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AMAZING OPENINGS INTO SUBTERRANEAN WORLD

by John Spies. “Cave with no name.” Khammouane province, Laos.
by John Spies. “Cave with no name.” Khammouane province, Laos.

CAVE LODGE - JOHN SPIES

Some say it is the most awesome opening on Earth! Hang Son Doong, in Vietnam, is the world’s largest cave and it is filled with unimaginable beauty.

Known as “Mountain River Cave,” it is one of 300 caves in the Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park cave system, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, but it is without a doubt the most remarkable.

Australian caver and photographer John Spies knows the cave well -- he’s lived inside it for a week at a time, capturing its many wonders. He and his partner  run a guesthouse called Cave Lodge, located right near the the caves, They also offer guided tours.

Spies has been exploring caves for more than 30 years. He knows how to find them -- discovering many never before seen by humans. He knows how to navigate around their incredible formations and wind through their convoluted passages. He knows how to photograph their drama.

Underground clouds form in subterranean forest in Hang Son Doong Cave in Vietnam. Photo by John Spies.
Image: by John Spies. “The forest beneath.” The Garden of Edam. Hang Son Doong Cave. Quang Binh Province, Vietnam.

Son Doong’s ceilings soar to more than 200 metres high in places. The entrance is quite small. You must descend 80m down a steep wall, using harnesses and ropes to enter. Cool temperatures below meet warm wafts from above and create underground clouds, especially near the two karst windows -- it’s magical.

Image by John Spies Sunlight streams into the mist filled fossil passage near the sink of the Xe Bang Fai River Laos
Image: by John Spies. “Tham Huep is a 1.3 km long cave tunnel that has been used for centuries by Laotian villagers to access their remote, crag-encircled village on the far side of the limestone mountain.” Laos.

The interior of the caves are unlike anything you’ve ever seen, with alien landscapes and unique ecosystems. You must then scramble over massive boulders and navigate around monumental blocks of limestone.

Caver stands in underground forest inside cave in Laos. Photo by John Spies.
Image: by John Spies. Sunlight streams into the mist-filled fossil passage near the sink of the Xe Bang Fai River. Laos.

Inside, you’ll find spectacular subterranean rainforests, 350-million-year old coral fossils, towering karst peaks, met by killer stalactites, jungle rivers, trippy gour pools, and an underground lake.

Spies has been as deep as 5 miles in.

Man is dwarfed by beautiful rock formations in a cave in Vietnam. Photo by John Spies.
Image: by John Spies. “American rock climber and cave explorer Josh Morris stands amongst stalagmites and dripstone formations in Hang Son Doong, Vietnam.” Hang Son Doong, Vietnam.

While Son Doong was formed over 400 million years ago, and it’s so big that a Boeing 747 could fly through its biggest cavern, the cave was only just discovered in 1991 by a local man who was foraging in the forest.  British Cave Research Association (BCRA) led exploratory missions a few years later. It first opened to for very limited public visits in 2013.

Gorgeous reflection of a cave entrance on water. Photo by John Spies.
Image: by John Spies. “Reflections from a karst window in Hang Son Doong, Vietnam.” Hang Son Doong, Vietnam.

Spies has documented over 80 caverns in Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam, a few of which he lays claim to discovering. He’s documented new species of eyeless cave fish and a new genus of cave fish that has adapted its fins to climb cave waterfalls. 

Some of these caves were carved out of the limestone bedrock by active streams. Others are dry caverns.

Artifacts and relics sit on beach inside Hang En cave in Vietnam. Photo by John Spies.
Image: by John Spies. “Hang En: Cave camping.” Hang En, Vietnam.

Spies also became fascinated with the way the caves preserved artifacts left by past cultures. He’s found the remains of prehistoric teak-wood log coffins in over 80 caves in Pang Mapha district of Mae Hong Son Province. Bones, pottery, tools and decorative items, strewn about are between 1500 and 2200 years old. Ancient rock art has survived in a few sites and stone tools up to 30,00 years old are common in cave entrances and overhangs.

southeast-asia-cave-john-spies-06-677x452.jpg
Image: by John Spies. “View from the ‘dragon hatching balcony' of the Tham Xe Bang Fai entrance chamber.” Xe Bang Fai river cave, Laos.

Tham Xe Bang Fai, a cave in Laos, is one of Spies’ favorite places. It contains the world's largest gour pool. Bring your kayak or your bamboo raft! 

Spies can also lead you to an amazing bird show, where 300,000 swifts return to nest in the cave each evening. 

Whether you kayak, trek, camp, or climb, you can even discover an unexplored cave yourself.

Caver rests at the top of a spiral formation under a skyhole inside Hang Son Doong Cave in Vietnam.
Image: by John Spies. “Hang Son Doong skyhole.” Quang Binh Province, Vietnam.

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Light shines through cave opening in Vietnam. Photo by John Spies.
Image: by John Spies. “Sharing.” Hang Son Doong Cave. Quang Binh Province, Vietnam.

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Giant opening in a massive cave in Vietnam. Photo by John Spies.
Image: by John Spies. Hang Son Doong Cave. Quang Binh Province, Vietnam.