Son Doong - the largest cave in the world - ranked third on Lonely Planet's list, after the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu in Peru and the Burning Man music - culture - arts festival in Nevada, USA.
The incredible depth of Son Doong Cave is a big draw for adventurous travelers. The arduous journey to conquer this great cave also means that tours here are always fully booked. Tour operator to Son Doong Cave, Oxalis Adventure Tours, said: tourists who booked tours this year will be put on a waiting list for 2020.
Son Doong Cave has been recognized as the world's largest cave by three prestigious international organizations including Guinness World Records (based in the UK), World Records Association (based in Hong Kong) and WorldKings World Records Union (based in the US and India).
The cave is located in the heart of Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park, discovered by a local in 1991 and first explored in 2009 by the British Cave Research Association. Son Doong was officially introduced to the public and put into operation as a form of adventure tourism since 2013. To date, all expeditions and tours in Son Doong Cave have been organized by the adventure travel company Oxalis, in cooperation with the British Cave Research Association under the permission of the Vietnamese government.
The 9km long cave system, which stretches through a mountain, has been voted one of the most fascinating caves on earth by National Geographic. Geologists say the cave formed between two and five million years ago and is about 200m high and 150m wide. The cave also contains some of the tallest stalagmites in the world, reaching up to 70m high.
