from fretting over where to place your foot or pulling the rope up some slippery slope.

The guide assistants to guests ratio of 1:2 meant there’s always one of them around us for help – pinpointing the spots to step or grab, or giving me an arm and subsequently pulling me up as well.

Pre Hang Son Doong To-Dos

Here are some tips to save and plan for your trip. While I did mention my trip being more glamp than camp, a certain level of fitness is still required, or it would be a torturous trip for you instead!

Saving Up for the Cave Expedition

To start saving, estimate when you will be going (at least two years in advance!) and set aside an amount every month in a savings account or, if you’re in Singapore, high-interest plans with robo advisors like Syfe or Stashaway .

I’ve been using Stashaway to keep my funds for some time now, and their current rate of up to 5% is attractive . Otherwise, you could chuck some money and start saving with Syfe too ! Both links are affiliated with me – I get to earn some benefits/ coffee money, and you get to keep yours too (so do me a favour :P). 

Reservation, Payment, and Follow-Ups for the Trip 

I booked my trip to Hang Son Doong exactly one year in advance , a week or two after returning from Mulu National Park . Hang Son Soong is only open for expeditions from Jan to Aug . Torrential rain, and heavy floods for the remaining four months make venturing into the cave extremely dangerous. More about the weather in the later section.

By the time I made up my mind in late-Aug/ early-Sep 2022, the earliest slots left were in June 2023. It was booked solid from Jan – May 2023, and even for June, there were 1 – 2 vacancies left per trip.

My partner and I decided on August 2023, which happened to coincide with a public holiday in Singapore (National Day).

Booking and the follow-ups were straightforward:

• We filled our info under the BOOK NOW page in Oxalis (the only company doing Hang Son Doong) .
• A generic email indicating our booking code arrived within three days.
• Another email from their Adventure Consultant with more info regarding the tour policies, payment terms and bank details came around the same time.
• Packing List
• Physical Preparation List
• A brief overview of the schedule (also a request for you to inform them about your pickup point and time)
• Other useful info like shoes to wear and clothes to bring
• Special Mentions, like no drones, no wifi 
• A month before our trip, the Adventure Consultant sent an exact email as point (4). By then we had already informed them about our arrival.
• A week before our trip, we received another system-generated email repeating details like check the weather, check your fitness and check the items to bring. 
• Two weeks after our trip, we received another email from the Adventure Consultant with the contact details of our two lead guides, links to Oxalis social, and a link to a feedback form.

Choosing the Time to Visit

Depending on the time you would like to visit, different weather condition follows:

Jan – Mar. A chilly expedition (below 20 dC) and jackets may be needed. I don’t think anyone would appreciate the cold underground river swim. You get stronger and longer sunbeams illuminating into the deeper recesses of the cave.

Apr – May. Nice and warm. But this period is also a slash-and-burn season in neighbouring Laos , so there may be haze depending on the wind direction.

Jun – Aug. Slightly warmer and more humid. But the underground river soak was excellent at 16 dC. For others coming from a dry and cold country, the climate might be unbearable. Hailing from Singapore, I find the humidity and temperature somewhat similar. But walking unshaded under the hot sun before reaching Hang En can be agonising.

Working Out for Son Doong Adventure

You must be in shape to be ready for the expedition! Or be prepared to suffer, or even risk not going at all.

Oxalis has a checklist for physical activities that participants should minimally achieve as a reassurance of their fitness level (gleaned from their checklist):

• Training at least 6 months in advance
• Walk comfortably 10 kilometres/ 6 miles with at least one hill of 300-400 m/ 900-1200 ft 
• Walk confidently over rough ground, and be able to scramble up and down rocks and boulders
• Do at least 6 training hikes (10 km/ 6 miles with at least one large hill) within the 3 months leading up to the tour departure with the shoes and backpack you plan on wearing to the caves.

They also suggest supplementary activities like Spartan race, rock climbing, yoga, and home exercises like squats, burpees and stairs. Basically, activities that stimulate the muscles needed in the cave.

There’s a statement somewhere in the email or their website that indicates assessing the physical fitness of their participants on the first day. The hike to Hang En, the third largest cave in the world , is marketed as a short overnight trip under Oxalis with mostly forest tramping and river wading and very few caving activities. It’s easy to get back to civilization compared to when you’re deep in Hang Son Doong. If you can’t complete Day 1 with ease, you are really not fit for the entire trip.

What to Bring for Hang Son Doong

What to Bring is the section I was most interested in before the expedition. Visiting Son Doong Cave is a once-in-a-lifetime kind of trip and you really want to be at your best. What kind of clothes should I prepare? How about the shoes? Should I get a better camera? Here’s all you got to know.

Oxalis’ Packing List on What They’ll Provide

• Use of 3 x 43,000 lumen LED filming lights → these were used for photos and in the campsite
• Camping gear: tent, sleeping mat, pillow and sleeping bag
• Caving & safety gear: caving helmet, caving headlight, harness and gloves
• Meals: All 6 days, except breakfast and lunch on D1, and lunch and dinner on D6
• Water filters (application by guide and porters)
• Basic camping facilities with eco-friendly compost toilet using western toilet seat
• First Aid Kit, Rescue Equipment & Satellite Phone (application by safety advisor and tour guides only)
• 1 Safety advisor (member of the British Vietnamese Caving Expedition)
• 1 Professional English-speaking tour guide, 5 safety assistants and 2 chefs
• Porter team to carry all gear and prepare all meals
• Accommodations (single or twin-shared) at Son Doong Bungalow before the tour and at Chay Lap Farmstay & Resort after the tour
• Round-trip transfer Dong Hoi – Phong Nha before and after the tour

Essentials I Brought for My August Summer Trip

Oxalis provided a packing list as well, which I have sort of incorporated into my list below:

• 3 sets of quick dry long sleeves. But bringing 4 different brightly coloured ones would be nice. Then you’ll have a variety of colours over the 4 days in the cave. Red, orange, yellow or neon would be ideal for beautiful photos.
• 4 sets of tights . I wore tights used for hiking and yoga.
• 2 pairs of socks (I wore darn tough) . I bought another 2 pairs from Oxalis after learning about foot rot. Your feet would be wet throughout the expedition since the shoes are wet. Having a fresh pair of socks to begin the day felt wonderful. No need for fancy socks. Those mid-calf cotton ones would do.
• 2 bandana/ head wrap . Keep my hair contained. Also, prevent abrasion between my skin and the helmet strap.
• 4 sets of undergarments.
• 1 swimwear. For the fish spa at Hang En.
• 1 set of pyjamas/ camp wear. You could wear them for the next day, but I preferred not wearing long sleeves to sleep. Some participants wore short sleeves paired with arm sleeves.
• Sunhat , sunglasses , sunscreen and insect repellant . For the torturous heat on Day 1. There are big mozzies and hungry leeches!
• Lightweight outer shell. In case it rained on Day 1.
• 1 pair of jandals. I took my sturdy ones from Taiwan made for marathon running. Sandals with fabrics stay wet and icky.
• Headtorch . For camp use. The torch on the helmet is stuck to the helmet.
• GoPro. Gopro are small, nifty and waterproof. So easy to carry! I upgraded from 8, which I extensively used in New Zealand , to 11, and had mine strapped to the shoulder strap of my bag.
• Batteries, power bank, cables .
• Wet wipes , dry shampoo , biodegradable soap , prickly heat powder , etc. Those sanitary items. You can only use biodegradable soap at Hang En. There’s no washing area for the second and third nights, and this is where wet wipes come in handy.
• Sleeping bag liner . In case the sleeping bag is nasty like other camping trips I’ve done. But the sleeping bag provided was clean and smelled fresh.
• Earplugs . Very important if someone snores at night! Hang En is home to thousands of swiftlets. The incessant chirping might be a bane for some.

Special Mentions for Further Discussion

SHOES! I wore the amphibious quick-draining Merrell Choprock shoes that seem to be phasing out. Decathlon might have something similar. Oxalis has a list of shoes to recommend, focusing on Soloman and trail runners. You need shoes with grippy soles and drains well! Goretex or waterproof shoes are a big nono as they trap water. Oxalis checks your shoes during the briefing. If you fail to meet the expectations of the caving specialist, they’ll lend you a simple archless high-cut canvas one, which may not be comfortable.

BAG! I’ve been carrying my beaten Gregory Juno 25 L for day hikes in Indonesia and Malaysia . It’s comfortable and fits what I need to carry for the day. As with the bags, the specialist will check if they are suitable for the expedition. It needs to fit the helmet and water!

SNACKS! No need for those. You’ll be well fed. Bring hydration salts!

FAN! For a hot summer expedition. Bring along a small portable electric one , or the Asian foldable fans that you can get from night markets.

DRONES! Not allowed!

FEMALE HYGIENE! I would expect the trip to be uncomfortable if you’re still on pads for a summer expedition. You’ll also be missing out on swimming in the underground river and soaking in Hang En. It may be icky too if the water level of some river crossings towards Hang En gets too high. Use a period cup. Simple, easy, and sustainable. Toilets are very clean and convenient for ladies on periods.

How to Get to Phong Nha

Transport between Dong Hoi and Phong Nha is provided in the tour package. To take advantage of that, you still need to find yourself in Dong Hoi, the nearest city to Phong Nha.

Dong Hoi has a domestic airport. There are many flights to Dong Hoi from Ho Chi Minh City (1h 35 mins) or Hanoi (1h).

Train rides take about 11 hours from Hanoi to Dong Hoi and a day (24 hours) from Ho Chi Minh City. It makes far better sense to fly if you’re coming directly from HCMC unless you enjoy long train rides…

I took the night train from Hanoi to Dong Hoi to have a full day in Phong Nha. There are five different timings to choose from, and you have the option to pick a soft seat (not recommended for a night train!), a sleeper 4-berth, or a sleeper 6-berth.

The only way to buy directly from the Vietnamese booking site is if you have a local bank account. Else, purchase online from Baolau , or physically from the train station for budget options. You may, however, risk not getting what you want! Travel agencies quote a bit more.

For those looking forward to an overnight sleeper bus experience, book yours online through 12Go , or at your accommodations. Be warned that buses may reach your destination earlier than expected (middle of the night)!

Finally, we reached the meat of the post. My expedition! Here’s a ✨ detailed ✨ collection of my experience in Hang Son Doong.

The tour is marketed as 6 days, but only 4 days were spent in the caves.

Day 1: Dong Hoi to Phong Nha + Briefing

Transfer to phong nha.

We reached Dong Hoi at 6 AM, and an assistant guide holding a card with my name written on it immediately ushered us to the car with a driver. The journey from Dong Hoi to Phong Nha took almost an hour. I was too tired to notice what was outside, but I did not miss the iconic Hollywood-style sign!

Check-in to Son Doong Bungalow + activities

Checking into our spacious room at Son Doong Bungalow was surprisingly quick . We got a room upon arrival at 7-ish AM! Rooms in this bungalow were named after caves in Phong Nha, and we happened to stay in Hang En. Our room had a double and a single bed, and free wifi, but no TV, which really isn’t needed anyway. There’s a pool by the rows of rooms.

We had our breakfast (not included) and booked a full-day tour around Phong Nha within the hour with the bungalow. It was a day well spent.

Oxalis requires participants to be at Dong Hoi before 3 PM that day, and ready for the evening briefing by 5.30 PM. We received the red dry bags from the bungalow.

Briefing + Welcome Dinner

Participants on the same tour as ours met by the breakfast table at 5.30 PM , greeted by our lead guide, Vu. We were reminded to bring our bags and shoes and boarded a one-way bus to the Oxalis office.

Briefing and checks took almost an hour while we sipped on complimentary drinks. We went through slides reiterating information from the emails while hungry mozzies feasted (I got two bites that night!). What’s interesting for me were the photos of the foot rot and itchy plants . Then came the shoes and bag checks by cave specialist Deb, getting our helmets fitted, grabbing the water bottles from Oxalis, and buying extra shirts or socks.

We had a delicious dinner with an assortment of side dishes paired with rice. Then more drinks, self-introductions, and getting eaten by mozzies, before we walked back to Son Doong Bungalow to rest and prepare for the trip.

Day 2: Phong Nha to Hang En Campsite

Breakfast and preparation.

Wearing long sleeves, long tights, and long socks can never be comfortable in a warm and humid environment. Especially so as you indulge in a warm bowl of Pho Bo for breakfast again.

Bags not meant for the caves and red bags meant for the caves were marked and named with special stickers from the day before.

We promptly left at around 8.30 AM on another bus, but this time, with the guide assistants as well. Somewhere along the way to the trailhead, we got off at a bridge of Ho Chi Minh Highway West that overlooked one of the many streams supporting the underground river into Hang En and Hang Son Doong.

Trailhead to Village Lunch

An easy hour-plus downhill hike through a forest, followed by some minor river crossings for half an hour to Ban Doong village . As we inched closer to the village, we saw free-roaming oxen and lots of cow dung. We even had a family of them enjoying their soak in the river we had to cross. The assistant guides had to chase them away as these oxen may attack.

Lunch was underneath a shelter in the village, with a squat toilet some distance away from the spot. We had wet rice rolls paired with a variety of ingredients to be wrapped, watermelon and yoghurt.

The guide also pointed out a two-storey school that Oxalis helped build that can be a shelter for the villagers in times of bad weather. Compared to the old school that was destroyed by the 2020 flood, this new compound has accommodations for the teachers, which is a big advantage. Teachers usually hail from other areas and need places to stay. This new upgrade helps to retain and keep educators happy.

A Merciless Unshaded River Tramp to Hang En

This section was the most taxing walk for me in retrospect . We were under the sun for almost two hours. Wading through the lukewarm river was fine as water levels were mostly beneath the knees (it was summer!). But the heat and humidity can make one dizzy. The assistant guides filled up the bottles of some participants with river water filtered from powerful filters.

We passed by a stream where cold water emerged from a small cave opening. That was the only short respite I felt for those two hours. Thereafter, the cold water merged with the warm water.

We reached the entrance of Hang En around 2 PM and took a small break – putting on our helmets and finding spots for more photos.

It didn’t take us long to reach the vantage point overlooking our first campsite. Perhaps 10 mins from the rest stop? Then another 10 mins of scrambling without bags to another viewpoint.

Finally, it was back down to ground level. We boarded a hand-pulled float over the river in Hang En and reached our campsite before 4 PM. Time for tea!

Hang En Activities

There are actually many activities to do in this camp. I, for instance, spent a long time playing with the many little fish in the river while rinsing my shoes and socks. Then an even longer time swimming in the river with the fish. Biodegradable soap is allowed here.

Dinner was served underneath a shelter. By then, we had already hung our clothes, checked out the toilet and changing rooms, enjoyed a cup of coffee, seen the colonies of swiftlets fly in and nest above our heads, and watched the light from the gaping hole slowly dwindled.

When night arrived, we sat around a tray of freshly roasted peanuts with a warm Vietnamese tea cupped in hand, while the assistant guides surprised us with another beautiful photo point. The lamp underneath the small dock, and another pointing to it, created another setup for an otherworldly photo.

Day 3: Hang Son Doong Day 1 | Hang En to Hang Son Doong

Out of hang en, into another forest.

Breakfast was an overkill! We had baguettes paired with beef slices, capsicums and eggs on a sizzling hot plate! 

The first activity was scrambling to another viewpoint behind the campsite without bags.

Then bags on from the campsite towards the exit of Hang En that leads to Hang Son Doong, as Ho Khanh first explored.

We trekked through rivers, again , before steadily ascending through a forest with steep rocky sections. Lunch was served atop the hill.

Safety Briefing, Descending into Hang Son Doong

Post-lunch, the assistant guides strapped us up in safety harnesses. Next came a short safety briefing conducted by the lead guide, and some demo of half-squat/ abseiling poses that’ll come in useful in the cave.

Our lunch stop was in very close proximity to the entrance of Hang Son Doong. After a clumsy – all of us were wearing harnesses! – short and steep descent supported by ropes and ladders, we came face-to-face with the red-painted words indicating the entrance of Hang Son Doong !

Puffs of mist and cool air erupted from the jagged mouth of Hang Son Doong. We waited for our turns to descend the 80 m slippery calcite rocks , leveraging on the ropes and half-squat positions. For every new safety rope, we clipped and unclipped our carabiners. A slow but easy process.

Bridges, Hand of Dog and Other Big Formations

Sounds of the underground river echoed within the cave chamber. As the water level was too high and dangerous for us to wade through, our river crossing for that day came to an eventual halt. Instead, we waited for our turns to tread over two bridges.

The ground below us changed from rocks covered with thin layers of slippery mud or water to soft wet sand that clung tenaciously over my shoes. We were now walking within The Hope and Vision Passage , where a Boeing 747 could easily fly through.

We stopped and gazed in wonder at a huge cavern where the tallest stalagmite lives (80m) . Behind it, late afternoon light streamed in from the misty and faraway doline 1. Standing between the clusters of gigantic formations was the unmistakable silhouette of the stalagmite funnily termed The Hand of Dog .

According to the guide and Oxalis website , this formation should have been called the omnipresent Hand of God . Somewhere along the exploration, however, the person who penned it down misheard the person who named it and the name has stuck ever since. 

After a display of these incredulous formations, courtesy of the staff who got there before us with strong lamps, we were back gingerly treading over a track filled with bobby traps in the form of slippery boulders, shaky rocks, and steep or wide crossings.

Our first campsite in Hang Son Doong, The Level Playing Fields , came into attention beneath our feet, enveloped by mist. Beside it stood the large vertical gaping hole of Doline 1, which we’ll enter the following day.

Underground River Swim and Fossils

We dropped our bags, changed our harnesses for life jackets, and headed towards the sound of the underground river.

The walls and floors became incredibly smooth, black and slippery as we got closer to the river, with some areas requiring us to sit and slide instead. Prehistoric old coral fossils embedded in the black rock came to view along the way.

Don’t let the cold water shock you! It was a nice relaxing swim after a hard day of walking over unsteady rocks. The cold water, about 16 dC, coupled with the life jacket, acted like a relaxant. We had a fish spa the day before, and now it was a cave cold water spa! We let the chilly water take away the soreness and sweat debris until I was toggling between a state of utter relaxation and a state of cold shivers.

Son Doong Campsite I: The Level Playing Fields

We swam and crawled/ walked back to the campsite – my legs were not mine after the cold soak. Then it was resting on camp chairs facing the magical doline, before another sumptuous dinner, roasted peanuts and tea, and finally black out.

Day 4: Hang Son Doong Day 2 | Doline to Doline Easy Day

Towards doline 1: watch out for dinosaurs.

Guess what’s for breakfast? A bowl of soupy vermicelli AND pancakes, complete with chocolate sauce or honey. Bananas were always present. Too bad my stomach isn’t quite awake for a big breakfast.

We ascended some rocky climbs towards the first doline: Watch Out For Dinosaurs at 9 AM. The origin story behind this doline isn’t as interesting as The Hand of Dog . A passing remark that a dinosaur may pop out from nowhere in the jungle stuck and remained.

But before we even reached the forest, we had a photo stop with the hole on the wall, or what some may call, The Eye of Hang Son Doong . The climb was not easy – it was very slippery, the walls were like marble – and needed three assistant guides to help. But the photos speak for themselves. A Spiderman, ninja or 007 pose gives perfect results.

Wandering within the First Doline

The first doline was formed when the weaker areas of the passage carved out by the underground river collapsed. Sunlight gave light and life sprang into action.

Within this doline lies the enchanting Wedding Cake that almost everyone who’s heard of Hang Son Doong would want a photo with. From the photos, the flat and fat stalagmite looks tall when it’s not. It’s all about the angles .

After spending countless moments soaking in the sights and sounds, it was time to head down towards our lunch stop.

But first, a quick stop for a photo with the green gours ! I’ve seen phytokarsts from my trip in other gigantic caves at Mulu National Park , but green gours are a first. These are green cave formations with algae growing on them from the ample sunlight exposure.

Lunch over A Heartbreakingly Beautiful View

Lunch was a simple but still delicious fried rice with egg at 12 NN. Before we tucked into our meals, we tucked into the sights at our lunch spot, trying out different ways and angles to record what we’re seeing in videos and photos. But there’s really no way you could capture the magical moment with a device. You have to see it to feel the depth of its beauty.

We saw the mist come and go, sometimes disrupted by the evasive sunbeam, as we munched on the fried rice.

Towards Doline 2: Garden of Edam

With our bellies filled, it was time to head over to Doline 2: The Garden of Edam !

Some of us climbed over a mountain of rough stalagmite to reach a vantage point for a timelapse video, while a few took their positions on the path towards the garden with their headlamps strategically shone in.

The Garden of Edam does not feature as many attractions – if you could say that – compared to Doline 1.

We were down to the dry and sandy Campsite II shortly after, reaching by 3 PM.

Son Doong Campsite II

The second campsite has a larger view of the sky, and we were earnestly hoping for some night shots. But alas, clouds blocked our view of the celestial sky, so there’s no Milky Way to boot.

As the second campsite is close to the exit, we had beer and canned drinks for dinner, courtesy of the strong porter team!

Day 5: Hang Son Doong Day 3 | Over the Great Wall of Vietnam and back to Phong Nha

Mud-travagant.

The last day began anew as with all days over a crazy breakfast. This time, it was fried noodles with French toast. Bananas were always there.

We strapped onto our harnesses that had more straps than the one we first wore into the cave. It’s time to ‘climb’ The Great Wall of Vietnam !

But first, some more photos of a gigantic stalagmite and – finally! – a stalactite. Also cave pearls – and potatoes – sound and look precious in their dams, but are like regular stones and pebbles out of their dams.

Oh, and the mud-fest! If you were to visit the Wall after a very heavy rainy day, it’s not mud you’ll cross, but a raft to row over a beautiful lake to the bottom of the Wall.

For us, we had muddy trenches and walked like supermodels through a V-shaped valley that has the width of a foot as its breadth. I meant it as supermodels since you walk toes in (to the mud) or shoes gone (in the mud). Some sections had muddy water going as high as my knees.

The Great Wall of Vietnam

Scaling the wall was very different during the exploratory times. Back then, it took explorers two days to crack their heads for a safe way to climb the delicate flowstone wall . Now, it took us less than an hour with an 18 m stainless steel ladder and climbing ropes over 45-degree slopes with an assistant guide pulling our weight from above.

But before we could even hop onto the ladder, we had to rid ourselves of the mud. The team had cleverly directed a small stream into a bucket with a brush tied to it.

Climbing the 18 m ladder was easy.

Climbing the first section of the slope was like a warm-up for the half-squat-fall-back position we had previously learnt.

Climbing the second section became increasingly easier after the warm-up. We had the guide assistants pulling our weights from above as well, and I was at the top within minutes. Waiting for our turns took a longer time.

They said lunch, consisting of a yummy beef stew with baguette and cold drinks from outside, was light, and we would enjoy another complimentary light lunch/ snack at Chay Lap. For me, it was the last tasty camp food before we left the caves, and I might have taken more than what was supposed to be a light lunch .

Bidding Hang Son Doong Goodbye

The distance from the lunch stop to the exit was a short and easy 500 m. We also saw bones of an animal (they said it was a deer but who would have known?), already calcite-covered for N years .

Jungle trekking that day was different from jungle trekking on D2 and D3. There were significantly more razor-sharp jagged limestones and unstable rocks. Those sharp rocks were similar to the ones I faced for my Mulu Pinnacles climb , where a woman fell and cut herself deep on her inner thigh. She needed stitches.

It took us probably an hour from the Son Doong Cave exit to Ho Chi Minh Highway. The trek plateaued once we reached the bottom of the hill with many butterflies.

Bus to Chay Lap Farmstay

There’s not much to note for the 45 mins bus ride back to civilization. We were all too sticky with wet feet mushed in wet shoes to pay attention to anything.

The welcome champagne and cold towel from Chay Lap Farmstay excite us for what’s to come – a nice hot shower! 

Farewell Dinner

After the wash-up, we had our last dinner together with the team. It was the same setting as the dinner of Day 1 with the same people but in a different mood. Food was, obviously, less tasty than camp food. We exchanged contacts (and hundreds of photos and GBs of videos), took farewell photos, tipped, bought a photography book and bade everyone good night.

Day 6: Leaving Phong Nha

Phong nha to dong hoi.

Some participants left in the early morning for the train to Hanoi, or the flight to Ho Chi Minh City. Transport to Dong Hoi was provided, and our lead guide took note of everyone’s departure during the last dinner.

Chay Lap has a decent variety of dishes for their breakfast, but nothing comes close to the overkill breakfasts of the last three days!

For us, we maxed our time in the comfortable room until it was time to leave for our next destination. Unlike others, we booked a private car to take us to Hue, stopping by some stops in the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ) . We had the drop-off arranged at Oxalis HQ since Chay Lap was considered out of the pickup zone of Phong Nha centre.

Post Trip Activities

If you have more time to spare in Phong Nha, here are some ideas for post-Son Doong activities:

• Kayak/ cycle. Chay Lap offers discounts for kayaking and free rental bikes.
• Tour the other caves and attractions around Phong Nha . Some famous ones include Paradise Cave, Phong Nha Cave, and the Dark Cave. There are full-day tours for these at good prices with lunch included.
• Massage and relax. Chay Lap has massage services.

Beyond Phong Nha, head North for Hanoi. You could make a stop at Ninh Binh. Head South towards Danang or Ho Chi Minh City, with the conventional stops at Hue, Hoi An, Muine and Dalat. I took the opportunity to tour around the DMZ on the way to Hue.

More Caving Expeditions I Hope To Do

Phong Nha is a cave wonderland with caves providing different challenges and sights to experience. Here are two that I hope to visit someday:

• Hang Va . Ho Khanh, the man who found Hang Son Doong discovered Hang Va too. Hang Va has strange cone formations, an underground waterfall, an emerald river, and many impressive stalactites. The entrance of Hang Va is near the exit of Hang Son Doong. There’s only one tour to Hang Va from Oxalis and it costs USD 426 for 4D3N.
• Hang Tien. For the strange tornado-like hole in the ceiling of one of its chambers. There are three tours of varying lengths to pick from, but I might go all out for the 6D5N with camping in jungles, an abseil and a flying fox, and eight caves to explore . Prices range from USD 355 for a 3D2N to USD 774 for the 6D5N.

To wrap it up, the USD 3,000 took me a lot of deliberation, time to save, and anxiety when I transferred such a big sum overseas. Money aside, it also took me a year to wait for the trip. Someone in our group waited even longer, having booked before the pandemic!

But the expedition was well worth the wait and moolas. I had a memorable good time that not many would have the opportunity to experience. More people have felt the winds at the peak of Mount Everest than the sunbeams in Doline 1. This is a strange but painfully beautiful part of nature that I’m glad I’ve savoured in real life.

Tips To Take Note

• Book early. It’s expensive, yet it’s booked months in advance. Make sure you book your transport early too!
• Mind your fitness. Or you’ll feel the pain and soreness at the end of the day.
• Pack sensibly. Wear light and bright clothes so your photos pop.
• Ease into your gear. Make sure the shoes are workable in the river and over slippery surfaces. Have a bag with straps such that they do not move around your torso too much. Waterproof dry bags are great since they don’t collect as much dirt, but the back, where your skin is in contact with, can get hot and stuffy.
• Have good cameras. An action camera is small and convenient to carry around. My Huawei P30 Pro may be old, but it has taken countless beautiful photos (since the start of my Working Holiday in New Zealand! ). One of the participants’ Samsung Z Fold was abused for most of everyone’s iconic shots. Iphones do not work as well for night shots or under dim lights.
• Have clips or straps to hold your camera. Go hands-free and yet capture the moments.
• Electrolytes. For the sweat loss. Thwarts cramps.
• Baby powder or prickly heat powder . For the wet wrinkly feet. Also helps fight sticky sweaty skin and gives relief under high humidity.

You May Also Like

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Explore the World's Biggest Cave From Your Couch

Is virtual reality the future of experiencing Earth's greatest natural wonders?

At F8, Facebook’s annual developer conference in San Jose, California, the social media company shared updates on React 360, an interactive WebVR and 360 content publisher. Experiences made using the technology can show up across the web and in people’s Facebook News Feeds, effectively bringing virtual reality to its more than two billion members—no headset required.

To showcase this feature, Facebook is working with National Geographic and showcasing an updated version of a 2015 National Geographic interactive VR story . In it, readers were invited to take a virtual tour of Son Doong, a recently discovered cave in Vietnam, believed to be the world’s largest.

“In the social media world, this is a big deal,” says Martin Edström, the photographer who originally captured the 360 photo spheres of Son Doong for National Geographic. “Now people can literally walk through the largest cave in the world without leaving Facebook.”

The new version of this virtual tour is updated from the original in several ways, including improved navigation, an informative audio guide, and better photographic tonality. The advancements help viewers feel as though they are really standing amid an eerie, alien landscape of enormous stalagmites in a cavern so large a Boeing 747 could fly through it—literally.

The technology to create and capture 360-degree interactive photographs and VR content has generally outpaced its distribution mechanisms. VR photographers and filmmakers have struggled to share their work with the general population. Facebook’s efforts may indicate that VR storytelling will become a more ubiquitous part of our digital media experiences.

“It's a big step toward immersive and interactive content becoming a part of the way we tell stories,” says Edström.

Revisiting Son Doong

In 2014, Edström, a photojournalist from Stockholm, Sweden, heard of a recently discovered cave in central Vietnam's Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park. It was being called the world’s largest. He jumped at the opportunity to capture it in virtual reality.

The entrance to Son Doong, meaning “cave of the mountain river,” was first discovered in 1991 by Hồ Khanh, a local logger. In 2009, a team of scientists and explorers, having heard tale of Hồ Khanh’s fabled discovery, contacted him and requested his help to find the cave. It took several months, but he eventually retraced his way back through the remote jungle to once again find the dark, foreboding maw in the earth.

He and the team of scientists, using proper caving systems and techniques, pushed exploration into the cave.

All were utterly astonished by what they saw.

The cave, estimated to be between two and five million years old, is believed to be the largest cave passage in the world. It’s more than three miles long, with numerous chambers large enough to hold an entire city block of New York skyscrapers. Being the world’s largest cave, Son Doong contains many appropriately gargantuan formations, including the 200-foot “Hand of the Dog,” which might be the world’s largest stalagmite, as well as baseball-sized “cave pearls,” a type of speleothem that’s typically much smaller.

Son Doong is also distinguished by two large dolines, areas where the cave roof collapsed, that let in light and created conditions for dense prehistoric flora to grow in the middle of the cave.

Fighting to Protect Son Doong

Soon after Son Doong was discovered, tourism operators moved in to convert the natural wonder into a money-making operation. Oxalis Adventure Tours currently holds the cave’s sole tourism permit and brings upwards of 800 people per year through the remote passage at a cost of up to $3,000 per person.

In 2014, another tourism company unveiled a controversial proposal to construct a 6.5-mile-long cable car through Son Doong.

“Since then, a large activist network, called Save Son Doong has been touring Vietnam, showing our VR story to local people and getting people to sign a petition to save the cave from large-scale tourism,” says Edström. “They go to universities, political rallies, and schools to let people experience this cave through our VR experience.”

In his last address to the people of Vietnam, President Obama stated Son Doong ought to be preserved, which has also bolstered the cause.

The cable-car remains just a proposal for now. This fact very well may be credited to the power of Edström’s imagery, which showed the world the spectacular natural beauty of this cave. Edström sees Facebook’s new feature as a powerful new conservation tool.

“This isn’t just a story about a cave,” says Edström. “It's a story about sustainably managing our natural heritage and making sure our grandkids still can marvel at its beauty.”

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