Swimming through the cave

From Hue we went 216 kilometers further north to the largest national park in Vietnam - the Phong Nha Ke Bang Park. This is known for its over 400 caves. 4 of the 5 largest caves in the world can be found there. To visit the largest cave, however, you need a fat wallet, because the obligatory tour that takes you there costs $3,000, of which $700 is an entrance fee, which goes directly to the state. Our fascination for caves is there, but we don't have the necessary change for the tour in question. That's why we went to the Tu Lan cave. Before we were allowed to start the tour, we were first carried out a fitness check over the phone. The guides wanted to make sure that we were fit enough for this tour. Because it wasn't just a cave walk, but a real adventure.

On the day of the Toue we were first taken 1 hour away from larger villages into the "wilderness". Then we hiked to the first cave and first had to climb up a steep slope made of stones. When we arrived at the cave entrance, we were equipped with helmets and gloves and went into the dark cave. It was a special experience to discover the cave alone with the group using only our flashlight.

We reached the second cave via a small mountain, which we left behind by rock climbing and thus reached even deeper into the jungle. The special thing about it - it was a wet cave, so the river went through the cave. We didn't have a boat which meant we had to swim. Because there were a lot of larger stones in the river, we had to wear clothes and shoes! It took some effort to swim in the river, which was almost 20 degrees Celsius warm, wearing clothes. But it was worth it. Swimming through the cave was a unique experience that we will never forget. Once at the other end of the cave, the river flows into a lake in the jungle. It was a fairytale place. There we had a delicious lunch and the opportunity to dry off. With our shoes still wet, we explored the cave this time by boat. Then we went back to base camp over hill and dale. What an eventful day.