Much like Mt. Everest, the Grand Canyon and the Great Barrier Reef, Hang Son Doong is one of the world’s great natural wonders. Here are 10 reasons why.

1. Size matters

There are a number of ways that you can quantify the size of a cave, but measuring the cross-section of the largest chamber tends to be the most popular way to do it. By this measure, Hang Son Doong is bigger than any other cave on the planet. To help put things into perspective, some of the chambers in Hang Son Doong are taller than the Great Pyramid of Giza in Cairo.

2. A subterranean lake

Toward the cave’s exit sits a gigantic lake in the winter and spring months. The lake is so big and so deep that you’ll glide across it on small row boats.

3. Ceiling collapses

Hang Son Doong is 9km long, and yet it’s rarely pitch-black. That’s because it’s punctuated by two huge ceiling collapses that invite light to pour into the cave.

4. Underground jungles

Beneath these vast holes in the ceiling lie underground jungles. As the microclimate of the cave is different to that on the surface, the jungles are also different, with flora species that you won’t find outside the cave.

5. Prehistoric stalagmites

Hang Son Doong’s towering stalagmites are nothing short of extraordinary. Some stalagmites are taller than the Arc de Triomphe, and others form outlandish and mesmerizing shapes.

6. World-beating campsites

The two campsites in Hang Son Doong are undoubtedly some of the best campsites found anywhere in the world. Both sit at the edges of the cave collapses, which means you can gaze at the stars on clear evenings.

7. Animal planet

It’s often said that Hang Son Doong has its own ecosystem, and in some ways that’s true. You may come across an array of wildlife while inside the cave, including howling monkeys near the ceiling collapses, translucent cave insects, squeaking bats and blind fish.

8. Vietnam’s great wall

Just before the cave exit looms a 90m-high calcite barrier, affectionally called the “Great Wall of Vietnam.” You’ll conquer the wall with the help of harnesses, ladders and ropes.

9. Unforgettable swimming

With various underground rivers and pools in Hang Son Doong, expeditions to the cave overflow with wading, paddling and swimming opportunities.

10. Sunbeams and cloud whisps

Hang Son Doong is so big that it has its own weather, evident by the sunbeams that shoot down from the cave collapses and the mist that floats through the chambers.


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