The less developed Central region of Vietnam harvests distinct culturalvalues and natural masterpieces largely unknown to outsiders.
QuangBinh province is high on the list of places to visit. Its cavern systemhas recently stunned discoverers around the world with its magnificentand pristine landscape.
Last year, the province opened the SonDoong Cave, which has been recognised as the world's largest cave,instantly catapulting it onto the bucket lists of travellers around theworld.
The cave's entrance was first discovered by a local manin 1991, and was further explored by a group of cavers from the BritishCave Research Association in 2009. This was the third cave to bediscovered in the central province – an expansive karst area buried deepin the jungle.
The cave is said to have been created two to fivemillion years ago with river water eroding the limestone underneath themountain. It is also described as having enough space to house40-storey skyscrapers and trees 100-feet tall.
But Son Doong isnot the province's only cave. A surveying trip to the Son Doong led thecavers to find another cave, Tu Lan. The new discovery revealed a cavernsystem of smaller caves, including Tu Lan, Ken, Tien, Chuot, and Kimthat were found in 2013.
Thien Duong Cave, revered by cavers forits length, was discovered in 2005, while Phong Nha Cave was discoveredin the feudal period.
While Phong Nha and Thien Duong are locatedin the heart of Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park, a UNESCO-recognisednature heritage site, Son Doong and Tu Lan are more spread out, locatedwithin 80km of the park border.
Diversity in cave conditions,which can be either wet, dry, small or large-scale, helps offer adiverse range of caving tours in the province. Most of the locals andvisitors from Asian countries prefer Phong Nha and Thien Duong, becausethey offer shorter and more convenient cave tours suited to shortervisits.
Westerner explorers have been shown to be avid explorersof Son Doong and Tu Lan caves, opting for tours which includeadventurous hikes. To explore these caves, visitors are required to trekdeep into the jungle and spend a night in the forest.
Cavingtourism has recently made Quang Binh, previously a lesser knowndestination in Vietnam, a hot spot for visitors from around the world.
Accordingto Oxalis Company Limited, the sole provider of tour programmes to SonDoong and Tu Lan, a tour can cater only to a group between two to eightpeople.
Each visitor is educated on helping to preserve thepristine state of areas visited on the trip, to ensure the area'slongevity. The company also hopes this will create a long waiting listof travellers wanting to experience the caves.
To reach PhongNha, the base of the company's headquarters, for the tour to Tu Lancave, visitors have to arrive in Dong Hoi town first, between Hue cityand Hanoi.
Oxalis transfer visitors to the site, which is around70km outside of the town. The company provides van services forpassengers arriving at any time of day at the bus station, railwaystation or airport.
Everything is available in Phong Nha,including meals and reasonable hotels for a night's stay before startingthe trek early in the morning.
A van then carries passengers to avillage near the base of the mountain to prepare vital necessitiesrequired for the trip. They then begin a walk across the corn fieldswhich separates the rural hub from the jungle.
First, visitorsconquer a low shoulder of the mountain before reaching a higher mountainto Hung Ton Cave. The mountain leads to an entrance "down to hell" on awooden ladder. This is where the search for the cave begins.
Thesecond challenge requires swimming upstream in water that runs insideKim Cave. The temperature is always lower inside the cave compared tothe average temperature outside, especially under the water.
However,swimming with your head above water allows visitors to enjoy aspectacular view of the cave's interior, illuminated by head-torches.
Atthe upper end of the stream awaits a spectacular waterfall, wheretrekkers will feel like that have discovered an alternate universe.
After a short walk, the trip continues to Ken cave, a wonderful wet cave in the system.
Explorers then arrive at a camp site for a barbecue and a night around a camp fire.
John Bailey, an American visitor who took part in a Tu Lan tour, said he was fascinated by the natural beauty of the cave.
"Iknew Vietnam for its cultural heritage value and it is amazing to findout that the country has this natural beauty. The caves are so wonderfuland I think everyone should have the chance to visit at least once intheir life," he said.
Bailey was also struck by how wellpreserved the caves were, saying he was confident they would be enjoyedby future generations.
In the morning, visitors trek to Tu Lan before climbing over four mountains to get back to Phong Nha.
Thetrip is serviced by caretakers, who act as guides and porters. Safetyis also a priority, utilising the finest equipment from Europe.
NguyenA Chau, the company's director, said the Tu Lan trekking is the bestsubstitute for the Son Doong tour, which is fully booked to 2015.
"Trekkingto Tu Lan is quite similar to those wanting to see Son Doong. But theconvenience of spending less money and time to enjoy caves as great asSon Doong provides a valuable alternative," he said.-VNA
QuangBinh province is high on the list of places to visit. Its cavern systemhas recently stunned discoverers around the world with its magnificentand pristine landscape.
Last year, the province opened the SonDoong Cave, which has been recognised as the world's largest cave,instantly catapulting it onto the bucket lists of travellers around theworld.
The cave's entrance was first discovered by a local manin 1991, and was further explored by a group of cavers from the BritishCave Research Association in 2009. This was the third cave to bediscovered in the central province – an expansive karst area buried deepin the jungle.
The cave is said to have been created two to fivemillion years ago with river water eroding the limestone underneath themountain. It is also described as having enough space to house40-storey skyscrapers and trees 100-feet tall.
But Son Doong isnot the province's only cave. A surveying trip to the Son Doong led thecavers to find another cave, Tu Lan. The new discovery revealed a cavernsystem of smaller caves, including Tu Lan, Ken, Tien, Chuot, and Kimthat were found in 2013.
Thien Duong Cave, revered by cavers forits length, was discovered in 2005, while Phong Nha Cave was discoveredin the feudal period.
While Phong Nha and Thien Duong are locatedin the heart of Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park, a UNESCO-recognisednature heritage site, Son Doong and Tu Lan are more spread out, locatedwithin 80km of the park border.
Diversity in cave conditions,which can be either wet, dry, small or large-scale, helps offer adiverse range of caving tours in the province. Most of the locals andvisitors from Asian countries prefer Phong Nha and Thien Duong, becausethey offer shorter and more convenient cave tours suited to shortervisits.
Westerner explorers have been shown to be avid explorersof Son Doong and Tu Lan caves, opting for tours which includeadventurous hikes. To explore these caves, visitors are required to trekdeep into the jungle and spend a night in the forest.
Cavingtourism has recently made Quang Binh, previously a lesser knowndestination in Vietnam, a hot spot for visitors from around the world.
Accordingto Oxalis Company Limited, the sole provider of tour programmes to SonDoong and Tu Lan, a tour can cater only to a group between two to eightpeople.
Each visitor is educated on helping to preserve thepristine state of areas visited on the trip, to ensure the area'slongevity. The company also hopes this will create a long waiting listof travellers wanting to experience the caves.
To reach PhongNha, the base of the company's headquarters, for the tour to Tu Lancave, visitors have to arrive in Dong Hoi town first, between Hue cityand Hanoi.
Oxalis transfer visitors to the site, which is around70km outside of the town. The company provides van services forpassengers arriving at any time of day at the bus station, railwaystation or airport.
Everything is available in Phong Nha,including meals and reasonable hotels for a night's stay before startingthe trek early in the morning.
A van then carries passengers to avillage near the base of the mountain to prepare vital necessitiesrequired for the trip. They then begin a walk across the corn fieldswhich separates the rural hub from the jungle.
First, visitorsconquer a low shoulder of the mountain before reaching a higher mountainto Hung Ton Cave. The mountain leads to an entrance "down to hell" on awooden ladder. This is where the search for the cave begins.
Thesecond challenge requires swimming upstream in water that runs insideKim Cave. The temperature is always lower inside the cave compared tothe average temperature outside, especially under the water.
However,swimming with your head above water allows visitors to enjoy aspectacular view of the cave's interior, illuminated by head-torches.
Atthe upper end of the stream awaits a spectacular waterfall, wheretrekkers will feel like that have discovered an alternate universe.
After a short walk, the trip continues to Ken cave, a wonderful wet cave in the system.
Explorers then arrive at a camp site for a barbecue and a night around a camp fire.
John Bailey, an American visitor who took part in a Tu Lan tour, said he was fascinated by the natural beauty of the cave.
"Iknew Vietnam for its cultural heritage value and it is amazing to findout that the country has this natural beauty. The caves are so wonderfuland I think everyone should have the chance to visit at least once intheir life," he said.
Bailey was also struck by how wellpreserved the caves were, saying he was confident they would be enjoyedby future generations.
In the morning, visitors trek to Tu Lan before climbing over four mountains to get back to Phong Nha.
Thetrip is serviced by caretakers, who act as guides and porters. Safetyis also a priority, utilising the finest equipment from Europe.
NguyenA Chau, the company's director, said the Tu Lan trekking is the bestsubstitute for the Son Doong tour, which is fully booked to 2015.
"Trekkingto Tu Lan is quite similar to those wanting to see Son Doong. But theconvenience of spending less money and time to enjoy caves as great asSon Doong provides a valuable alternative," he said.-VNA
