Journey with Christina

After all of that history Jon and I were in desperate need for some adventure and we picked the perfect place to fill up on some high-octane fun. This area is home to a UNESCO World Heritage Site of 885 square kilometers of un-spoilt jungle and mountains. It is also home to the larges cave in the world Son Doong Cave discovered in 2009. Since trips to this cave last 6 days, is limited to 200 a year and cost $3,000 we decided to seek out a more affordable alternative.

We found our perfect adventure with Oxalis on the Tu Lan 1 Day Experience. This was a day of intense jungle hiking, concurring heights and darkness, multiple river crossings and swimming. We got wet, muddy and downright dirty and had the experience of a lifetime. Oxalis was started in 2011 by a local with only a few employees and has now grown to several hundred employees. This area is still pristine but I have a feeling it won’t be for long.

Start of the Hike

Our trip started early in the morning for the 70 km drive over the Da Deo Mountain Pass to reach the ethnic minority village of Tan Hoa. From there we hiked 2km through peanut and buffalo fields, crossed a waist deep river to the impressive Hang Chout or Rat Cave.

Rat Cave

We then trekked through Hung Ton valley crossing back over the river in several spots to reach Hung Ton Cave. We explored this wild cave, using headlamps as our source of light, by descending a 15m ladder before swimming 50m through the caves underground river to reach To Mo Valley where a warm fire and a delicious BBQ were waiting.

River Crossings.

Hung Tong Cave.

(Skip over the middle which is all black and only sound of me breathing hard trying to swim)

Our group after surviving the cave river swim.

Our day was not over yet, before we were done after lunch we trekked through dense jungle over Hung Ton Mountain and crossed the river several more times. We returned exhausted and high on the thrill of our journey. Commenting that we would definitely be back to try a multi-day tour.

Jungle trek.

Our Oxalis Group and guide.

Extreme caving is not all this area has to offer. Jon and I followed a portion of the Ho Chi Minh Trail Loop as it ribbons its way through the mountainous, densely covered national park. There are many caves, waterfalls, and hike to stop at along the way. Jon and I opted for Paradise Cave which is the third largest cave in the park and reputedly the world’s largest without any water source. The cave is 31km in length although we only saw 8km of it which was board walked and brilliantly lit. The cave was so immense it made you feel insignificant.

Portion of Ho Chi Minh Trail, pictures do not do it justice.

Paradise Cave.

We also took the 45-minute dragon boat ride to the Phong Nha Cave or Cave of teeth which was discover in 2005. The “teeth” or stalagmites are numerous and illuminated by multicolored lights. We floated silently down a 1km section of the cave in awe of the formations before we were dropped at a sandy beach and were able to walk back exploring the cave in more detail.

Phong Nha Cave.

We were here during Valentine’s Day and Jon sort of surprised me by stopping to buy roses and chocolates while I was with him, the day before Valentine’s Day. Ladies, all I can say is that this man is taking big steps here. We were going to stop and get desert but we decided that the dessert menu was too exotic for us.

Need to mention, because I make all the arrangements and for the most part decide where we are going Jon is basically clueless. Just imagine, he shows up after a long bus ride having no clue as to what the area is going to be like or what kind of accommodations we are going to have. He is pretty laid back about it but every once and a while when I need an “adventure” I shock even him. This was one of those times where he just shook his head and said “let me get the door” as he closed our curtain wall. (It will make sense when you read below).

Where we stayed, Nguyen Shack, we had a double “room” with a cozy bed covered in a warm duvet and a shared bathroom for $10 a night. I am not sure I can even say “room”. There was a long row of areas sectioned off with thin bamboo walls on three sides and a curtain on the other. This allowed you to hear even the quietest conversation, not to mention, drunks coming home from the bar, people getting up at 3 to catch the bus and anyone snoring. With that said we got our best night sleep the first night due to fresh air and cozy bed. The food was delicious and the staff the friendliest most outgoing we have seen so far.

Our hotel.