Protecting Vietnam’s Vast Caves May Have Sparked a Wildlife Comeback
“When we were surveying Sơn Đoòng [Cave], we rarely saw any primates,” says Howard Limbert. “Now, we see big groups of Hatinh langurs on nearly every trip.”
Phong Nha
Click on the photos below to read stories, guides and itineraries. The articles are free to read unless the publisher has a paywall.
Lonely Planet
•
31st August 2024
The Joy of Quiet Places
A raging typhoon besieges the land, forcing the waterways into a frenzy. Seething rivers overwhelm the embankments, flooding the villages and submerging the rice paddies. The jungle-clad karst mountains rise above the chaos, but a deluge erodes their cavernous insides. Each time a typhoon hits, these caves grow a little bigger.
Silkwinds (SilkAir)
•
1st July 2019
COVER STORY: Journey to the Underworld
"Don't step there," our guide says, pointing to a dubious area of brown sludge. "We might lose you."
AFAR
•
1st December 2021
Where to Go in 2022: Phong Nha
Phong Nha–Ke Bang National Park, a geologically notable site in central Vietnam, has tempted daredevils since 2013, when Son Doong, the biggest cave on the planet (large enough to hold a Boeing 747), opened for multiday tours. The Phong Nha–based company Oxalis Adventure is hoping to launch a fresh adventure in 2022 that’s set to rival the Son Doong Expedition, its flagship experience.
The Toronto Star
•
12th April 2021
Hidden Depths in Vietnam
The discovery of the world's biggest cave is a tourist draw -- and a route to sustainable travel.
The Red Bulletin (Red Bull)
•
2nd April 2020
Venture Travel: Son Doong
"What a view,” quips my guide, Hieu, as I gingerly traverse
along a 50m-long razor-sharp ridge jutting up from a gaping crater carved into the depths of the Earth. I assume he’s joking, because
when I peer down, there’s nothing but pitch blackness in the cosmic abyss.
along a 50m-long razor-sharp ridge jutting up from a gaping crater carved into the depths of the Earth. I assume he’s joking, because
when I peer down, there’s nothing but pitch blackness in the cosmic abyss.
Vietnam Tourism Board
•
3rd February 2019
A Complete Guide to Phong Nha
Phong Nha is an adventurer’s paradise. Millions of years of flooding have chiseled out the world’s largest caves, meandering rivers entwine ancient karsts, and jungle-clad mountains lend an otherworldly atmosphere.
Vietnam Tourism Board
•
24th August 2019
In Phong Nha, the Adventure of a Lifetime
What do drooping dragon claws and bulging broccoli sprigs have in common? You’ll find formations resembling both in the Tu Lan cave system, one of Vietnam’s most diverse subterranean kingdoms. Son Doong, crowned the biggest cave on the planet in 2009, continues to steal headlines. But that doesn’t mean it deserves all the attention. Phong Nha offers every caving experience imaginable.
The Tu Lan cave system is woven together by a network of streams that carve up the countryside. This took place
The Tu Lan cave system is woven together by a network of streams that carve up the countryside. This took place
Mabuhay (Philippine Airlines)
•
1st October 2019
Towering Heights
With underground chambers wide enough to fit a soccer field, the caves of Vietnam are among the world's largest. And with an increasing number of them opening to the public – all a few million years old – the country is becoming a hot spot for adventure tourism.
SilverKris (Singapore Airlines)
•
8th November 2019
Going Underground
As the world’s largest and third-largest caves respectively, Hang Son Doong and Hang En loom large on Asia’s adventure tourism circuit. But don’t let them overshadow central Vietnam’s other underground dominions. Here are six other caves worth discovering, all of which you can only visit with a licensed company that provides guides, food, water, safety equipment and headtorches.
For multi-day expeditions you’ll stay in outdoor campsites in paradisal surroundings. Some are perched on riverbends
For multi-day expeditions you’ll stay in outdoor campsites in paradisal surroundings. Some are perched on riverbends
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