Go on an adventure! During two days, have a unique experience with nature, hike in the jungle, explore the underground world, and sleep in the world’s fourth largest cave. A trek in Vietnam is an incredible experience and this one, in particular, is unforgettable. However, it is reserved for sportsmen and adventurers, starting from 13-years-old.
The National Park Phong Nha – Ke Bang is a fascinating place and one of our favourites in Vietnam. It was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2003. It is home to 400-million-year-old karst mountains, the oldest in Asia, mostly covered with primary forest. Although the landscape on the surface is already impressive, this park hides an exceptional underground world. The caves of Phong Nha are spectacular, and some of them are home to the most unique biodiversity in the world.
ON THE PROGRAM
- Day 1: Trekking in the jungle and exploration of Hang Over
- Exceptional camping in Hang Pygmy
- Day 2: Journey to the centre of the earth
In the morning, have a good breakfast, as you will need the energy to explore the caves of Phong Nha! Are you ready for two days of adventure on a trek in Vietnam?
After a briefing on what to expect and the security conditions, you will hit the road and enter the National Park compound. On the way, you will admire the beautiful jungle landscapes and karst peaks. This is a wild and preserved nature that will welcome you for two days, far from any trace of civilization.
You will start your adventure with a trek in the jungle, accompanied by your guide and porters. During these few hours of walking, you will learn more about the local flora and the medicinal uses of certain plants.
You will continue your way through the jungle until you reach the entrance of Hang Over. Depending on the time of day, you will have lunch in the jungle or inside the cave. Before starting your exploration, you will equip yourself with a helmet and headlamps. On this incredible journey into the depths of the cave, you will observe formations, each one more beautiful than the last. For 3.5 kilometres, you will cross the cave, sometimes through narrow or wet passages, which will then reveal to you more and more impressive rooms.
A long time ago, Hang Over and Hang Pygmy were one and the same cave. Following a landslide, they were separated, and a jungle formed between them. After a quick ascent through this jungle, you will reach the entrance of Hang Pygmy. Your guides will equip you and inform you about safety procedures. To reach the bottom of the cave, 80 meters below, you will abseil down 23 meters. Get ready for a good dose of adrenaline!
You will discover a huge room, the size of a cathedral, and you can explore the cave for about 800 metres. You will spend the night in Hang Pygmy Cave, a unique environment, in a camp that you will set up for the night. After a good meal and a few glasses of rice wine, it will be time to return to your tent to regain your strength for the next day.
You will wake up in the cave, fascinated by the underground world that surrounds you. After breakfast, you will dismantle the camp and make sure you have not left any trace of your passage. Then, you will continue your exploration of the cave.
A fairly steep climb will take you to the top of the valley. It will be then time to start your descent back down through the jungle. These few hours of walking will allow you once again to contemplate the incredible vegetation of the park.
Once you reach the main road, cool drinks will be waiting for you to celebrate trekking 24 kilometres, on the surface and underground, in two of the fascinating caves of Phong Nha.
Info Atypique
While Hang Pygmy is the fourth largest cave in the world, the park Phong Nha – Ke Bang is also home to Hang Son Dong, the largest cave in the world, whose size was only measured in 2009 by the joint action of a local hunter and a group of British speleologists. Son Dong is home to its own ecosystem, with a jungle and a river inside the cave and wildlife unique to the world. It reaches 200 meters high in some places and could, therefore, contain a 40-story building!
However, not everyone can explore it, and only a handful of lucky people can take part in the few expeditions organized each year. These last several days and cost more than 3000 Euros.