風芽洞 天堂洞 Phong Nha Cave Paradise Cave

到了順化，下一個大站是河內。從順化到河內要坐最少16小時的巴士，對任何常人都是一大挑戰。

我們都是邊走邊做資料蒐集，結果發現差點被略過去的洞海。洞海如其名~~~就是洞!!  著名的風芽國家公園在離洞海市約一小時車程，但奇怪的是很多到風芽的團均是從順化出發，單程就是四個小時的車，6：30出發，回到順化已經最少20：00。再細問，原來很多人會選擇遊覽完不隨車回順化，索性留在風芽或洞海。

我們爬了很多文後決定先報一個往風芽洞的團，遊覽後直接留在風芽住一晚，第二天自行遊天堂洞....風芽鎮就在風芽洞景區，是一個極小的鎮，要再上路，必須回到洞海...到這刻為止，還未清楚下一步怎麼走。幸好亮天性聰敏，馬上就想到每天遊覽完風芽洞都會送客人到洞海的旅遊巴，結果我們花HK$55，坐一程順風車到洞海,再轉夜車直達河內。

回頭說風芽天堂。

看了很多人說這兩洞是整個越南遊最精彩的景點,所以我們也抱有相當的期望。

                                                                                     

風芽洞曾經是世界上其中一個最大的岩洞,全長70公里,而且她是一個濕洞,擁有全世界最長的地下河流,因此參觀風芽洞都是坐船的。船到了洞口,會關掉引擎,打開船頂,讓我們安靜地欣賞這美景,對我們來說遊濕洞的確有別有一番感覺。船大約走800米,回頭,到了近洞口處,我們在小沙灘下船,步行參觀一小段,回到出口。

洞內的鐘乳石很大很漂亮,也沒有像國內那些浮誇的燈光,感覺十份宏大和平靜,用眼和心細細看,很是感動,人類無論如何努力和用心,也沒法營造出大自然的偉大奇觀!!

天堂洞隱藏在茂密的森林中,位處二百米高,是2005年才被當地人偶然發現,再由英國探洞隊由2005至2010年探勘到總長31公里的洞穴。洞穴的入口非常小,但只要進到洞內,看到第一個洞室已經是驚嘆的說不出話來,可以想像發現這洞時有多驚訝!!進洞口,要沿路往下走,洞大得讓人咋舌,如果要具體一點說,我想第一個洞室,大約有一個紅館的大小,我們一路沿著步道走,後面有更大的洞室,而且鐘乳也比風芽更大更宏偉! 唯一美中不足的是,洞內遊人極多,而且為了讓大家安全地在洞內參觀,有全長超過一公里的步道,整個觀感反而不如風芽洞。

兩個洞各有其獨特之處,風芽是恬靜淡淡然的,而天堂則宏偉壯麗,實在只能兩個都看!!

在這種大自然裡,用眼睛欣賞是最精彩,最感動。

用相機快門可稍為捕捉一下只可作紀錄,根本留不下那一剎的感動…

by: Jo

The next stop after Hue is Hanoi.  However, for any normal people, a 16 hours bus trip is a big challenge.

As usual, we did our research as we move along, and realized we almost missed Dong Hoi.  Dong Hoi (in Chinese means sea of caves) by its name, has many caves!! The famous Phong Nha / Ke Bang National Park is about an hour from Dong Hoi.  However, it is very strange that most of the tours to Phong Nha departs from Hue.  The tours have to depart at 6:30am and it takes at least 4 hours one way and gets back to Hue at 20:00.  When we asked for more options, we realized many people like us choose to not go back to Hue after the tour and would stay in Dong Hoi or Phong Nha.

We read a lot of blogs and comments on the web, and decided to join a tour to Phong Nha departing from Hue, and then have the bus drop us in Phong Nha to spend the night.  On the next day, we visit the Paradise cave on our own … but then we must go back to Dong Hoi in order to go to Hanoi, and we don’t know how.  Well, Mat is so smart, and he realized that all tour buses leave Phong Nha for Dong Hoi every day.  We end up paying HKD 55 for a lift to Dong Hoi by one of the tour buses. We then took off to Hanoi by night bus.

Well, ok, back to the caves.

We sort of have some expectations because many comments on trip advisors said that this is the best they have seen in the whole of Vietnam.

Phong Nha cave was once the largest cave in the world, 70km long, and it is a wet cave and has the longest underground river in the world.  As such, visits to the Phong Nha cave are by boat.  The boat will turn off the engine and take off the roof of the boat when we arrive at the entrance, so that we can fully enjoy the scenery inside the cave peacefully.  In fact, visiting a wet cave on a boat is quite an unique experience. The boat goes inside the cave for about 800m, returns to a small beach near the entrance and then we get to walk inside the cave for a little bit and walks back to the entrance.

The limestone stalactites and stalagmites are huge and very fascinating, and the caves are not lit with colourful lights like those in China, it feels very grand and peaceful.  You would be touched when you quietly enjoy the scenery.  It is amazing how the nature creates such amazing things that human will never be able to replicate.

The Paradise cave is located in a thick forest and elevated by 200m.  It was discovered accidentally by a local in 2005 and later on explored by the British Cave Research Asso from 2005 to 2010 and found 31km of this cave. The entrance of the cave is so small, and you have to descend once you get through the entrance.  When you enter and see the first chamber, it is so huge that you will just hold your breath and don’t know what to say.  If I have to describe it in a sort of quantitative manner, I would say this chamber is about the size of the HK Coliseum.  We followed the walkway and saw even bigger chambers, and the stalactites and stalagmites are even bigger than Phong Nha!  The only downside is there are way too many tourists and the walkway inside the huge cave makes it a lot less natural. 

The two caves have their own charm – Phong Nha is calm and peaceful while Paradise is so huge and magnificent.  I would recommend seeing both.

With such magnificent nature scenery, the best and most touching is to quietly enjoy with your eyes and feel it. 

The camera shutter is there for some records, but it will never capture that real moment ….

by: Jo