5 reasons to add Son Doong to your travel wishlist

Vietnam has certainly made its name to world's best places for caves and geological exploration, thanks to natural

gifts such as Halong Bay and Son Doong. While the former has earned numerous recognition and received millions

of tourists, the latter only caught public attention recently. Apart from being the largest caves in the world, Son Doong

is worth your time and effort for many other reasons:

(Photo: John Spies - Barcroft Media)

1. The lifetime experience of stepping into another world

Its recent discovery makes it unspoiled by humans and its unique size and formation make it look like another planet.

The atmosphere is ethereal and surreal as clouds of mist just hover around, filtering the light. Inside the cave, you will

find many strange things that cannot be found anywhere else: giant lime pillars hanging from the ceiling and rising

from the floor, large skylights that bring light into the jungle, cave pearl of base-ball size, a muddy calcite wall of 60

meters, a huge river of unknown source and “alien” species that are unique to Son Doong.

2. A challenging but relatively manageable adventure

While Everest is the tallest mount and Amazon is the largest jungle, Son Doong is the biggest cave ever discovered.

And given the spectacular beauty mentioned above, Son Doong is not only for scientists, but also for adventurers.

Whereas climbing Everest is extremely physically and mentally demanding (mortalities are the norm on the peak),

discovering Son Doong is much less risky and dangerous. Son Dong has its own climate but it is not that extreme.

The cave formation is massive and bizarre but traversable. Nevertheless, getting to and discovering Son Doong is a

test of endurance and physical prowess. The tour will offer you the thrills of adventure as you walk, climb and

scramble a total of 50 kilometers on foot through all kinds of wild terrain.

3. A package that comes with many extras

The tour package includes many extras aside from the expedition into Son Doong. On the way to your final

destination, you will visit Ban Doong, the only ethnic village within Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park, and enjoy

your time in Hang En Cave, the third largest cave in the world and home of thousands of swifts and a underground

river. Many other natural beauty will unfold before your eye as you trek through the forests. At the end of the tour,

when your energy has been drained out after days of conquering the wilderness, you will have your fulfilling rest at

Sun Spa Resort in Dong Hoi City. All of these extras will give you a satisfying experience.

4. A chance to make friend with people from around the world

It is uncontroversial that world-class wonders attract people worldwide. Son Doong is not the exception. Every year,

there are only few hundred tourists who are lucky enough to have the tickets to Son Doong. They are people from all

over the world, those who craves to witness the spectacular beauty of this natural marvel. The guiding team is also

international with two English cave-experts from the British Cave Research Association. Teaming together to

overcome all the challenges along the way and finally reach the destination of awe is inherently the bonding element

of the adventure. You will not only see the natural beauty but also learn from and make friend with people from all

backgrounds and nationalities.

5. Your base for further exploration

The adventure tour to Son Doong is actually an opportunity for you to further explore Vietnam.

Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park is massive and Son Doong is just one of a network of over 150 caves in the

area. Dong Hoi is a beautiful city along the central coastal region of Vietnam. From Dong Hoi, it is very convenient to

travel to other attractions of Central Vietnam such as Vinh, Hue and Da Nang. Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City are also

within the reach as there are direct flights from Dong Hoi to these tourism hubs.

Source: VNO