Visiting the huge Hang Son Doong cave in Vietnam is for the moment complicated
The cave Hang Son Doong ( Son Doong Cave ) Vietnam is so large that it has its own jungle and river and can contain a 40-storey building. It has been open since the beginning of 2014 to public visits, but do not expect to cross many people: only 224 tourists will be allowed to explore it this year.
The cave, despite its impressive size (nearly 9 km in length), was only explored in 2009 by British speleologists. A man from the region had discovered the entrance to the cave in 1991. The latter had not visited him because of his entrance, a huge crevasse. To enter the antra, you will have to go down as a reminder 80 meters before touching Hang Son Doong soil. 
How to explore the Hang Son Doon Cave?
At the risk of disappointing some, it is quite complicated for the moment to explore the new star of the region... The only company authorized to conduct cave visits is for the moment Oxalis . This company offers a unique tour of 7 days/6 nights in the amount of 3000 US$ (or 2162€).
At this price, however, be sure to have a week of adventure. On the programme: trekking/hiking, speleology, river crossings, underground camping...
If you are interested in adventure tourism , in a very exceptional place where almost no one has yet set foot, you can check the availability of seats in 2014 here .
The local authorities want to keep this cave as virgin as possible, so it will be necessary to wait several years before the tourism is implanted here (very important structures are to be put in place in case of opening to the “mass” tourism). This can stay “virgin” for a very long time because you have to walk more than 6 hours in an uninhabited jungle to simply reach the gouff that serves as an entrance.
How do you console yourself?
The Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park also has many caves and cavities to discover. Although they are not as big as Hang Son Doong, they deserve a visit.
The Hang Son Doong Cave is located in this same national park (Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park).
The caves to see are those of Phong Nha , Tien Son and Thien Duong (Paradise Cave). You have to go to the city of Dong Hoi and enter the national park. You can book your tour from Hué easily.
Some pictures of the Hang Son Doong Cave :
The "roof" of the cave collapsed centuries ago, allowing a lush jungle to take root. Monkeys and bats live in what explorers named the Jardin d’Edam .
Algae fields cover parts of the cave’s interior.
Scientists have discovered plant species that have never been seen around Son Doong cascades. We also find a river in it.
Her Doong is a rare cave bead jackpot. The beads are formed over hundreds of years when the water flows, dryes and leaves layers of calcite crystals on the sand grains.
These photos are taken from the site sondoongcave.org and were taken by the photographer Carsten Peter .
Would you be willing to pay $3,000 to explore this huge cave?
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