08:00 Breakfast. Please make sure you have all required belongings prepared before 7:30 AM. Your belongings will be collected in individual large bags and sent to our porters. You will receive this bag each evening upon reaching the campsite. Keep anything you want to take with you during the day in a separate backpack (cameras, tripods, sun cream, etc.).
Oxalis staff will come to the hotel to collect your luggage and valuables. They will store this for you, and it will be waiting in your hotel room after the tour.
09:00 Depart for the first leg of the expedition. After a 45-minute drive along Road 20 of the Ho Chi Minh Highway you’ll reach the trailhead, where you’ll start trekking for approximately 1 hour downhill through the forest, which is quite steep. Walk for half an hour along a small stream to the minority village of Ban Doong, which is a highlight for many on this expedition. Learn more about this unique ethnic group and enjoy lunch in the village.
After this point, you will be in the sun all afternoon for about 3 hours along a river, with very little shade. You’ll cross the river many times so expect to have wet feet for the whole day. Important: In the summer, the water is only usually knee deep, but Gore-Tex boots will fill and hold the water so are not recommended (please see our detailed FAQ for footwear recommendation).
You’ll then reach the entrance to Hang En, home to thousands of swifts. Here you’ll be given your headlight and you will trek/climb approximately 20-30 minutes to your campsite inside the cave. The group should arrive at camp around 15:00 - 16:00 where you can enjoy swimming and showering in the underground river. Dinner will be served at the spectacular campsite with numerous photographic opportunities.
Important: Anyone unable to complete any stage of this first day comfortably will be turned back to Phong Nha and will not be permitted to continue the expedition. This will be the decision of the safety team on your tour. Should you be turned around, all tour costs will be forfeited.