Adventures of Phong Nha | The World’s 4th Largest Cave, Hang Pygmy

Hang Pygmy Base Camp, at the mouth of the cave.

Hang Pygmy Cave

Hang Pygmy Cave claims the title of the world’s 4th largest cave and was first discovered in 1997. Tours allowing visitors to trek into the cave and camp overnight only began in 2018. Legend has it that more people have summited Mt. Everest than have wandered through this cave system.

Phong Nha

Rice paddies in Phong Nha

Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park is a region of Vietnam north of Hue and south of Ninh Binh. This area is one of my favorite places in the whole country. The land here feels otherworldly, limestone karsts rise high into the air and they surround you on all sides. Flowing rivers and roads, lush rice paddies and a slow pace of life, you can’t help but feel at peace here.

Deep underground are some of the world’s biggest and oldest cave systems. Phong Nha is home to 3 of the top 10 biggest caves in the world, including number one - Hang Son Doong, the largest of them all. The region has and protects over 104 km of caves and underground rivers, giving it the title of ‘one of the most outstanding limestone karst ecosystems in the world’.

There is so much adventure to be had here - exploring caves, trekking through the jungle, motorbike loops and rafting down rivers. A gem of a place, Phong Nha is special in its simplicity and it demands recognition without even asking. If Phong Nha isn’t on your list, it should be.

 

The cave experience

Jungle Boss operates the tour of Hang Pygmy Cave and it includes a 2 Day 1 Night experience. This experience involved a 20km jungle trek and exploration of two caves, Hang Over and Hang Pygmy. Camping overnight takes place in the mouth of the Pygmy Cave. All camping materials, necessary items and food are transported by porters on the team, all you’re responsible for are your personal belongings. Jungle Boss was well organized and pretty much prepared everything for us, they made this simple as it could be.

On the first day

The first day of the trek begins with pick up from your homestay or accommodation. We stayed at Tropical Valley Homestay, I can’t recommend them enough and the host Mr. Quy is just about the sweetest man there is. After being picked up, we were brought to the Jungle Boss headquarters for a quick briefing and to sign some paperwork. Then we hopped in a van to drive around 45 min/1hr to the trailhead.

The first leg of the journey involved a 6km trek through the thick jungle stopping for lunch along the way. While trekking, we talked with our guide about the world and shared our experiences. We happened to come across some locals hunting and foraging through the forest. In the jungles of Phong Nha, a small population of ethnic minorities still live off of the land and reside in the wild.  

At the end of the 6km trek, we arrived at the entrance to Hang Over Cave. As we approached the cave you could feel the temperature drop as the cool underground air hit us. Some natural air conditioning was very welcome after our hot and sweaty hike. 

Trekking into Hang Over Cave

Helmets went on and we ventured deep into the cave. We explored Hang Over in its entirety, it was about 4km from end to end and it took us about 1.5 hours to get all the way through. We walked past stalactites, stalagmites and columns, impressed by their size and the sheer amount of time it took for these structures to form. An estimated 1 meter forms every 100,000 years!

At one point, we stopped to have a rest and our guide asked us to turn off our torches and headlamps. A blanket of darkness engulfed all of my senses. You have never experienced real darkness until you have been in the depths of a cave. Eyes wide open, hand in front of your face and there was absolutely nothing. Nothing to see or hear and for a moment we sat there in silence. I could hear my heartbeat and when I went to close my eyes, I remembered that I didn’t even need to. A complete void. I whistled and the echo boomed through the cave, softly but loudly. 

Our guide spoke about how scared some of the locals were of entering the cave and you could understand why. Without light, you’d easily be lost in the abyss of the cavern, I don’t know how you would ever find your way out. 

When the world reminds us how small we really are…

From Hang Over to Pygmy

Once we exited Hang Over Cave there was a short 5-10 minute jungle trek that involved a lot of rock scrambling, hands and feet were working hard. Once we arrived at the cave entrance, we put on our harnesses and safety gear and prepared to abseil in the cave. At the entrance of the cave, we were clipped into a rope due to some dramatic drop-offs and cliffs. At one point the only way forward involved crawling through a small opening in the rocks. You really felt like you were adventuring here.

Shortly after completing the rope sequence, we were able to take a dip in a natural pool inside the cave. This natural swimming pool was around 30 meters deep and in the pitch dark, who knew what was really down there?

We jumped in and the cold water took my break away. With my head torch underwater, I could see the huge rock faces extending into the deep and I wondered how far they went.

Base camp of Hang Pygmy

After the much-needed dip, we trekked to the base camp where we’d be sleeping for the evening. It was about 2km in total to get there and when we arrived the porters had camp already set up for us, tents pitched and dinner cooking.

That evening in the cave was special, we shared a family dinner and the food was incredible. There were lots of smiles, some chit-chat and of course, rice wine.

These are the moments that you search for when you go abroad. There I sat, criss-cross on the ground of the cave, with 5 strangers. It’s unlikely that our paths would cross and yet there we were, sharing a very special moment, one that I know I’ll never forget.

On the second day

In the night, an enormous thunderstorm boomed through the cave. When we woke in the morning, the ground was flooded with water and small streams trickled off the faces of the cliffs. In the morning, we shared breakfast, packed up camp and began the trek through the jungle. The second day was simple, our only objective was hiking to the end of the trail. All the rain from the night before meant a very wet and slippery journey ahead of us. I was cursing at my poor footwear the whole way and because of this, I highly recommend proper hiking boots.

The trek was hard when it was steep and riddled with leeches ready to pounce on you as you brushed by. We trekked through and across the river so I also recommend having at least one pair of shoes that you don’t mind soaking. Again, we stopped for lunch along the way and amused ourselves on the trail with more conversation and never-before-heard jungle karaoke. At the end, we hiked up onto the road where the other porters were ready and waiting with cold beverages. We cracked one open, ‘cheersed’ one another and then hopped in the van back into town. I was sweaty, exhausted and accomplished.

As we drove away I smiled knowing I had just cemented a new core memory.

IMPORTANT NOTES

• Wear long sleeves and pants, we experienced many leeches on the trail and having your skin covered will protect you.

• Bring a spare change of clothes for overnight.

• Proper footwear - I strongly recommend wearing hiking boots for the trek and maybe a second pair of shoes that you are happy to get wet. We trekked through rivers and experienced a lot of rain on the trail.

• Prepare for the heat, stay hydrated and bring electrolyte packets.

• The tour isn’t the cheapest experience here but it was worth the challenge and the memories.

• This hike is classified as ‘strenuous’, it wasn’t easy but it’s definitely manageable - you will be using all your limbs so coordination is needed.

• If Hang Pygmy isn’t the cave experience for you, Phong Nha National Park has over 300 caves so there are plenty of other options.

Entrance of Hang Pygmy Cave

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