Caves in Vietnam

Son Doong Cave is not just the biggest cave in the world, it is also one of the longest caves in the world. Located in the heart of the Phong Nha Ke Bang National Park in the Quang Binh province, these caves are open only to a few people, every year. The Son Doong Cave is so large, it has forests inside it and an entire weather system of its own.

The Grand Cathedral like the entrance of the escape Caves beckons you inside. With its vaulted ceiling and stalactites, this cave lives up to its name. escape cave is 31 kilometres long, making it one of the longest caves in the world. Out of the 31 kilometres, the maximum distance that the public is allowed up to is 3.5 kilometres deep.

The Tu Lan Caves, though not as large as the Son Dong Caves, has the most number of adventure activities among the caves of Vietnam. These caves have behemoths of stalagmites, accompanied by large limestone karsts. The cave is continuously irrigated with rivers and lakes.Aactivities include swimming, dark cave exploration, climbing, rappelling and zip lining.

Hang En Cave, the third largest cave in the world, will make you feel like you've been transported straight into a Disney movie. Located deep inside Phong Nha Ke Bang, this caves is surrounded by limestone mountains, jungle canopy and the gushing Rao Thuong River. The cave entrance is a slit in the cliff.

The Dau Go Cave (Wooden Stake Caves) is the largest and most beautiful grotto in the Halong Bay area. Located about 6 kilometres from Bai Chay Wharf in Halong, this cave is 27 meters above the sea level. Inside the cave is a huge space with the size of 5,000 square meters. The height of the dome is 25 meters.

'Tam Coc' literally translates into three caves. Tam Coc is a collection of three caves - Hang Ca, Hang Giua and Hang Cuoi. Each of these caves is submerged in the Ngo Dong Rivers and hence do not have floors. They can only be reached by boat from the mainland. Hang Ca cave is the first cave and the largest of the three.

The entrance to the Hang Va caves seems nondescript, unimpressive even, but one step inside the cave will leave you breathless. The entrance is surrounded by cliffs on all sides. Upstream after about 350 meters, the narrow cave opens up into a chamber. The chamber consists of numerous dry gour lakes, partially filled water, out of which pops out conical calcite rocky structures.

The Phong Nha Caves were among the first caves to be discovered in Vietnam, and one of the most-visit caves here. There is much variation in the topography of the cave, making it a delightful spot for caving in Vietnam, though only the first 1.5 km of the total 44 km is open to tourists.

Nuoc Nut Caves provides the perfect opportunity for serious amateur cavers who are just starting off, to get a taste of the intense caving Vietnam's caves can offer. The Nuoc Nut caves are located right in the centre of a valley surrounded by cliffs. Once through the cave, you have to wade 500 meters, then scale a 15-meter high wall, after which you will find yourself at a stalactite lake.