Hello everyone,
I'm back today to take you on a two-day, one-night tour to one of the most geologically significant caverns in Quang Binh, Vietnam. I've visited several caverns in Quang Binh, but this was one of the best adventures I've ever had, from the first second to the last.
After a long conversation with my old friends in Ho Chi Minh City, whom I had taken to Son Doong in 2016, they decided to come see me, and I suggested we do something together while they were in Phong Nha. After much deliberation, we decided for the Hang Tien Endeavor 2-day with Oxalis.
Where is that special place located?
Cao Quang village, Tuyen Hoa district, Quang Binh province, Vietnam is home to Hang Tien. It is around 80 kilometers from Phong Nha town along the Ho Chi Minh Highway, or two hours from Dong Hoi city along No.1 Highway to the trekking spot.
How do you go about doing the trek?
Hang Tien caves are part of the Tu Lan cave system, therefore if you want to schedule a trip, please contact Oxalis staff at: https://oxalisadventure.com/tour/hang-tien-endeavor/ or let me know if you're planning a trip to Vietnam and want to do something similar. I would be willing and able to help. Now Oxalis has offered Hang Fun in stead of Hang Uy which we had on our endeavor for 2 days.
When is the ideal time of year to go on the trek?
I believe that the optimum season for this type of walk is in the spring, between January and April, when the weather is absolutely beautiful. It's neither too hot nor too cold.
Returning to our voyage, after breakfast, the driver picked me up from the Oxalis office and drove me to the hotels in Phong Nha town, where my teammates awaited my arrival.
We left town at 7:30 a.m. and arrived at Tan Hoa's office at 9:00 a.m. I reminded everyone that we only had one hour for the tour, packed up our belongings, and signing the release form, emphasizing the importance of safety on our journey. Because this was their second tour with Oxalis, they were able to complete it in less time than the first. Before 10:00 a.m., everyone appeared to be prepared.
We bid our goodbyes to the office workers and returned to the van to continue our journey to the hiking destination. It took around 30 minutes to get there from the office.
I came to a halt and told them about the first hour of walking.
The hike began on a reasonably flat and simple path. There were some ups and downs with relatively tough terrain as we progressed deeper into the jungle. It was around 70 meters up and 120 meters below. Even though the weather was cool because it was winter, we stopped for a rest 2-3 times along the way to drink water. In the jungle, the temperature ranged from 20 to 23 degrees Celsius. We hiked down to Tien Valley, which took us an hour and a half, and then arrived at the camp about 12: 00 after walking across the rocky stretch. I told everyone to leave their day bags on the tarp and take them down to the poor to swim for a little after viewing the first cave today. We returned to the camp for lunch after spending 15 minutes right here. Fresh spring rolls, breads, cheese, pork, eggs, bananas, and fresh vegetables were available.
We left the camp at 1 p.m. to visit Hang Uy, the first cave on our trip. Mr. Uy, one of the safety assistants, first explored Hang Uy in 2016 when he accompanied a team of cavers on a regular trek to find a new cave in the area.
We ultimately arrive in the valley near the cave entrance after hiking through the jungle and across some rivers. The hike to the cave was short but rocky, so I reminded everyone to wear gloves when climbing.
We finished at 500 meters along the main passage, which is roughly 900 meters long. The first 200 meters were relatively dry and straightforward. Further in, the ground became rough and slippery, and we had to climb up and down. When the rainy season arrived, the cave's dead-end was a lake, which caused flooding in the cave. We spent 2 hours exploring the cave, then descended down and traveled back to the camp in the same manner. By the time we arrived at our tent at 4 p.m., we had plenty of time to enjoy one of the world's best natural swimming pools.
According to the British Caving Research Association, the water here originates from the Tu Lan cave system, then sinks, disappears someplace in the valley, and finally reappears just here. The color of the water was incredible, and it was so pure since it was purified through many layers of limestone.
We returned to our campsite and left our belongings in our tents. I felt a little chilly after exiting the water, so I needed to change into fresh clothing right away.
Our skilled cook informed us that the dinner was ready to be served at 6 p.m. The dinner was great, with a generous meal on the table.
I briefed my group about the plan for tomorrow after dinner, and we then played some card games and talked around the campfire. At 10 p.m., we went to our tents to sleep. I needed to have about 30 minutes to read the book before my eyes get tired and fall asleep.
Overall, the first day's trekking and caving were pretty daring, and we all were looking forward to the next day's exploration.
Thank you for reading my post and see on the next ones!
To be continued…
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