Vietnam: Phong Nha NP – Jungle Trekking to Hang En Cave
The second multiday caving adventure I chose was the Hang En Cave, the world’s third largest cave. But getting there is not so simple and requires some hardcore trekking for 6-8 hours: you descend steeply over 1500ft/500m through ultra lush pristine jungle in nearly 40C/100F heat and near-absolute humidity (it becomes one of the most gruesome and sweaty climbs on the way back). You need to wear long pants and long sleeves to protect yourself from abundant poison ivy and even more abundant forest leaches. Once down in the valley, it takes 30 knee-deep river crossings over 22km of mostly flat terrain (so basically you are trekking in soaked hiking boots and drenched in sweat). A torrential downpour midway made things even more fun. But it’s an incredible landscape of true untouched jungle and karst limestone hills that makes it an awesome hike, plus the prize of the cave at the end (coming next posts).
