American media praises cave in Vietnam, saying it 'could hold an entire row of skyscrapers'.

Vietnam is home to the world's largest cave system, so vast that it has its own weather system and could contain an entire skyscraper inside.

That's Son Doong Cave. In its latest article, Travel + Leisure, a leading American travel magazine, lavished praise on Son Doong's unique features, unmatched by any other cave. In 1990, Mr. Ho Khanh was searching for agarwood, a rare forest tree species near the Vietnam-Laos border, when a major storm struck, forcing this local man from Phong Nha, Quang Binh, to seek shelter under a cliff. Although he managed to stay dry, the thick fog and icy air pouring out from what looked like a cave terrified him, leaving a deep and unforgettable impression.

It wasn't until 17 years later, while on a trip to the Én Cave area with expert Howard Limbert – a member of the British cave exploration team in Vietnam – that Mr. Khanh recounted his old experience, sparking the curiosity of the entire group. Although it took some time to retrace the steps, Mr. Khanh led the team to the exact location in 2009. They quickly realized that he had not only experienced a strange power of nature, but had actually stumbled into a vast cave unlike any other on the planet.

The mystical beauty inside the world's largest cave. PHOTO: PIXABAY

The discovery by the team of experts, which they named Son Doong Cave, quickly attracted worldwide attention, especially the Guinness World Record title for the largest cave on the planet in 2013.

In terms of size alone, this single cave reaches a height of approximately 200m and a width of approximately 148m, stretching at least 6.4 km, with a volume of at least 38.6 million square meters.

To better understand the true meaning of this, Son Doong Cave is so vast that it has its own climate zone. And it's so tall that there's actually room for clouds to form from its own underground river. According to Google Arts & Culture, a row of skyscrapers in a city could actually fit inside it.

Son Doong Cave also runs along a fault line more than 91 meters wide and is able to receive sunlight thanks to two "skylights". In addition, a section of the cave ceiling collapsed hundreds of thousands of years ago, creating "windows" called dolines, which also allow sunlight to penetrate. As a result, vegetation has flourished to the point that there is even a tropical forest inside the cave.

Needless to say, the stalactites and stalagmites here are also superior to those in other caves, none surpassing the 80-meter-high calcite wall dubbed the "Great Wall of Vietnam". The age of the limestone in the cave is estimated to be about three million years, formed by the confluence of the Khe Ry and Rao Thun rivers at the cave.

Son Doong Cave has become the setting for many films and has appeared in numerous music videos by international singers. PHOTO: MARTIN GARRIX

This exotic location has become a fantastic destination for adventure seekers, but the only way to experience it is through Oxalis Travel Company, which organizes 5-night Son Doong cave exploration tours.

Although open to visitors aged 18 to 70, the cave route is rated "difficult" and is only for visitors who have hiked at least 8 km per day across diverse terrain in the past 12 months, with an altitude of at least 300m. They must also be well-trained, capable of running 8 km in less than 50 minutes and climbing five floors continuously without getting out of breath.

The route involves trekking through the forest, with an ascending altitude of 890m and crossing numerous rivers, as well as overcoming cliffs, sand dunes, ladders, and even rope climbing. But the reward for all this effort is truly unique, with highlights that seem straight out of a science fiction movie.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/bao-my-ca-ngoi-hang-dong-o-viet-nam-co-the-chua-ca-day-nha-choc-troi-185250716092930427.htm