Son Doong Cave

Son Doong is located in the heart of Phong Na Kebang National Park in Quang Province, Vietnam. The cave, recently discovered by two researchers from 2009 to 2010, has been open to tourists since 2013. It is said that there are more people who have climbed Mount Everest than there are people who have visited this cave, and this is because this cave is not yet so well known among the people of the world and its tourists. Vietnam’s Son Doong Cave is the largest cave in the world ever discovered and visited by tourists. The cave can accommodate 747 tourists at a time. To date, 150 caves and 140 km of tunnels have been discovered in this cave, which are decorated with ancient fossils.
Imagine walking in the depths of the world’s largest cave in a space unlike anything you’ve ever seen before. It is a very large cave from which a 747 aircraft can fly. A very exciting atmosphere that makes you wonder if you are still on planet Earth. The scenery inside Son Doong Cave is nowhere to be found, with huge stalagmites rising from the ground and stalactites hanging from the ceiling like space creatures.
The forests that appear inside the cave are a very amazing scene that you have to see to believe. Clouds can be seen throughout the landscape as a result of the cave-specific climate system. The halls are decorated with ancient fossils, which are evidence that the earth has been alive for millions of years. As you approach the mouth of the cave, cool air enters your face that brings life back to you. This incredible coolness shows you that you are about to see the magic of more than one cave. May to September is the best time for cave and nature tourism.
A local named Hu Khan spent most of the week in the woods around the cave to find food and wood to sell and earn money. In 1990, he went hunting, climbed a cliff and went hiking along it. At the same time, he reached the crater from which fog-like clouds were coming out and at the same time the sound of water hitting the walls of the cave could be heard. When he felt the strong wind coming out of the cave, he decided to go inside the cave to search further. But after he returned home, he lost his way in the cave and the cave gradually disappeared from his mind.
At the same time, two members of the British Cave Research Association (BCRA), Howard and Deb Limbert in Phong Na, were exploring the environment and finding different caves. They met Khan Hu, and in this acquaintance, he mentioned that he had seen a cave with a cloud and a river inside. After several unsuccessful attempts, they concluded that the mouth of the mysterious cave was most likely buried in the forest.
In 2008, Hu Khan, who was re-collecting food, rediscovered the world’s largest cave and accurately marked the access route. In 2009, he led Howard, Deb, and other researchers to the cave, which was later renamed the Hang Son Doong Cave, meaning River Mountain Cave.
Vietnam’s Phong Na Kebang National Park contains the oldest karst system in Asia, between 400 and 450 million years old. Son Doong Cave is relatively younger and dates back to 3 million years ago according to archaeologists.
Formed on a fault, the cave has the huge Rao Tung River that flows through the cliffs and is seen as a large tunnel under the mountains. The massive pits, known as the Dollins, collapsed some 300,000 years ago to form the entrance to the cave. The cave pearls, which are the size of a baseball, formed from the roof of the cave due to the collapse of water.
When you walk on this cave and pass the beauties, there are wonders that dazzle your eyes, such as small and large pools that have dried on the ground and small stones that are inside it. The remains are like tiny blue drops that pile up and have a special beauty.
Such a cave, due to its geographical location and due to its climate, has a special type of vegetation and animals, and many plants and animals have chosen this cave for life. Plants are mostly seen in the early areas of the cave. In fact, plants have grown up to the point where the light reaches the cave. Also, many animals such as bats, snakes, birds, monkeys, etc. continue to live in Hang Son Doong.
The first discovery was made at an altitude of 80 meters, which is jokingly called the Great Wall of Vietnam. In 2010, the second time researchers explored the cave, they finally managed to climb the wall and discover the continuation of the cave. It was then that Vietnam’s Son Doong Cave was named the world’s largest cave.
Son Doong, which is more than 5 kilometers wide and 150 meters high and has a height of 200 meters, is so large that it can accommodate a neighborhood in one of the largest cities in the world with 40-storey towers. With a total volume of 38.5 million cubic meters, this cave easily overcomes the Deer Cave in Malaysia, which is known as the largest cave before. Stalagmites up to 80 meters high have been seen, which are the tallest in the world.
To reach Hang Son Doong, adventurers must first cross the village of Ben Dong Ethnic. The only village inside the Phong Na Kebang National Park has a population of less than 40 people. Life is difficult for this small population here, because they are very far from other parts of the world and do not have many facilities.
Of course, the discovery of this cave, which has helped to develop tourism in the region, is improving the economic situation of the people day by day. For many tourists, visiting the world’s largest cave and meeting the hospitable people of this village has been a very attractive part of their trip to Vietnam. Ben Dong shows you a life that has not changed much for hundreds of years.