VietNamNet Bridge – Vietnam’s Son Doong, the world largest cave, has appeared on prestigious international newspapers like The Guardian (the UK), Foxnews (USA), News (Australia) in recent days.

“Son Doong Cave in Vietnam – which is so big it contains a jungle and a river – is now open for public tours. But don't expect it to become crowded: just 224 tourists will be permitted to visit this year,” wrote The Guardian on January 14.

“It's so big you could fit a 40-storey skyscraper inside, but Son Doong cave remained undiscovered until a local man found it in 1991. Even then, no one explored beyond its vast entrance until British cavers visited in 2009,” it wrote.

Meanwhile, FoxNews website wrote: "The Son Doong is over 5.5 miles long and could fit a 40-story skyscraper within its walls. It contains giant stalactites, waterfalls and a jungle that is known as the Garden of Edam with native animals like flying foxes, monkeys and hornbills thriving inside the cavern’s lush landscape.”

News.com.au praised: “Nestled in the wild and remote jungles of the Phong Nha Ke Bang National Park, the Son Doong cave is so big that even the narrower chambers would be able to fit a 40-storey CBD block. In other parts, giant stalagmites climb a staggering 80 meters into the sky and the cave contains some of the world's most dazzling examples of cave pearls.”

Son Doong cave is located in Bo Trach District, Quang Binh Province with a length of 8.8 km, a width of 150m and a depth of 200m. The cave is so great but no one knew about it until 2009, when UK explorers discovered all the beauty inside the cave. Earlier in 1991, a local man discovered it but he did not directly go inside because he found the entrance two deep and steep.

Now, for the first time in history, the cave will be open to the public. A tour company called Oxalis is running trial tours of the cave and accepting sign-ups for real six-day tours to take place next year.

The tours cost $3,000 and include a week of travel inside the cave. Only 220 tourists will be able to visit the cave in 2014. However, the tours to 2016 have been fully booked.

The beauty of Son Doong on The Guardian:



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It's so big you could fit a 40-storey skyscraper inside, but Son Doong cave remained undiscovered until a local man found it in 1991. Even then, no one explored beyond its vast entrance until British cavers visited in 2009. All photographs: Ryan Deboodt

 

 

 

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Ropes and harness are needed to get inside the cave, and any visitors will need to rappel 80 metres to reach the cave floor. Ropes and harness are needed to get inside Son Doong, and any visitors will need to rappel 80 metres to reach the cave floor.

 

 

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Cave Pilot tours took place in August, but so far only 10 people have visited. Oxalis Adventures have been working closely with the government to ensure a sustainable future for the cave: this year they are able to take 224 tourists to Son Doong.

 

 

 

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Hand of dog The first night of the six-day tour will see visitors camp near the Hand of Dog, a giant stalagmite said to resemble a dog paw.

 

 

 

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Inside the cave is a huge river - but the source of it remains unknown. In March, a team from the British Cave Research Association who first explored Son Doong will return to try and shed more light on the cave's many mysteries. Photograph: Ran Deboodt Inside the cave is a huge river – but the source of it remains unknown. In March, a team from the British Cave Research Association, who first explored Son Doong, will return to try and shed more light on the cave's many mysteries.

 

 

 

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Inside the cave is a huge river - but the source of it remains unknown. In March, a team from the British Cave Research Association who first explored Son Doong will return to try and shed more light on the cave's many mysteries. New species of plant have been discovered by scientists within the cave's lush interior.

 

 

 

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Thousands of Thousands of "cave pearls" sit untouched in Son Doong. These natural phenomenon are formed over hundreds of years when dripping water creates layers of calcite that build up around grains of sand.

 

 

 

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Son Doong contains vast caverns, which fill the 5.5 mile long interior Son Doong contains vast caverns, which fill the 5.5 mile long interior. 



T.Van