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Australian photographer John Spies, 59, spent a week capturing the most beautiful images of the natural wonders in the Son Doong cave system (Bo Trach district, Quang Binh province). John has lived in Thailand since 1977 and owns the famous Cave Lodge hotel there.
"The trip left me with indescribable emotions; I accomplished something unlike anything else I've ever done in my life," he shared when asked about his feelings while taking the photos and exploring the cave system in Son Doong.
Son Doong Cave, measuring 200 meters wide, over 150 meters high, and 5 kilometers long, is the largest cave in the world to date. It was discovered by a local man named Ho Khanh in 1991 and explored by British Royal Explorers in 2006.
Scientists have studied the geology and concluded that the cave was formed approximately 2-5 million years ago by river water eroding the limestone layer at the foot of the mountain. The cave was opened to the public in early August 2013. The entrance is quite small, with mist escaping due to the cold air inside meeting the high temperature outside. Visitors must climb down an 80-meter-high steep wall with necessary climbing equipment to penetrate deeper into the cave. The large temperature difference creates small, drifting clouds, especially near the entrance when viewed from inside.
The cave is likened to a magnificent painting, breathtakingly beautiful with its strangely shaped stalactites. The limestone layer gradually weakened and collapsed, creating the large skylights we see today. Through the entrance, light floods into the cave like a great waterfall. The light penetrates deep inside the cave, making the stalactites shimmer like jewels.
At a section of the roof of Son Doong Cave that collapsed, trees grew luxuriantly, creating a magnificent forest right in the heart of the cave. Explorers named this place "Garden of Eden".
John said, "It's amazing that you can still see sunlight 3-4 kilometers inside the cave. The size of the cave is also great, allowing us to camp here for 5 nights."
