How thing was started?

The cave was first discovered by a local name Ho Khanh but did not open for public until in 2013. I was super ecstatic about the news especially after learning about how enormous cave is. I’m so proud that it located in my home country and cannot wait to have a chance to see it in person. After many fall out on planning due to budgeting, pandemic closed down …, I finally reserved to go on Son Doing Cave Expedition’s 10th year anniversary.

Son Doong Expedition is a cave trekking tour was solely organized and maintained by Oxalis Adventure to venture into the underground world to discover and explore the largest cave in Vietnam, and to see the beauty of cave. During this 4 days 3 Cave Expedition tour, we will see so many formations such as huge stalactites, stalagmites, cave pearls, underground rivers, dolines and a forest growing right inside the cave. We will also have opportunities to contemplate the giant sunbeams through the cave if weather allows, encounter unique cave creatures and lastly conquer the 90 meter high Great Wall of Vietnam..

What you should prepare?

Once you are successfully reserved the tour, you should be physically ready. Depending on your regular exercise habits, you can prepare yourself by following recommendations by Oxalis Adventure. If you can jog or trek 10km, climb up five level of stairs without heavy breathing, you are ready to go. I was surprised and grateful on how everything was professionally organized from your safety to your food choice. Each tour is limited to 10 guests. You will be accompanied by a big team: one cave specialist/ safety expert, one tour guide, 6 safety assistants, 2 cooks and 17 porters. During the whole trekking experience, each guest will be accompanied by a safety assistant to make sure the final destination will be reached. We got taken care of, literally from morning tea to hot well prepared breakfast, picnic style lunch to delicious various selections for dinner as well as late night snack.

Porters will help you carry 7 kg of essential clothings and items to your campsite , so plan smartly. You should bring colorful outfits to pop up in your photos. Red and neon green are the two favorite colors in this trip.

The caving expedition contains trekking through primary forest with elevation gains from 150m to 800m, multiple river crossings (10 to 50 meters wide with knee-deep water in normal conditions) passing various terrains inside the cave such as rocky scrambling, sandbanks, up and down ladders and rope climbs.

Key dates:

Tour dates: 26th – 31st of January, 2023

Weather: Wet & Cool

Temperatures: High of 22°C and Low of 11°C

Full itenary

DAY 0: Arrived Dong Hoi airport

We arrived in Dong Hoi where a driver from Oxalis adventure holding our names on a sign. We went to our hotel in Phong Nha Ke Bang National Park, a 45 min drive from the airport, which was named after where we were going, Son Doong Bungalow. The area itself has a lot to offer and is stunning. You are surrounded by mountains. We have time to explore around and get all the things you need for the trip.The evening before the trip began we headed out to Oxalis’s main office and met the team and the rest of our explorers. Oxalis checked our trekking shoes and backpacks to make sure it was right for the trip. We then had dinner and got to know everyone else. Like i mentioned before, we had 10 people total going on the trip including 1 tour guide, 1 Head cave specialist, 7 Safety Assistants, 2 chefs, and 17 porters. We didn’t get to meet everyone until the next morning. Once the dinner was done at the Oxalis headquarters they gave us our dry bags to pack our belongings for our porters. We packed anything we didn’t need during the day e.g. our clothes, slippers, toiletries etc. We could pack 7kgs each and had to carry everything else ourselves the entire trip. This included our helmets that had to fit inside our backpack with my essentials and camera.

Day 1: The jungle ,Doong village, Hang En Cave

After dropping off my essential bag to the hotel reception 07:00 am, I had my not so famous beef pho breakfast and greet my group before departure time at 09:00 am. A bus was ready to pick us up at 9 am to begin our adventure. The bus ride was over an hour long going through windy Ho Chi Minh roads in the Vietnamese mountains and jungles. The views gave us a window into where we were heading. We arrived at our starting point. A literal path on the side of a road next to a small shrine. It was raining hard and hadn’t stopped all morning. This makes the trekking conditions wet, dangerous and you might say interesting. Before we headed out, there was a monk at the shrine praying for the well-being of the beginning of the trekking season. We watched for a bit and then we began our long steep descent of around 350 meters inside Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park. After reaching the bottom of the mountain, you will keep going for about half an hour through the forest with few stream crossings before coming to Ban Doong – a small village of the Bru-Van Kieu ethnic minority. With the rain as our companion, we ventured into the jungle, ready to embrace the unknown. I can’t stress how nerve wrecking this part was. We literally went downhill for 2-3 hrs straight, whilst collecting every leech on the way. Note: Bring leech repellent with you, or tuck your pants into your socks and be prepared to get at least 1 or 2 on the way.

As we trekked deeper into the jungle, the rain continued to pour, adding an extra layer of adventure and excitement to our journey. Despite the challenging weather conditions, we were determined to make the most of our experience. We also had waterproof jackets, backpacks, quick drying hiking trousers, quick draining trainers and socks which made a huge difference. The Oxalis team had prepared a delicious meal that refuelled our energy and invigorated our spirits. Surrounded by the sounds of nature and the vibrant greenery in Doong Village, we enjoyed a moment of tranquillity in the midst of our exhilarating expedition. We also de-leeched as needed and changed socks if we brought along a spare for the day.

After lunch at the house of the village elder and learning about living here, we continue trekking about 3 hours to reach Hang En Cave for the first night’s camping – one of Vietnam’s best-cave camping sites. There will be a few more river crossings with stunning natural scenery. Since it was down fall all morning , torrent is little strong so we are required to linked arms together and cross in a group of four at a time. The anticipation built as we ventured deeper into the wilderness, and finally, we arrived at the awe-inspiring entrance of the Hang En Cave

Entering Hang En Cave through a small entrance, crossing the underground river and climbing a small hill you will see a spectacular campsite, full of light, located underneath a large high entrance. Stepping inside Hang En felt like entering another world entirely. The sheer magnitude of the cave, with its towering stalagmites and magnificent formations, left us speechless. We couldn’t help but marvel at the wonders of nature surrounding us. It felt like a natural cathedral that outshone anything we had experienced before. Oh! Did I mention that the campsite is jaw dropping. Seriously! Something straight out of a movie. You will not be disappointed. The rest of the evening was up to us. I spent most of my time exploring, swimming in the water and taking pics.

Day 2: Heading to Son Doong, Hand of Dog & Doline 1

Waking up inside Hang En Cave was a surreal experience. As the first light of day filtered through the cave entrance, it illuminated the magnificent formations, creating an ethereal atmosphere. We took the time to appreciate the beauty of our surroundings before preparing for the day ahead. The time of year we travelled, being late Jan-early Feb, meant we had excellent visibility, with little fog or morning mist, which was perfect for pictures, but it does mean cooler/cold nights, so don’t skimp on camping clothes like jackets, bed socks or beanies.

After breakfast, we embarked on a trek through the cave, exploring its hidden corners and marvelling at its natural wonders. The guided tour provided us with insights into the geological history and cultural significance of the cave, making the experience all the more enriching. Sometimes you would be focusing on your footsteps and moving over the terrain and a guide would tap you on the shoulder to point out a 3 story stalagmite or a huge formation you would have completely missed without looking up. After walking in the pitch black passages, we came to Hang En’s exit. SURREAL!!!. The scale and the beauty via images won’t do it justice. You just have to see it in person where the movie: Peter Pan – Pan and Neverland filmed, We made our way down and went out back into the jungle to continue more trekking and exploring, much to my delight, just like Nathan Drake

The journey from Hang En Exit to Son Doong follows the river with many more river crossings. We finally reach the entrance, but we didn’t rush to go down just yet. We made it to our lunch spot and got prepped to make our way into the cave. Our safety specialist Dai and our tour guide Tha helped putting us in our harness and talked us through any health concerns and safety to repel, more like walk slowly, through the cave. We made our way to the entrance and began our descent, just be careful of the sharp rocks and take your time. There’s no going back after this point. As we made our way down, you can hear and see bats flying around. We went from light to dark. Adrenaline swept through our body. I loved every second of this. Just an fyi – you are in safe hands as you descend into darkness. The team/guides will assist you on where to put your feet as you head down and if you need, give you a helping hand where necessary.

We finally reached the bottom, crossed a cave river via crossing a ladder, and came to another cave river and did it again. So much adventure and adrenaline during day 2.

We came to a rest point at a place called Hand of Dog and then made it to our second campsite, another epic spot. After crossing the river twice, some sandbanks and rocky slopes, We come to see a huge stalagmite, called the Hand of Dog.

Around 16:30 , we finally arrived at the first campsite of Son Doong – named the Level Playing Fields. There will be toilets and changing tents here. Another highlight not to be missed: swimming in a cold underground pool (17-22 degrees). Useful for muscle relaxation and also refreshing yourself after a hard day. You would need to wear trekking shoes, long sleeved-shirts, long pants to get here and for swimming. A life-jacket is required. Another delicious dinner will be waiting for you after swimming. Giving that I was on my period, cave swiming in ice cold water was not a good idea. I highly recommend it and it would probably one of the best thrilling experience I could get to do in the cave. Our group swam for maybe 70m and then our guide, Tha, turned off the lights and we were in the water in pitch black which was a strange and humbling experience. Thank God we have lights and some of the best guides in the world.

We came back from the underground pool and the pop up sauna was waiting for us while our dinner was prepared by our fabulous team. After dinner, we gathered around cave bonfire, talk and stargazing. We were so hyped with all the scenery we saw today and it was only day 2. I couldn’t wait for the next day would have brought.

Day 3: 007 to Garden of Edam , Doline 2

Every morning you wake up in awe of your surroundings and quickly that awe changes to heart pounding bouldering. We bouldered downwards and then bouldered upwards into the sinkhole.

During day 3, you’ll need all the camera batteries you can get. So many amazing opportunities to take incredible images. The first of many is a slippery layered stalagmite named The Wedding Cake. Make sure you wear a colourful top when you stand on The Wedding Cake for the best pictures. Red is my color and it did the justice. As you descending down to the lunch spot, you would be awed. This is the best million-dollar view lunch you could get. Depending on the time of the year, a beautiful sun beam would come down. FYI – we were the second group to go into the cave in 2023, and did got some mesmerized moments.

Once you are done exploring the sinkhole, you’ll head down to the reason why you came, Son Doong aka Watch Out For Dinosaurs.

The campsite here, like usual, is out of this world. You’ll get to relax a lot here or if you want, the tour guide will take you around and show you some awesome formations.

Day 4 – The Great Wall of Vietnam

Today is our final day of an adventure of a lifetime and what a way to finish it. On the last day of this journey, we would carry on cave exploring and learning about the unique creatures that live in the darkness for millions of years such as: spiders, fishes, woodlice and centipedes. They all have the same characters but no eyes, and almost translucent. Cave pearls are also a special formation that can only exist within Son Doong Cave. Starting my new day of this wonderful trip with a classic vietnamese coffee with milk, the exciting adventure has yet to come. After breakfast, I once again put on helmets and harness to ready for the great the Great Wall of Viet Nam, one of the best caving experiences.

I came to Son Doong during winter, so we got to see an underground river. After putting on lifejackets and strategically placed on a raft, we just float and enjoy peaceful and bizarre river ride ever with sprinkling water from above and turquoise Passchendaele passage. On different occasions during drier season guests would have to walk through the muddy Passchendaele passage instead. After 30 minutes rowing I came to the deadend, I saw a ladder that leads to ‘The Great Wall of Vietnam’.

A wall that is almost 90 m high and your only exit out of the cave. This was my favourite part and I don’t want to ruin anything but you’ll be in safe hands, so enjoy it and take it in. And the hardest part had begun. A 18 meter high stainless steel ladder was bolted to the straight up wall. This would be the only metal you would find during the whole journey, and the climbing began from here. After the ladder, continue climbing ropes to ascend to a large resting place. The ascent continues with a 72 meters slope with 45 degrees. All of us was attached to a safety line at all times, operated by the safety assistants. Safety assistants were stationed at various points along the climb from the bottom to the top, to instruct and encourage you. This was the most tiring yet exciting of all part of the expedition’s experience.
Unlike other hiking expeditions, this was the most challenging adventure if your upper body strength was not up for it. But, as long as you kept going, you could definitely conquer the Wall with the support of the safety team.

After lunch at the top of the Wall, we would leave the cave, where a final rocky section awaits, and trek through forest to return to Ho Chi Minh Trail West. Now, nobody will tell you this but once you exit the cave, the hardest part begins – no joke. After doing everything else and thinking nothing can stop you, you’ll have to walk through, and walk on, the sharpest rocks you’ve ever touched whilst there’s a drop to your death if you slip – not in the brochure. You’ll need the balance of a mountain goat and patience of a monk but again, with the help of the safety crew, you’ll get through it. The reason why this section sucks is because you can’t use any walking sticks and have to trust your instincts and the team. You will make it and it will be worth it.

Before you know it, you’ll hear the cars and people and will be greeted with a cold drink and transported to your farmstay where a spa, shower and an amazing dinner awaits you. Note: Get the full spa treatment at the farmstay – Worth it!! Journey ends.

Who would I recommend this to? And was it worth the price? Anyone that is seeking adventure, a test, and wants to feel alive… this is for you. You don’t have to be super fit (being fit does help) to do this trip, just the determination to complete it will get you there. Yes the price is expensive, but what is life if you don’t live it. Whilst you have a pair of good knees and a pair of lungs, go and seek discomfort, adventure and stories to share with your loved ones. Would I do this again? Definitely Yes!