Detailed map for 404 caves of Phong Nha cave system created
Detailed map for 404 caves of Phong Nha cave system created
Stalactites in the Va cave system have a complex and unique structure in Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park.
Hang Va is 1.7 km long, located on km 28 of the west branch of Ho Chi Minh Road, only 50 meters from the back door of Son Doong cave. This cave connects with Nuoc Nut cave. A representative of Oxalis, an adventure tour operator in Quang Binh, said that the journey to explore these two caves usually lasts 2 days and 1 night. The highlight of these two interconnected caves is the clear underground lakes and thousands of unique conical stalactite columns.
The image was taken at the end of March at the mouth of Va cave.
On the first day, visitors will explore Va cave. In the dry season (from April to August), Va cave in Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park appears underground waterfalls. Cave experts explain that at the end of the rainy season, rainwater seeps into the ground, following the underground water channels through each cracked rock and pours into the cave, creating unique waterfalls in the ground.
Cave experts say that the special feature of Va Cave is its conical pyramidal stalactite with a complex and unique structure in the caves in Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park. Hang Va has a relatively young age , about 2-3 million years old. In Phong Nha Ke Bang National Park, the oldest cave is Hoa Huong cave, about 5 million years old.
Hang Va owns a system of stalactites with about 1,000 blocks of uniform size. This expedition operator said the stalactite columns were formed from a hard object such as a wooden branch, a grain of sand at the bottom of the lake in the cave. Over time, the water rises in the lake carrying calcium and clinging to these hard objects forming stalactite columns and lake walls. These stalactite columns will never be higher than the lake wall.
Ngo Tran Hai An, a travel blogger in Ho Chi Minh City, has just visited Va cave and Nuoc Nut cave, at the end of March, sharing the difficulty of the journey to explore these two caves at 4/6. To enter the cave, visitors need to overcome rocky terrain, long-distance trekking and adventurous rope swings.
The cave has many underground lakes, visitors move in the cave by swimming or wading. Hai An said the water is clear but very cold, in many parts the water flows strongly and quickly. The waterfall is located at the end of the cave, about 1.7 km from the mouth of the cave.
“After a while, I stopped taking pictures because the scenery was too surreal. Water from the top of the mountain seeped into the ground, then slipped through the cracks of the cliffs, crept into the cave, poured into curtains on the stalactite columns, looking like needles. diamond”, Hai An said.
The deeper you go, the more difficult the path in the cave. At the near end, before reaching the conical stalactite beach, visitors have to follow a rather dangerous cliff. Participants are equipped with safety belts and belts.
Located in the core zone of Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park, Va cave not only has underground waterfalls, conical stalactite columns but also possesses rich vegetation with many types of trees, fungi and insects.
Tiny drops of water drip down, over millions of years forming stalactite columns in Va cave.
Connecting with the cave is Nuoc Nut cave. Visitors will explore this cave on the second day of the journey. Nuoc Nut Cave was first discovered in 2003 when a local resident supported a British team of experts to survey caves in the National Park. The cave has a total length of 2.2 km and is about 2 million years old.
Cave experts said that Nuoc Nut cave was created by underground rivers originating from Son Doong and Va caves. The Nuoc Nut cave ecosystem is also special thanks to being deep in the ground, with underground water flowing through and covered by the dense forest of Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park.
Nuoc Crack cave is likened to a miniature Mars underground because the stalactites and space are red. Under the ground, the terrain forms cavities like miniature terraces. The cave is very magical when there is light because the ceiling of the cave is the same wavy lines.
For reasons of capacity and conservation, each year, the tour to explore Hang Va – Nuoc Nut cave only welcomes a maximum of 1,500 guests. The mining period is from January to the end of August.