Through some random google searching before we left for our trip, I inadvertently discovered that the worlds largest cave had been discovered just a couple of years ago, and it was located in an area of central Vietnam not far from the DMZ from the American war. Its not open to the public yet, but there are a vast number of caves in the same area, some of which can be visited with relative ease.
We discovered a place called "Phong Nha Farmstay" run by an Australian guy and his Vietnamese wife. The place is located in probably the most rural area of Vietnam that we would visit, on the outskirts of Phong Nha Ke-Bang National Park, another Unesco World Heritage Site we would visit on our trip. Trains wreaked havoc with our planned dates of the visit so we didn't get to stay as long as we would have liked too, but we still were very happy with our time out there.
We met a delightful little girl named "Coffee" on the train, she couldn't stop staring at us over the seat in front of us, and eventually her mum just plonked her on my lap, she was just a little bit cute! We were collected from the Train station and driven almost an hour out into the countryside. We arrived in the dark, but in the morning we discovered that the place looks out over beautiful farmland and to the mountains of the park in the background. They had a rooftop terrace with an even more impressive view, they even had a cable driven drinks delivery system from the bar down below, pretty ingenious!
We chose to take the national park tour which included some visits to historical war sites, swimming holes, and the highlight, Paradise Cave. The drive through the mountains is impressive, we followed a route that used to be a part of the Ho Chi Minh trail, the stories of how they built it and kept it going while the Americans bombed the crap out of them daily is phenomenal. The river of Diesel and blood tells the story of how the Vietnamese used to try and float tanks, artillery, platoons of infantry and other supplies down the river, but would be frequently hammered by American payloads.
I was chomping at the bit to get to the cave and explore and photograph this incredible cavern. Some 31km long and hundreds of meters high and wide in many places, it promised to be a visit not to forget. We timed our arrival well and got in to the cave while the 50 odd buses of Asian tourists ate their lunches in the restaurants lower down the mountain from the cave entrance. We had a good couple of hours inside with relatively few other people, it was peaceful and very enjoyable.
I was pretty disappointed to see that although we were in a National Park, at Unesco site, with garbage bins everywhere, that many Vietnamese and other Asian visitors were wilfully littering every where you looked. Throwing rubbish on the ground was just normal behaviour, I even saw children doing it right in front of their parents. It makes me so angry but I can't change the entire culture, what can I say to them? I just picked up a few pieces and place them in the bin, but that won't save them from totally trashing this amazing place.
As you descend in to the first section of the cave, the opening is fairly narrow, but you follow wooden railings and steps as you descend into the first large open space. There is a massive Stalactite to your left and then an open space that you could easily kick a footy around in, it is seriously huge. The place is tastefully lit with earthy coloured lights to help highlight the impressive sections of the cave floor, walls and ceilings. We slowly made our way through the first 1km of the cave and absorbed the extremely impressive Stalactites and Stalagmites, some of which were 20 feet tall. All shapes and sizes, intricate patterns and strange textures, naturally formed over millions of years. I was dumbfounded and often just stood there thinking about the eons that have passed and the things that have happened up above, all while this place just quietly existed. The people who first discovered this place only some short years ago must have felt incredible.
On the way back out about 2000 tourists shrieked and screamed their way into the cave, destroying all atmosphere and enjoyment that there was inside. The megaphones with Chinese translators for the Vietnamese guides bellowed over the sounds of kids shouting and running up and down the platforms. It became rapidly clear that my time here was done. But wow, another incredible place that I will never forget.
Tara took some great pictures despite the darkness, and I think I have many incredible shots as well, will have to wait and see.
We spent the next day chilling out by the pool at the Farmstay. It was a welcome spot of relaxation as it was insanely hot. Tara layed in a hammock and read her book and I went for a walk down a few roads in the area as the last sunlight of the day bathed the rice fields and banana plantations with golden light. The people in this part of Vietnam were very warm and friendly, even encouraging me to take pictures so they could see themselves on the back of the camera. I felt the closest to the people right there in that moment.
We sadly had to leave the next day but we were headed for Hanoi to make our way to Cat Ba island and explore Lan Ha bay on a boat so it wasn't all bad!
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