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A ridiculously early start for a day trip, 6am, to have breakfast and head North towards the DMZ (De-militarised Zone).
Our first stop was at Dakrong Bridge, which belongs to part of the Ho Chi Minh trail, over 1,000km long and running from the North to the South of Vietnam. It took 17 years to build.
We then made our way up the mountains to an old American military basecamp, 'Khe Sanh' Combat base, where restored bunkers, abandoned helicopters, tanks, and portions of the airstrip still remain.
After lunch we took an hours bus journey north of Dong Ha, through the DMZ, crossing into Northern Vietnam, to find the Vinh Moc tunnels. The villagers initially dug the tunnels to move their villages 10m underground. But the Americans managed to design bombs which burrowed 10m underground, so they had to dig further, and went to 30m. They spent 2 years building 2,000m long tunnels, a massive network, including kitchens, bathrooms, wells, and rooms for healthcare. About 60 families lived, and around 17 babies were born in the tunnels. The tunnels were a massive success, as no villager lost their life. Incredible!
We left the trip in the town of Dong Ha as we would be catching another bus to take us further North to Phong Nha.
Our stop in Dong Ha was no longer than two hours, and what a strange place. I don't think many westerns stop by here as we were starred at, continuously spoken to, and having our hands shaken.
The bus to Phong Nha was around 4 hours, and of course there is a story to tell....this time, a side window smashed and shattered, with the poor girl sitting in that seat getting glass all in her hair! So having driven the last hour with a smashed out window, we arrived in Phong Nha, and were dropped at our hostel, 'Easy Tiger'. We stayed in our first dormitory for this trip, just four people, but only for one night.
Only having one day in Phong Nha, and catching a night bus further North that evening, we were eager to see as much as we could.
Phong Nha is known for the many caves, all different sizes, but most recently, in 2009, the largest cave in the world was discovered. At more than 200m high, 150m wide and 9km long, the 'Hang Son Doong' cave is so big it has its own river, jungle and climate. Unfortunately, with it taking nearly a week to trek and setting you back $3K, we decided against this cave!
Having listened to the hostel owner tell us all about the surrounding area, our options for trips, and it only being possible to do two caves in one day, we quickly put together a group from the hostel. We headed 500m down the road to the river, to catch a rowing boat to Phong Nha Cave and the neighbouring Tien Son cave.
After 45mins of a very peaceful and scenic journey down the river we entered Phong Nha Cave. 'Phong Nha' means 'Dragon's head', and the cave obtained its name because the entrance to the cave used to look like a Dragons head, with stalactite fangs. I say used to, because the fangs were destroyed in the war by American missiles. The Americans shot flares at the area and used satellite imaging to discover the Vietnamese were hiding a platoon bridge in the caves, used for allowing the Ho Chi Min trail to cross the river, and therefore allowing supplies to cross. So the Americans shot missiles at the caves to stop this from happening.
The engine from our boat was turned off, and we were rowed through 1,500m of the cave. It was awesome!
Just before you exit the cave, the boat pulled up to the edge and we all jumped off and walked the last 100m by foot, along the edge, allowing us to explore.
We then climbed over 400 steps to reach Tien Son cave, a dry cave, and 980m in length. We followed the walkway through the cave, and similar to Phong Nha cave, it has numerous magnificent stalactites and stalagmites of various sizes and shapes inside.
There were some incredible views from the top, looking down the river, over the Annamite Mountain Range. We could even see the bomb craters from the war, now filled with water and used for bathing, swimming, or playing in.
Once back on dry land, we raced back to the hostel to hire a bike and get directions to Paradise cave. We were advised it was a little late in the day to head over there, but we were determined. So at a reasonable speed, dodging the water buffalo, cows, pigs, dogs, and children playing in the roads, we arrived at Paradise cave at 3pm.
Set deep in the national park, surrounded by forest and karst peaks, this remarkable cave system extends for 31km, although most people only visit the first 1km, with an option to trek 7km in the dry season. We took a golf buggy for the first 2km through the forest, as we were short for time, and as the water levels were too high we could only walk the first 1km once inside the cave. Since we arrived late in the day we pretty much had the cave to ourselves.
"Once you’re inside, the sheer scale of Paradise Cave is truly breathtaking, as wooden staircases descend into a cathedral-like space replete with colossal stalagmites and glimmering stalactites of white crystal that resemble glass pillars." lonelyplanet.com
Truly incredible and fascinating. We were so glad we risked the journey to see Paradise cave, and proved the hostel owner wrong by conquering three caves in one day! The ride was beautiful as well, riding through the National park and Annamite mountain range. The roads were empty, besides the animals and children, so it made for perfect riding.
We extended our drive back to visit 'Phong Nha Farmstay' for their recommended coffee...it was a good coffee, and we needed it to warm us up! It was a tad chilly in Phong Nha, especially towards the evening, as the clouds come in.
We enjoyed some spit roasted pork from a local restaurant for dinner, before getting back on a night bus, headed for Ninh Binh....
- comments
neil1marchant Wow those caves look incredible.Very jealous!