Description
EXPLORING THE DEPTHS OF ABANDONED VALLEY DARK CAVE EXIT – E CAVE – GOLDEN CAVE
Voted the “most complete exploration of Abandoned Valley” – Moc Nam Adventure presents a 2 days 1 night itinerary to discover and experience the full spectrum of the stunning Dark Cave Exit (Back Entrance), E Cave and Golden Cave.
On this journey, you’ll witness three distinct types of caves within a 2000-hectare area: mixed caves (part dry, part wet), active caves (water), and fossil caves (dry). You’ll also encounter countless unique stalactites, stalagmites, and millions-year-old fossil-rich cliffs. The route offers a diverse landscape, from rugged limestone hills and mountains to lush, pristine primary forests filled with ancient trees. Prepare to trek through streams, climb steep slopes, and marvel at the natural beauty of Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park.
Price: 5,800,000 VND (approximately 232 USD)
Basic Information about the Journey
Adventure Level: Challenging
Total Distance: 15km
Hiking/ trekking in the forest: 10km
Climbing stairs: 72m (non-continuous)
Karst terrain climbing: 1.5km
Exploring Dark Cave Exit: 2km
Swimming/SUP in E Cave: 2-3km
Exploring Golden Cave: 600m
Total Travel Time: 12 hours
Elevation Terrain: 406.9m
Activities Included:
- Karst terrain climbing on a moderate slope
- Trekking through a primary forest
- Exploring the Dark Cave Exit
- Trekking upstream along Tre Stream
- Overnight camping at E Cave
- Swimming, SUP boarding, and free diving at the E Cave entrance
- Exploring the Golden Cave
- Playing volleyball
- Nature painting activity
- A souvenir gift to mark your conquest
Physical Requirements: This trip requires good stamina and a strong physical foundation. It is suitable for individuals who exercise 3-5 times a week and have prior experience with trekking and mountain climbing on rough terrain.
Age Limit: 12 – 60 years old
DAILY DEPARTURES
Start: 8:00 AM from Phong Nha
End: 5:30 PM the next day
MEALS
Day 1
- Snack: Nut mix, yogurt, fruit.
- Picnic Lunch: Banana, baguette with meat, baguette with omelette.
- Dinner: Mushroom hot pot (with tofu skin, enoki mushrooms, king oyster mushrooms, corn, carrots, sweet cabbage) and sour and spicy hot pot (with tomatoes, water spinach, fried fish balls, shrimp, beef), instant noodles, eggs, and fruit for dessert.
Day 2
- Breakfast: Fruit, cereal, eggs, pho/instant noodles.
- Lunch: Grilled chicken, grilled pork, boiled vegetables, soup, steamed rice, and fruit for dessert.
- Drinks are provided throughout the journey.
If you have any specific dietary requirements, vegetarian requests, or allergies, please inform us one day in advance.
Day One: You’ll trek about 8 kilometers into the core area of the Phong Nha Ke Bang national park, reaching the Abandoned Valley. The journey will take you through three main types of terrain: uphill climbs, sharp limestone karst mountains, and river crossings (with water potentially reaching above knee height). You’ll explore the back entrance of Dark Cave (Dark Cave Exit), an ancient geological formation in the valley and a mixed-type cave. Its main passage is still actively formed, while only part of the cave is dry and fossilized. Moving through the darkness with specialized lighting, you’ll need to be cautious when swimming through small water pools and crossing sharp rocky sections of the underground river. Dark Cave serves as a nesting ground for birds and bats that thrive in darkness, like swifts and bats.
In the afternoon, you’ll move to the campsite near E Cave, a picturesque and peaceful spot within Abandoned Valley. The water at E Cave is particularly clear and turquoise colour, with an impressive open-air pool at the cave entrance, which flows downstream to connect with the back entrance of Dark Cave. The limestone mountains around E Cave are home to white-cheeked gibbons (Nomascus Siki). You might catch sight of the gibbon groups around dusk or hear their calls echoing through the valley.
Dinner at the campsite includes a hot meal with a delicious, nutritious BBQ menu or Local menu. Enjoy the view of E Cave under a starlit sky (during the summer), sharing the evening with friends and resting after a challenging day.
Day Two: You’ll explore deeper into E Cave by paddleboard (SUP), covering around 1.2–1.5 kilometers. Inside, you’ll see various stalactites, swim, and listen to echoes reverberating from the cave depths. The echoes reflect powerfully, especially with the mist created by the temperature difference between the cave’s interior and exterior, giving a strange and mysterious feeling. This is a unique, unforgettable experience you won’t find anywhere else.
After lunch, you’ll visit Golden Cave, a fossilized cave over 3 million years old, with stunning features like moss-covered stalactites at the entrance, sparkling stalactites, sedimentary stalactite pools, and especially the 24-karat golden stalactites.
Finally, you’ll tackle the most challenging part of the trek, a 2.5-kilometer uphill rocky climb, to return to the pickup point at Km 19 along the Western Ho Chi Minh Road. From the heights, you’ll enjoy a panoramic view of the beautiful, untouched valley as the sun sets, completing the journey around 5 PM.
This challenging, adventurous journey will have you crossing rivers, trekking through forests, and climbing over sharp limestone formations over 400 million years old, unique to the area. You’ll be immersed in the breathtaking natural scenery, towering mountains, and lush bamboo forests of Thung Tre Valley before reaching the back entrances of Dark Cave, E Cave, and Golden Cave.
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