Son Doong Cave tourism in Quang Binh was officially exploited and put into operation in 2013 and is holding the “kingdom” with the title of the largest cave on the planet.

Hang Son Doong tourist attraction in Quang Binh is located in the Phong Nha – Ke Bang cave complex. Let’s discover what this place has that is of particular interest to explorers, scientists and the “team” of discovery enthusiasts as a must-visit place at least once in a lifetime!

1. Introduction to Son Doong Cave in Quang Binh

1.1. Where is Son Doong Cave?

Son Doong Cave is a famous tourist attraction in Quang Binh , belonging to Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park (Son Trach Commune, Bo Trach District, Quang Binh Province) and is also part of an underground system connecting more than 150 caves. another in Vietnam near the border with Laos.

1.2. Who was the first person to discover Son Doong cave?

Son Doong cave was discovered in 1991 by Ho Khanh – a local resident when he just happened to find it when hiding at the cave entrance to avoid the rain. Much later, until 2009 when the British Cave Royal Association (BCRA) expedition came to this place to explore, Mr. Ho Khanh had the opportunity to inform them about the existence of the cave.

It was very difficult for him and the expedition to find the cave entrance, which is located deep in the old forest with rugged, remote terrain and especially cannot be detected on Google Earth. Under his guidance, they went deep into the cave, measuring, photographing and collecting scientific data. 

Son Doong Cave has been recognized as a world heritage site with outstanding features: The largest natural cave, the extremely unique interior environment with primeval forest, underground river and owning conditions. own weather.

1.3. When was Son Doong Cave formed?

The cave was formed about 2-5 million years ago, when river water flowed through the buried limestone area, this water eroded to create a giant tunnel in the ground under the mountain range. At the soft rock sections, the ceiling collapses to form holes, which is the arch of the cave.

1.4. The amazing parameters at Hang Son Doong

• Cave length: nearly 9km
• The highest cave arch: 200m, 150m wide (estimated to be able to “fit” a skyscraper of about 40 floors)
• Volume: approximately 36.8 million m3 (equivalent to 15,000 Olympic swimming pools)

With the above data, Son Doong has now officially surpassed the world record of Deer Cave in Gunung Mulu National Park, Malaysia, becoming the largest, most majestic and splendid natural cave in the world.

1.5. What world records does Son Doong Cave own?

Unprecedented records of Hang Son Doong Quang Binh:

• Ranked 8 out of 52 places to visit by the New York Times in 2014.
• Son Doong Cave ranked first in the list of 15 most magnificent caves in the world according to Bored Panda’s poll.
• Son Doong Cave has officially become the first and only place in the world that all three record organizations in the world have jointly set a record up to now: Guinness World Records (based in the UK) ), the World Records Association (based in Hong Kong) and the World Records Union (based in the US and India).

As the world’s largest cave with its unique ecosystem, Son Doong cave since being put into operation in adventure tourism in 2013 has always proved attractive to the domestic tourism community. and international with majestic beauty, professionalism in organization and operation, sustainable exploitation and many other great values.

2. Discover 5 natural wonders hidden in Son Doong cave

Since being discovered in 2009, Son Doong cave has still maintained the “throne” of the most magnificent, largest and most mysterious cave in the world. With tens of kilometers of caves deep in the heart of limestone mountains, underground rivers, cliffs and a whole ecosystem of its own.

All of that creates a diverse, rich and extremely attractive natural population from all directions. Also in Son Doong, you can find natural wonders first seen in the world. 

2.1. Giant Son Doong Cave

Son Doong Quang Binh is the largest natural cave in the world with a height of 200m, enough to fit a 40-story building or dozens of the largest Boeings. 

Just set foot at the entrance of the cave, each cold wind blowing in the cave will melt away the fatigue of the arduous journey of “crossing the forest and wading through streams” that you have had to go through. Not only marveling at the large space of the cave, you will also feel extremely excited by the magical mystery hidden behind the fanciful thick fog.

2.2. Garden of Eden in the ground  

Not only famous for its huge size, the scenery inside Son Doong cave also creates an extremely spectacular scene with mountains, rivers and a forest with an extremely unique and diverse ecosystem.

Son Doong is home to many different species of flora and fauna, created by a fast-flowing underground river and illuminated by the sunlight of a collapsed part of the cave.

2.3. “Great Wall” of Vietnam

Right in front of the cave is a 90m high stone wall, named by explorers as “Vietnam Wall”. This is one of the hardest challenges in the Son Doong cave expedition. You will have to conquer this wall with ladders, ropes and the help of technicians.

2.4. Giant stalactite system

Son Doong Cave attracts you by the diversity in geology in the special topography of underground rivers and large caves. If the stalactites in Phong Nha cave are magnificent, then in Son Doong, the stalactite system is like powerful giants with stalagmite columns over 70m high (even higher than the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, France) and with all shapes created millions of years ago.

2.5. The world’s largest cave pearl

In addition, people also discovered the world’s largest “pearls” cave (jewel enclosing a pearl-like seed under the sea, composed mainly of calcite) in the world in Son Doong. Normally, these “pearls” are only about 1cm in diameter, but in Son Doong, they are as big as a baseball.

3. Experiences with 1-0-2 at the cave 

3.1. Swimming in the cave

With so many underground rivers and lakes, swimming in Son Doong cave is both a must and an opportunity for you to save interesting experiences. The water in the cave flows continuously so it is very clean and cool, but in some areas the flow is quite fast so you must follow the instructions of the guide.

3.2. Hunting for photos of sun rays and clouds

Photographs of sunlight and fog have created a “brand” for Son Doong cave. If you want to see and save this beautiful image, you should come here in the spring because at this time the sun shines through the sinkhole of the cave. The fog spreading throughout the cave also makes the scene more magical and beautiful.

3.3. Campsite “unique”

The two campsites in Son Doong cave in Quang Binh are undoubtedly one of the most beautiful and unique campsites in the world. Both areas are located on the edge of sinkholes, so you can see the starry sky on a clear night.

4. All experiences of Son Doong cave tourism in Quang Binh 

4.1. Expenses to explore Son Doong cave tour in Quang Binh

If you are wondering how much is the ticket to Hang Son Doong, the answer is FREE. But this does not mean that you can travel to Son Doong Cave in Quang Binh at any time because in order to best ensure your safety as well as preserve nature in Son Doong, the Quang Binh provincial government. It is not allowed to organize free tourism activities at Son Doong cave. 

So how to travel Son Doong? The cave has been put into operation in the form of adventure tourism since 2013 and so far, the discovery tours here have been exploited solely by Oxalis Adventure – a unit specializing in organizing adventure tours. An enterprise in Vietnam based in Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park is licensed by the Quang Binh province government to exploit tourism in Son Doong Cave.

6 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW about Son Doong Quang Binh tour:

1. Tour operation time: from January to the end of August every year.
2. Cost: 1 person when joining the tour is 3000 USD, nearly 70 million VND. Currently, to stimulate tourism demand, the tour price is only 58,200,000 VND/trip to explore 4N3D (so far, Son Doong cave tour is the most expensive tour in Vietnam).
3. Tour registration: each year is only allowed to organize for a maximum of 1,000 tourists, it is not always possible to go when you register and the seats are usually registered until the end of the year very early. 
4. Tour itinerary: 4 days 3 nights camping inside Hang En and Hang Son Doong plus 2 nights at hotel before and after the journey. This 4N3D adventure tour is at the level of adventure level 6, the highest of the tours Oxalis is managing.
5. Number of participants per tour: for safety, each tour includes a maximum of 10 tourists and 30 attendants (including cave experts, guides, safety assistants, chefs and porters – porters thing). 
6. Requirements for you to join the tour: To participate in this journey, you need to have trekking experience that meets the health conditions. 

4.2. The best time to visit Son Doong cave in Quang Binh

Son Doong cave tours last from January to August every year. From September to December, Son Doong cave is closed for tourism and exploration activities to ensure your safety and take time to restore the ecosystem. So you can refer to the time periods below to choose the right trip for you!

• January – March: The air in Phong Nha is still chilly, helping you lose strength when walking through the forest all day long. This is the time when the natural mountains and forests sprout, the trees are green. 
• April – May: Phong Nha is now in the season of change, the sun is light but not harsh, the rain is little, is a great time for you to trek without having to worry too much about the weather conditions. 
• June – August: You will see flying clouds floating at eye level in the cave wall and comfortably immerse yourself in the cool water when wading streams on the way or swimming in the underground river inside the cave.

4.3. What to prepare when traveling to Son Doong cave in Quang Binh?

• Health: This journey is always dangerous, medical experts will conduct a survey to check your health to make sure you are eligible for the trip. An extremely useful Son Doong travel experience is that before traveling to explore Son Doong cave, you must practice walking about 10km/day and be able to cross at least one hill about 200-300m high. Persevere in training for 3 – 6 months before the journey begins, you will have enough strength to join this wonderful journey.
• Costume: Because the travel distance is quite long, it is necessary to prepare well in terms of personal belongings and clothes. You should use shoes that are airy, soft, do not hurt your feet and can cling to rocks and climb mountains. Dress comfortably, coolly and for movement. But also remember to bring warm clothes because the temperature in the cave at night is quite cold. 
• Personal belongings: Sunscreen and insect repellent are two very important things you can’t forget to bring on the trip. And for super quality photos, don’t forget the tripod and camera.

Note: In addition to the two important prerequisites above, the remaining items to bring such as tents, cooking utensils, flashlights … are all prepared by the tour party. If there are other important requests or notes, they will notify me separately later. 

4.4. How to move to Son Doong cave?

You will ride with the tour company to kilometer 39 of Ho Chi Minh Street, from here you will start the process of discovering the wonderful Son Doong cave. To reach the cave, you have to walk quite a distance there.

See More: Danang Or Hoi An To Phong Nha Private Car – Phong Nha Car Rental

4.6. Notes when traveling to Hang Son Doong in Quang Binh

• All your luggage will be carried by the carrier, you only bring a small backpack with a camera, water bottle, cream, toothbrush and sunscreen.
• The travel company has prepared tents for you to rest and to ensure hygiene in the cave, the company also prepares very hygienic and clean portable toilets. After each tour, there will be a team to clean up all the plastic containers brought out of the burial cave. To ensure the safety of your trip, you need to absolutely follow the regulations set by the tour company.
• Note that when moving in Son Doong cave, you can only go in a small path that the guide has pointed out not to go out other ways to ensure the unspoiled beauty of the cave. 
• On the way you see snakes or any other animals, do not poke or chase but just quietly pass them because they are warned to be very poisonous.
• You cannot organize a tour to visit Son Doong cave by yourself. To visit, you must register with the Oxalis travel agency.