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Son Doong Cave – the world's largest cave – ranked third on Lonely Planet's list, after the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu in Peru and the Burning Man music, culture, and arts festival in Nevada, USA.
The incredible depth of Son Doong Cave is a major attraction for adventurous travelers. The arduous journey to conquer this magnificent cave also means that tours to the cave are always fully booked. Oxalis Adventure Tours, the tour operator for Son Doong Cave, stated that tourists who book tours this year will be placed on a waiting list for 2020.
Son Doong Cave has been recognized as the world's largest cave by three prestigious international organizations: Guinness World Records (based in the UK), the World Records Association (based in Hong Kong), and the WorldKings World Records Alliance (based in the US and India).
Located in the heart of Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park, Son Doong Cave was discovered by a local in 1991 and first explored in 2009 by the British Cave Research Association. It was officially introduced to the public and opened for adventure tourism in 2013. To date, all expeditions and tours within Son Doong Cave are organized by the adventure tourism company Oxalis, in cooperation with the British Cave Research Association, with permission from the Vietnamese government.
This 9-kilometer-long cave system, stretching through a mountain, has been chosen by National Geographic as one of the most captivating caves on Earth. Geologists say the caves formed approximately two to five million years ago, reaching a height of about 200 meters and a width of 150 meters. The caves also contain some of the world's tallest stalactites, some reaching heights of up to 70 meters.
