Along with the already famous cave systems of Thien Duong and Son Doong, Tu Lan Caves, though less popular, has been contributing as one of the most beautiful tourist attractions of Quang Binh.
Tu Lan Caves has been discovered in 2009 in Tan Hoa Village, Minh Hoa Town, located about 70 kilometers distant from Phong Nha to the northwest. Tu Lan currently includes 8 beautiful caves yet remain infamous due to the limited popularization. However, Tu Lan Caves has been acknowledged to be contributing in the tourism of Quang Binh – the land of beautiful caves.
Tu Lan Caves is quite difficult of access as its route sometimes requires visitors to walk through the forest or cross the stream, and visitors are equipped beforehand with sufficient specialized cloths, backpacks, safety helmet with flashlight, as well as dedicated gloves and shoes from the caves’ tourism service provider. Your trip may get difficult if lacking any of these essential things. You must keep your own property. Tu Lan’s professionals will be in charge of bringing food, canvases and tents.
The experiences of walking through the forests or crossing the streams to Tu Lan Caves will remain as your most unforgettable memories. While the mild water of soothing streams make you feel at ease, the precarious cliffs will challenge your stubbornness. The trip’s principles lie on your cleverness, courage and patience. The end of one stream crossing meets the beginning of the climbing of one mountain. In the extreme heat of summer, a soaking wet costume when you finish crossing the stream will be unintentionally your best air-conditioner when you start to climb the mountain.
The most exciting part of the trip is that, once you reach Tu Lan Caves, you will be able to swim in the dark caves to come over 5 other minor caves. The tops of the caves are surprisingly high and the areas inside the caves are constantly varies, sometimes the area can be unexpectedly wide like an enormous swimming pool, sometimes it gets narrow and full of slippery stones. Wearing a life-jacket, you can be at rest to float slowly to the flowing direction of water and use the flashlight of the helmet to light up the majestic beauty of the caves with their unique stalactites.
The water is cool enough, and all you will be able to hear is the water flowing and the sounds echoing of other visitors that are swimming inside the caves too. Finishing the swimming part, you will reach another path that requires walking, there you will get to see endless beautiful stalactites and various small caves in the mountains. You will be amazed one time to another at the wonders of the nature. There are stalactites that are as flat and smooth as a work of a professional sculptor. There are other places in which stalactites have created a circle as if surrounding a natural swimming pool, which makes us thinking of a fairies’ pool.
Wallowing in the water and contemplating the stalactites are indeed a reward for those who are brave enough, patience enough to walk through forests and crossing streams to come to this place.
The final destination in Tu Lan Caves is a wide dry cave. There are two large cave doors linked to each other, allowing the natural light to go deep inside, lighting up endless beautiful stalactites within the cave. Countless geological upheavals have left round-shaped lovely pebbles, dark flagstones with artistic patterns and twinkling stalactite columns.
Once finishing the exploration of the caves, you will have your tents settled beside a small lake, in front of one of the two cave doors, in which various kinds of butterflies constantly hover around. People from tourism service have been already there. They will prepare some simple foods from fresh materials and primitive cooking tools. This, nevertheless, will bring about a sense of coming back to the old days where you can be unapologetically relaxed beside a comfortable fire and foods.
Before enjoying a special dinner and prepare to sleep pleasantly inside the tents or on one of the hammock securely placed outside, you can even enjoy one of the most unique massage kinds ever. Lean your back against one of the small caves of the mountains and let the water flowing become massage jets towards your shoulders, neck and back; you will certainly feel at ease, especially after a hard day of walking and climbing.
Waking up in the middle of the jungle is another exciting experience. Getting out of the tents, walking along the stream, finding a big fallen tree-trunk to lie down on and contemplate the landscapes, you will be able to fully enjoy the morning before going back to the camp place, having one last light meal in this place.
Vietnam Tours - Tu Lan Caves Overview
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