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Phong Nha-Ke Bang: UNESCO Park With 300 Caves & Counting

Vietnam is a Southeast Asian country filled with natural wonders – from probably the most picturesque beaches in the world towards the largest collapse the planet. It has been UNESCO World Heritage inscribed since 2003 and offers breath-taking natural splendor. It's a rare national park that's visually stunning on the surface and underground.

For a really different cave experience of northern California and the North american, consider going through the incredible lava tube caves – like around Mt Shatsha. Caves are a constant reminder that there is always so much more than what you would think. They are also an essential facet of researching the Maya who considered caves because the holy conduits to the underworld.

The Remarkable Beauty of Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park

Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park is situated around 500 kilometers south of Hanoi and borders the Hin Namno National Park in Laos. The park was created to protect one of the world's two largest karst regions with 300 caves and grottoes and it is remarkable ecosystem of limestone forest.

  • Size: 85,754 hectares – Extended to 123,326 hectares
  • Designated: World Heritage Since 2003
  • Caves: 300 Caves and Grottos
  • Undiscovered: Only Around 70% of The Jungle Here's Explored

While the park is known to have some 300 caves and grottos, there might be much more. It is thought that around 70% from the jungle here remains unexplored. The world's largest cave – Sn Doòng Cave was only discovered within 2009. It boasts a few of the world's largest cave systems, longest passageways, and underground rivers.

Exploring The Caves Of Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park

One from the main draws towards the national park may be the caves. These have to be explored as part of an organized tour as well as for a number of them like Sn Doòng Cave, Oxalis Adventure is the only organization able to offer tours. They have exclusive tour rights to Son Doong Cave (the biggest collapse the planet), Hang En Cave (the third-largest cave in the world), along with the Nuoc Nut and also the Tu Lan cave systems.

Oxalis Adventure is the leading adventure tour operator in Vietnam that has pioneered caving and jungle experiences in Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park. They offer multi-day around a few of the caves in the park which include camping inside the caves at night.

  • Camping: They Also Offer Cave Camping
  • Expeditions: Eventually to Four Day Expeditions

Oxalis Adventure takes safety seriously and works closely with experts from the British Cave Research Association. Additionally, they merely use quality equipment from France, Switzerland, and also the UK in an effort to meet international safety standards.

Their more demanding expeditions include cave experts, porters, a professional guide, cooks, and medical staff. Which have cave tours which range from easy family tours that one can take the kids together with to very hard tours where one needs to maintain good condition and perhaps to have some practice.

Caves That Can Be Explored With Oxalis Adventure:

  • Son Doong Cave
  • Tu Lan Cave System
  • Hang Tien Cave
  • Hang En Cave
  • Hang Va Cave
  • Nuoc Nut Cave

Son Doong Cave – The Largest Cave In The World

The Son Doong Cave is so large that it is cross-section is believed to be with twice how big the world's next largest passage. It's also thought to be the largest collapse the planet by volume – and contains been named by the Guinness Book of World Records as the largest since 2013. It has only been open to the general public since 2013.

  • Name: Hang Sn Doòng Can Be Translated As “Cave of the Mountain River” or “Cave of The Mountains Being Doòng [village]”
  • Age: It is Thought To Be Between 2 and 5 Million Years Old
  • Subterranean River: The Rao Thuong River Has Carved The Cave
  • Volume: 38.5 million cubic meters
  • Guinness Book of World Records: Listed Because the Largest Collapse The World In The 2013 Edition

The only option to visit the Son Doong cave is on four-day expeditions with Oxalis Adventure. It is rated as hard – adventure level 6 so one much have a very good level of fitness and former trekking experience.

While the Son Doong Cave may be the biggest and baddest of the numerous gives up the nation's park, it is far from the only one worth exploring.

  • Duration: 4 Day Expedition
  • Trekking Length: 17 Kilometers (10 Miles) Of Trekking Over Very Rocky Terrain
  • Caving Length: 8 Kilometers (5 Miles) Of Caving With Rope Climbs, Scrambling, In a 90 Meter Ascent from the Wall of Vietnam
  • Camping: 3 Nights of Underground Camping

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