<5>Hang Son Doong is considered to be the biggest cave by volume in the world which no human stepped inside of up until 14 years ago. The cave is filled with a jade-green lake during the rain season. The primeval forest inside the cave has trees reaching over 90 feet tall, and an underground river remains unexplored. The cave is located in Phong Nha Ke-Bang National park which has cave systems stretching over 120 miles. Hang Son Doong translates to “Mountain River Cave” from Vietnamese. To put its size into perspective- the largest passage of this cave could have a Boeing 747 fly through it. The underground chamber is so vast, it could fit several forty-storey skyscrapers inside. Hang Son Doong has many complex and giant stalactites, rain forests growing inside, its own weather and unknown animal species. The cave passages are illuminated by two sinkholes that can flood them with beams of spectacular sunlight. Visitors describe Son Doong as otherworldly, reminding them of Pandora planet from James Cameron’s movie Avatar. The cave has a passage imprinted with corals which have been fossilised hundreds of million years ago, and an underground lake with 20 degrees Celsius temperatures that visitor swim in. Only 1,000 visitors are allowed to enter Son Doong each year and the privilege of witnessing the hidden beauty of Son Doong can cost £2,380 for a four-day-tour. Son Doong was first discovered in 1991 by a local farmer named Ho Khann. It wasn’t until 2009, that members of the British Vietnam Cave Expedition Team inquired about the cave from the farmer and it was explored for the first time. In 2013, the Guinness Book of World Records named Hang Son Doong as the largest cave in the world with a volume of 38.5 million cubic meters.
Exploring the World’s Largest Cave: An Untouched Ecosystem with its Own Rainforest and Mysterious River
