VI
EN
Tu Lan Cave - Photo: Ryan Deboodt
Tan Hoa is a vast valley surrounded on all sides by towering, undulating limestone mountain ranges. The most unusual thing about Tan Hoa is during the flood season. When the floodwaters rise, inundating everything, transforming the valley and the mountain ranges into a... Ha Long Bay amidst the green forest. The Tu Lan cave system is located within these limestone mountain ranges.
A test of strength and perseverance.
Unlike the cave system in Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park (in Bo Trach district), the Tu Lan cave system is located at a relatively low elevation, interwoven with numerous streams and rivers always full of flowing water. These seemingly endless streams meander mysteriously through the majestic rocky mountains of the Truong Son range, sometimes plunging directly into the cave entrance and disappearing into the enigmatic darkness.
From Phong Nha, we followed the eastern branch of the Ho Chi Minh Trail northward to Tan Hoa commune. From April to June, both sides of the road leading into the commune are lined with vast fields of lush green corn, then ripening into golden patches of fields bathed in sunlight, interspersed with the verdant green of the forest. The scenery was incredibly picturesque, stretching along both sides of the road to the center of the commune, captivating our hearts.
To get to Tú Làn, we had to cross many forests, wade through many streams, and at times even swim through dark caves. On each trip like this, we brought full jungle equipment such as specialized clothing, backpacks, helmets with LED lights, gloves for climbing rocks, and ropes for descending into caves...
The route to conquer Tu Lan Cave - Photo: Ryan Deboodt
The experience begins with gentle, winding streams flowing through rocky outcrops and mountain ranges in a flat area. Next come steep and treacherous cliffs, sharp rock formations sculpted by wind, water, and time over hundreds of millions of years, challenging the strength and perseverance of all who encounter them.
Tu Lan is not an easy tourist destination, and there's only one way to get there. Therefore, at dangerous or extremely difficult points, Oxalis Travel Company has to reinforce the area with additional support equipment for tourists such as ladders and wooden planks… But ultimately, it all depends on each person's ingenuity.
The path to Tu Lan also has its own unique characteristics: after a section of wading through streams, there's a climb up a mountain. And every time your clothes get soaked, they're dried by the sun, wind, and rock climbing.
The magic of stone
In the caves of Tú Làn, many rock formations have smooth, flat surfaces like tables, as if they were sculpted by someone. There are oval-shaped stalactites clustered together like a swimming pool, surrounded by countless strangely shaped rocks, leading many to imagine the bathing pool of a fairy descended to earth in a fairy tale.
Experiences like this, even if only once in a lifetime, are truly unforgettable.
Overwhelmed with emotion.Amazing things inside the cave - Photo: Ryan Deboodt
The final stop on this tour is a dry cave with a very wide vault, featuring two large entrances side-by-side, allowing sunlight to penetrate deep inside, revealing stalactites, rock formations, and other rock features in countless shapes and forms.
Over millions of years, geological movements have created countless perfectly round, smooth pebbles, or black slabs of rock with patterns that look as if they were painted on. Many rock formations appear covered in shimmering stalactites, and the stalactite columns sparkle as if studded with gold dust…
The most exciting part of this tour is combining mountain climbing and trekking through the forest with swimming in streams inside the dark caves, or those dimly lit by LED lights. On the way to Tu Lan, you have to swim through five such cave sections. Afterward, you encounter towering cave arches, with the interior constantly changing in height, width, and depth, leaving everyone amazed and utterly delighted.
The strangeness of nature makes humans always feel insignificant - Photo: Ryan Deboodt
In some places, the cave is hundreds of meters wide, with a gentle stream flowing inside, like a giant swimming pool. In other places, the cave narrows, filled with jagged, slippery boulders. To avoid falling, one must carefully and cautiously tread each step on the moss-covered rocks.
Entering the water cave, it's so delightful to float leisurely in the crystal-clear, cool water, chilled by the limestone mountains. Or, using a flashlight to illuminate the cave walls and ceiling, you can admire the fantastical stalactites and let your mind wander, imagining the shapes of the rocks...
Before the trip ended, we plunged into the deep stream, the rushing water massaging our aching legs from wading through the stream and climbing the mountain—it was a wonderful feeling.
