{"id":1868224,"date":"2023-03-05T07:55:24","date_gmt":"2023-03-05T12:55:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/explorers-set-foot-in-unreal-cave-never-before-seen-deep-in-jungles-of-vietnam-a-different-world\/"},"modified":"2023-03-05T08:58:55","modified_gmt":"2023-03-05T13:58:55","slug":"explorers-set-foot-in-unreal-cave-never-before-seen-deep-in-jungles-of-vietnam-a-different-world","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/explorers-set-foot-in-unreal-cave-never-before-seen-deep-in-jungles-of-vietnam-a-different-world\/","title":{"rendered":"Explorers Set Foot in Unreal Cave Never Before Seen Deep in Jungles of Vietnam: \u2018A Different World\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">34<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fexplorers-set-foot-in-unreal-cave-never-before-seen-deep-in-jungles-of-vietnam-a-different-world%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1868224&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><div>\n<p>The unsavvy adventurer might easily miss the treasures hidden in the remote, mountainous jungles located deep in central Vietnam. Yet, if you know where to look, just meters below these timeless limestone crags lie wonders surpassing our wildest dreams.<\/p>\n<p>Carved by a vast network of underground streams over thousands of years, a massive, sprawling cave system litters the province of Quang Binh\u2014where the largest cave in the world, Son Doong, resides; though that\u2019s an adventure for another day.<\/p>\n<p>There is another hidden gem in this locale, one that has long gone unseen, tucked away in the pristine jungles of Thung Valley, near the Laotian border.<\/p>\n<p>Located along the Hung Tho\u00f2ng stream, one of the most magnificent subterranean grottos known to locals has been explored here only by a select few over the past decades.<\/p>\n<p>We speak of Hung Tho\u00f2ng Cave, which was just recently opened to visitors in January 2023, though their numbers are being kept down to preserve the pristine area and its subterranean wonders.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_5084107\"><figcaption><\/figcaption>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Hung Tho\u00f2ng stream. (Courtesy of Cao Ky Nhan via Jungle Boss Tours)<\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_5084084\"><figcaption><\/figcaption>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>An explorer inside Thung Cave. (Courtesy of Cao Ky Nhan via Jungle Boss Tours)<\/figure>\n<p>Discovered in 1993 by local jungle men, the cave system was meticulously surveyed the following year by British spelunkers.<\/p>\n<p>Recently, visitors set out on the very first public explorations of the spectacular hollows to appreciate their singularly sublime and ornate beauty.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHung Tho\u00f2ng cave system is the only [local system] that has very beautiful cave formations,\u201d Phong Nha-based cave guide Leo Nguyen told The Epoch Times. \u201cIt\u2019s all about the combinations of rock formations and water in there.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s super beautiful compared to other cave systems in the area.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Over 400 caves like this one have been discovered in these mountains, in Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park, Nguyen said. They have helped generate local tourism business and allowed locals gainful work while supplanting illegal activities such as poaching.<\/p>\n<p>The first day of a three-day cave expedition sets out from the starting point known as Kilometer 17, off 20 Quyet Thang Road.<\/p>\n<p>Good hiking boots are required for the slippery march through the wet jungle, beginning at 9 a.m., en route to the cave system. After just over an hour, one is met with the first of many miraculous scenes\u2014a formation known as Nightmare Sinkhole.<\/p>\n<p>A precipitous plunge penetrates some 850 feet (250 meters) below the jungle floor into a part of the Hung Tho\u00f2ng Cave network called Tra Ang Cave.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_5084078\"><figcaption><\/figcaption>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>A sinkhole viewed from the interior of Thung Cave. (Courtesy of Cao Ky Nhan via Jungle Boss Tours)<\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_5084080\"><figcaption><\/figcaption>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Looking up at the sky through a sinkhole at Thung Cave. (Courtesy of Cao Ky Nhan via Jungle Boss Tours)<\/figure>\n<p>The pit is what\u2019s known as a doline, or collapsed cavity roof that fell inward of its own weight, lacking underlying support. The resulting rift is like a massive, subterranean \u201csunroof.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Local guides plan on taking visitors to rappel down into it at some point, said Nguyen. But not yet.<\/p>\n<p>Eight hundred and fifty feet is hardly a hop; it\u2019s three hundred more than their current abseiling adventure, \u201cKong Collapse.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat is the reason why [the tour] named the collapse \u2018Nightmare,\u2019\u201d Nguyen said.<\/p>\n<p>Continuing the jungle march, visitors stop at Hung Tho\u00f2ng Lake, whose cool spring waters are perfect for soothing travelers unused to the hot and humid jungle biosphere of Vietnam.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_5084109\"><figcaption><\/figcaption>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>A campsite near Hung Tho\u00f2ng Cave network. (Courtesy of Nguyen Hai via Jungle Boss Tours)<\/figure>\n<p>It\u2019s a great spot to rest before setting foot into perhaps Hung Tho\u00f2ng\u2019s most splendid spectacle, Hung Cave.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s not an easy trek, to be honest,\u201d said Nguyen, speaking of the cave interior. \u201cIt\u2019s pretty slippery.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That isn\u2019t the half of it; they will swim three quarters of a mile (approx. 1.2 kilometers) through another cave, Tron Cave, before witnessing Hung\u2019s splendor.<\/p>\n<p>The passage soon narrows but will eventually open into a massive cavern beyond.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s not tight in the width, but the ceiling is right above your head,\u201d Nguyen said. One can feel the onset of claustrophobia.<\/p>\n<p>Some parts require them to crawl on hands and knees for up to forty feet at a stretch.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_5084056\"><figcaption><\/figcaption>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>An explorer inside Hung Cave. (Courtesy of Cao Ky Nhan via Jungle Boss Tours)<\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_5084049\"><figcaption><\/figcaption>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>A group of explorers inside Hung Cave. (Courtesy of Cao Ky Nhan via Jungle Boss Tours)<\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_5084050\"><figcaption><\/figcaption>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Natural wonders inside\u00a0Hung Tho\u00f2ng Cave system. (Courtesy of Cao Ky Nhan via Jungle Boss Tours)<\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_5084062\"><figcaption><\/figcaption>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>An explorer photographs inside Hung Cave. (Courtesy of Cao Ky Nhan via Jungle Boss Tours)<\/figure>\n<p>Eventually, they reach the vast open chamber with an impressive series of geological treasures\u2014the supreme workmanship of Mother Nature.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen you go into one of these caves, [it\u2019s] like stepping into a different world,\u201d Nguyen said.<\/p>\n<p>Strange and otherworldly stalactitic and stalagmitic structures all around rise from below like wobbly pillars or hang from above like monolithic curtains of rock. These took millennia to form. Now, they tower overhead like monuments in the vast hollow.<\/p>\n<p>The day ends at camp back at Hung Tho\u00f2ng Lake.<\/p>\n<p>Next day, breakfast is served\u2014scrumptious pancakes and noodles\u2014and visitors continue journeying to reach Mooc Spring before setting foot inside another wonder: Thung Cave.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThung Cave is the hardest cave to get into,\u201d Nguyen said. \u201cYou have to get through a very slippery and trap rocks area.\u201d Not only that; it involves more swimming, some 140 feet.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThen, there\u2019s one big cliff where you need to get in yourself, prepare yourself with harness,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>The effort is rewarded with another awesome sight: gour pools\u2014natural terraces of deposited mineral filled with fantastical blue- and green-hued ponds of water. It\u2019s a sight like no other.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_5084091\"><figcaption><\/figcaption>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Adventurers swim inside Thung Cave. (Courtesy of Nguyen Hai via Jungle Boss Tours)<\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_5084092\"><figcaption><\/figcaption>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Gour pools inside Thung Cave. (Courtesy of Nguyen Hai via Jungle Boss Tours)<\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_5084093\"><figcaption><\/figcaption>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>An explorer walks amide sublime gour pools. (Courtesy of Nguyen Hai via Jungle Boss Tours)<\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_5084081\"><figcaption><\/figcaption>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>A cave lake in Thung Cave. (Courtesy of Cao Ky Nhan via Jungle Boss Tours)<\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_5084075\"><figcaption><\/figcaption>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>A paddleboarder in an underground lake in Tron Cave. (Courtesy of Tran Linh via Jungle Boss Tours)<\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_5084076\"><figcaption><\/figcaption>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Paddleboarders explore Tron Cave\u2019s lake. (Courtesy of Tran Linh via Jungle Boss Tours)<\/figure>\n<p>A chamber known as Round Cave holds an underwater lake. Here, visitors enjoy paddleboarding.<\/p>\n<p>After getting their fill of this wonderworld, visitors exit into the fresh air. Again they traverse more forest before making camp at Ma Da Lake, whose crystal-blue waters quench any trace of fatigue.<\/p>\n<p>The journey is completed on day three. After breakfast, they start through Ma Da Valley before arriving at Ho Chi Minh Road and are met by a driver who takes them back to tour headquarters in Phong Nha.<\/p>\n<p>For years, visitors were prohibited from venturing into these untouched reaches of Vietnam\u2019s mountainous jungles, let alone exploring their subterranean riches.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_5084035\"><figcaption><\/figcaption>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Inside Hung cave. (Courtesy of Duc Thanh via Jungle Boss Tours)<\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_5084036\"><figcaption><\/figcaption>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Stalactitic formations inside Hung cave. (Courtesy of Duc Thanh via Jungle Boss Tours)<\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_5084108\"><figcaption><\/figcaption>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Hung Tho\u00f2ng stream. (Courtesy of Cao Ky Nhan via Jungle Boss Tours)<\/figure>\n<p>In order to invigorate local economies, government officials are promoting tourism in the region, though they are limiting the number of people who can come to these spots.<\/p>\n<p>Adventurers hoping to set foot inside Hung Tho\u00f2ng Cave may pay 8 million Vietnamese dong (about $335 U.S.) for the privilege. Only 20 people may travel in a group at a time, and only two groups are allowed per day.<\/p>\n<p>Beyond the phenomenal natural wonders one will see here, Nguyen notes the friendships and hospitality will remain with you long after the journey ends.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOne of the notable experience, I will say, is not only about Hung Tho\u00f2ng but is going to be the experience in between the tourists and with tour guide,\u201d he said. \u201cWe are very proud because when our tourists finished the trek \u2026 they still stay connected.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMost of them even trying to go back to Quang Binh just to hang out with our staffs, you know, just for drinking.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><em>Adventurers seeking to explore Hung Tho\u00f2ng Cave system can reach Leo Nguyen and his tour business, Jungle Boss Tours, via their website <a href=\"https:\/\/www.junglebosstours.com\/en\/home\/\">here<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_5084064\"><figcaption><\/figcaption>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Stalactites and stalagmites inside Hung Cave. (Courtesy of Cao Ky Nhan via Jungle Boss Tours)<\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_5084068\"><figcaption><\/figcaption>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>An explorer inside Hung Cave. (C<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>&#8230;..<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p>&#8220;Continue Reading More From <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/explorers-set-foot-in-unreal-cave-never-before-seen-deep-in-jungles-of-vietnam-a-different-world_5082483.html?utm_source=partner&#038;utm_campaign=conservnewsd\">Explorers Set Foot in Unreal Cave Never Before Seen Deep in Jungles of Vietnam: \u2018A Different World\u2019<\/a>&#8221;<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 11px;\"><em>&#8220;The views and opinions expressed here are solely those of the author of the article and not necessarily shared or endorsed by Conservative News Daily&#8221;<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The unsavvy adventurer might easily miss the treasures hidden in the remote, mountainous jungles located deep in central Vietnam. Yet, if you know where to look, just meters below these timeless limestone crags lie wonders surpassing our wildest dreams. Carved by a vast network of underground streams over thousands of years, a massive, sprawling cave &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1806,"featured_media":1895388,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"Explorers Set Foot in Unreal Cave Never Before Seen Deep in Jungles of Vietnam: \u2018A Different World\u2019","footnotes":""},"categories":[543],"tags":[9941,7197,10385,20626,9862,20627,8273,20625,5603,4697],"class_list":["post-1868224","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-epoch-times","tag-deep","tag-a","tag-cave","tag-explorers","tag-foot","tag-jungles","tag-set","tag-unreal","tag-vietnam","tag-world"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"Explorers Set Foot in Unreal Cave Never Before Seen Deep in Jungles of Vietnam: \u2018A Different World\u2019","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1868224","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1806"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1868224"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1868224\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1895388"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1868224"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1868224"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1868224"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}