In a remarkable twist of fate, the renowned Son Doong cave in Vietnam, already celebrated as the world’s largest cave, has expanded its splendor even further with the recent discovery of an underwater tunnel. This newly connected cave has added a touch of awe-inspiring beauty to Son Doong, making it an even more enticing destination for adventurers and explorers.

 

The remarkable discovery took place in April when a team of British divers, including Jason Mallinson, Rick Stanton, and Chris Jewell, who played crucial roles in the Thai soccer team rescue in 2018, embarked on a mission to explore the extensive waterways within Son Doong. To their astonishment, they stumbled upon a previously unknown tunnel that linked Son Doong to another colossal cave known as Hang Thung.

 

Son Doong cave, with its towering dimensions, is a testament to its grandeur. Standing at over 200 meters high (reaching up to 503 meters in some parts), 175 meters wide, and stretching 9.4 kilometers in length, Son Doong is already a monumental wonder. To put its immensity into perspective, it could easily accommodate any of the world’s largest caves, with enough space to house several forty-story skyscrapers. The newly discovered tunnel adds an additional 1.6 million cubic meters to its existing volume of 38.5 million cubic meters, an equivalent to scaling Mount Everest and discovering an additional 1000 meters, as described by Howard Limbert, the leader of the initial Son Doong mapping expedition, in a recent interview with CNN.

 

The journey to the discovery of Son Doong began in 1990 when a local man named Ho Khanh sought shelter from a storm at the base of a colossal cliff in the heart of the jungle. It was there that he stumbled upon a deep hole emitting gusts of wind and ethereal clouds. However, it wasn’t until 19 years later, when Khanh rediscovered the entrance, that the location of Son Doong was brought to light. Guided by Khanh, Limbert and his team of divers became the first to venture into the cave, unveiling its extraordinary wonders

 

Inside Son Doong, life flourishes in various forms. Monkeys adeptly traverse the depths, venturing 200 meters down to explore the jungle within the cave and gather snails. Snakes, squirrels, rats, flying foxes, birds, and bats also call this underground realm home. Limbert and his team have even discovered seven new species, including fish, spiders, scorpions, shrimp, woodlice, and plankton, all of which have adapted to living in complete darkness, devoid of eyesight.

Within the cavernous expanse of Son Doong, two dolines, or sinkholes, illuminate certain sections with radiant sunlight, creating a spectacle to behold. The cave boasts the world’s largest stalagmites and a lush jungle, with trees reaching heights of up to 50 meters. Despite its vastness, the cave’s unique weather system occasionally generates peculiar clouds that limit visibility, creating an air of mystique.

While Son Doong cave is open to visitors, access is strictly controlled and limited to 1000 visitors per year. Oxalis Adventure Tours, led by Howard Limbert and his wife, Deb, exclusively organizes and guides all tours. Explorations are limited to the period between the end of January and the end of August when the rainy season subsides, allowing safe passage. Located in Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park, the entrance to the park can be reached from Son Trach town, approximately 50 kilometers north of Dong Hoi. Regular bus connections are available