Exploring the Passchendaele Passage: A Unique Experience at Hang Son Doong Cave

Exploring Son Doong Cave, tourists will have the opportunity to go through the unique and distinguished Passchendaele Passage on their way to the Great Wall of Vietnam. The activity in this passage will leave a truly unforgettable experience that can only be found in Son Doong Cave.

This is a passage leading to the Great Wall of Vietnam, with a length of 400m. At times the passage is filled with water to create a lake. Water in this lake is dependent on rainfall directly over the cave seeping through the cracks then flowing into the lake. In the rainy season, the water can be 20-25m deep, with a jade colour under the headlights, and covering the 18m-high ladder attached to the Great Wall of Vietnam. In the dry season, mainly in summer, the water level drops revealing the deep trench between high mud banks. Passing through Passchendaele Passage at this time becomes an interesting challenge for visitors.

Hành lang Passchendaele

The history and transformation

When the cave experts approached here, there was no lake, just a muddy path, and at some points, the mud was up to the waist. The expert team had to work very hard to pass through. They thought of the battle of Passchendaele in World War I, which was fought in deep trenches filled with mud. So they decided to name this passage Passchendaele. However, at certain times, the water will rise and create a beautiful jade green lake. During these months, guests will use a raft or small boats to paddle to the Wall.

Exploring the Passchendaele passage to the Great Wall of Vietnam

There is a very small outlet at the bottom of the Passchendaele, which leads water from here to the downstream passage of Hang Va Cave. If it is raining heavily outside, the lake may quickly fill with water. Visitors will travel by raft and small boats through it to reach the Great Wall of Vietnam. The water temperature is not really cold, around 20-22 degrees Celsius. With a length of around 400m, it is not safe to swim along the lake.

Opportunities for Photography

When Passchendaele in Son Doong Cave is full of water, there is a great opportunity to take nice photos. Oxalis staff will illuminate the cave and water with powerful lights to create spectacular images. The combination of the very high cave roof above and the jade-green water below, along with the small boats paddling slowly through the lake, shows the true scale of this passage. Many beautiful photos of this area taken by customers have been posted in the "Your Shot" of National Geographic magazine.

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Whether you prefer long treks, camping in a cave, sleeping under the stars in the jungle, swimming underground in river caves, explore the huge dry caves or just taking an exploratory day trip, Oxalis Adventure Tours can provide the right amount of adventure just for you.

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