Wonders ahead: View inside Sơn Đoòng - the world’s largest cave (Photo Oxalis/Ryan Deboodt)
QuangBinh (VNS/VNA) - Authorities in central Quang Binh province haveapproved a new expedition route, through the world’s largest cave, Son Doong.
Following the approval, the sole tour operator to Son Doong, Oxalis AdventureTour, will cut short the time visitors spend inside the cave to four days andthree nights. This was previously five days and four nights.
Under the old expedition route, visitors had to trek from the front entrance tothe end of the cave, and return by the same route to exit the cave from thefront entrance gate. However, now, the time spent in the cave will be shortenedby one day and one night, by allowing visitors to exit the cave through a gateat the cave’s end, after climbing a stalactite cliff, also referred to asVietnam’s great wall.
With this new exit method, Oxalis had to install an aluminum ladder that willassist visitors in climbing. In May, a proposal for the ladder installation hadsparked opposition, mainly among Vietnamese net citizens who were not able tocomprehend the ladder structure and said the installation would harm thestalactite system.
However, Howard Limbert, an expert in the caving team of the British CaveResearch Association that helped discover the cave, reassured the citizens thatthe ladder would be hammered to the karst surface and would not impact thestalactites.
Limbert said it requires 23 nails to permanently stick onto the karst surface,of which, eight would be installed, while 15 others were hammered by theBritish association’s explorers in 2010 during an exploration trip.
According to Limbert, the ladder would help toreduce the time trekkers spend in the cave, which meant less human impact onthe grotto.
This year’s caving programmes ended in August, before the flooding season as itcould pose a danger to the trekkers. A total of 718 visitors were allowed totrek this year.
Oxalis limits the number of visitors to the cave each year, to ensure lessdamage to the caves. The operator’s sustainable trekking rules are closelymonitored by experts of the British Cave Research Association.
Expeditions to the cave will begin early next year.-VNA
The central province of Quang Binh is not building a suspension cable to Son Doong Cave, the world’s largest cave located in the Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park.
The consideration of projects relating to areas with exceptional values like Son Doong Cave must especially take into account impacts on the local environment, culture and society.
The central province of Quang Binh is looking to cash in on the Hollywood film King Kong, new flights and being home to the world’s largest cave, Son Doong.
Son Doong Cave in central Quang Binh province has been recognised as the world’s largest and most beautiful natural cave by the World Records Union and the World Record Association.
Vietnam’s tourism sector is likely to fulfill the target set by Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc of welcoming 13 million international visitors in 2017.
Seven out of every ten international tourists arriving in the central beach city of Da Nang pay a visit to the Sun World Ba Na Hills resort - one of Vietnam’s most famous tourism destinations, statistics show.
The management board of the Ban Gioc Waterfall Tourism Site under the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of the northern border province of Cao Bang has announced the temporary suspension of tour services for visitors at Ban Gioc – Detian waterfalls on the Vietnam - China border from August 11 until further notice.
Tourists are about to be able to experience a unique journey along the Hue - Da Nang railway line, passing by the enchanting Lang Co Bay, which is often referred to as “paradise”.
Tam Coc in Ninh Binh province is some 90 km south of Hanoi and one of the most spectacular tourist attractions in Vietnam. In the ripening rice season, from late May to early June, the scenic spot leaves a deep impression on visitors with the yellow-green of the rice extending from the edge of rocky mountains to the banks of rivers.
Cao Bang province holds major tourism potential, with many famous sites, scenic spots, and landscapes attracting domestic and foreign tourists, such as the Pac Bo historical relic site, Ban Gioc Waterfall, Nguom Ngao Cave, Thang Hen Lake, Mat Than Mountain, Nam Tra Waterfall, and Truc Lam Pagoda.
Within nearly 400 years (1558-1945), Hue was successively the Capital city under 9 reigns of Nguyen Lords in Dang Trong, the Capital city of Tay Son Dynasty and then the Capital of the united country under the reign of 13 Emperors of Nguyen Dynasty.
The northern coastal province of Quang Ninh served 170,000 visitors during the New Year holiday (December 30, 2023 – January 1, 2024), up 60% year-on-year, the provincial Department of Tourism has reported.
Hanoi has just launched a new bus tour, offering tourists an additional way to explore the capital city’s cultural and historical landmarks and scenic attractions.
With a total longan area of some 5,000 ha, Hung Yen province is considered Vietnam’s “longan capital”. In addition to selling the product to traders, growers in Hung Yen also give visitors a chance to spend time at their orchards and enjoy their fruit.
Muslim visitors are now seen as an important source of international tourists to Vietnam’s central coastal localities amid a sluggish recovery in traditional markets.
The coastal province of Ninh Thuan is the grape capital of Vietnam, with a total area of over 1,000 hectares. In addition to selling grape to traders, Ninh Thuan’s growers also open their vineyards to tourists, with images of local vineyards laden with fruit as beautiful as those in Europe, creating a “fever” on social networks.
In addition to preserving forest ecosystems and boosting the rescue, rearing, and re-release of wild animals, national parks nationwide are also focusing on tours associated with wildlife conservation.
90 km southeast of Hanoi, in addition to its rich potential in cultural and spiritual tourism, Ninh Binh province also boasts a charming natural landscape and many unique and amazing caves. It is an ideal destination to visit, as many tourists have found.
In lieu of the dangerous train traffic at the site, the Hanoi Department of Tourism has asked businesses offering tourism and transport services in the city not to launch tours of the train street, a popular destination for many foreign visitors.
A golden tourism route connecting six destinations of Vietnam and China was launched in Hanoi on March 28, expected to help the two countries enhance cross-border tourism links.
Tua Chua is one of two districts in Dien Bien province with areas flooded by the creation of the Song Da Reservoir. Since the completion of the Son La hydropower project, low-lying areas in Tua Chua district have been submerged. The landscape around the Song Da Reservoir, with undulating rocky mountains reflected in the water, creates a charming and enchanting picture.
Travelling by bus is a pretty good choice for exploring Hanoi thanks to its very affordable fares that are ranging from 8,000 VND (0.34 USD) to 20,000 VND (0.85 USD) each ride.
As a result of Ho Chi Minh City’s unceasing efforts to diversify tourism products, several has been listed among the top 20 unique tours promising interesting experiences for travellers in Vietnam.
Wonders ahead: View inside Sơn Đoòng - the world’s largest cave (Photo Oxalis/Ryan Deboodt)
