Son Doong Cave Vietnam

On 28th Sep, 2011, carrying the eager to explore the grandeur of nature, the first travelers together with ATA’s product manager – Mr. Tony Tran had launched the discovery to Son Doong Cave, the biggest cave in the world.

Accompany with the group is Mr. Ho Khanh who found the Son Doong Cave as a tour guide. The first meet with Mr. Ho Khanh really impressed everyone. Just a warm smile, a strong handshake from him is enough to make everyone feel warm at heart. At Ho Khanh ‘s house, the group had the moments of relax with green tea, a simple lunch with steamed rice cake and salted peanut and an open conversation. All of that was promising for a memorable journey.

Mr. Ho Khanh in old costume of troop

The first obstacle [...Read more]

General Guidelines
The equipment you need very much depends on the cave you are exploring, the difficulty of the route, and the amount of time you intend to spend in the cave.

Necessary Equipment
A list of gear that you must have on any trip underground. These lists are general guidelines only. Disclaimer

Helmet:
A helmet is the most basic of essentials. Hazards ranging from bumping your head on the ceiling to rocks falling on you can exist in the cave environment. For the majority of wild caving experiences a UIAA certified climbing or caving helmet is recommended. For very basic trips involving no vertical exposure, no overhead hazards, or any other hazards beyond stumbling or walking into a rock a good quality construction hardhat with a chinstrap is acceptable but not prefered.
[...Read more]

Twenty years after he stumbled on the discovery, a local farmer leads a British caving team to the find of the century

A team of British cavers recently announced record-breaking news – the discovery in Quang Binh Province of the largest cave in the world.

But the presence of the British team has eclipsed one very important figure in the story – 40-year-old Ho Khanh – a local man and guide for the expedition who says he first found the cave nearly 20 years ago, but lost it again.

Back to the start

Today the forty-year-old farmer mans a tea stall in a village on the edge of Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park. “I first found the cave 18 years ago, in 1991,” he says. [...Read more]

By Mark Jenkins

“Past the hand of dog, watch out for dinosaurs,” says a voice in the dark.

I recognize Jonathan Sims’s clipped, British military accent but have no idea what he’s talking about. My headlamp finds him, gray muttonchops curling out from beneath his battered helmet, sitting alone in the blackness along the wall of the cave.

“Carry on mate,” growls Sims. “Just resting a buggered ankle.”

The two of us have roped across the thundering, subterranean Rao Thuong River and climbed up through 20-foot blades of limestone to a bank of sand. I continue alone, following the beam of my headlamp along year-old footprints.
[...Read more]