Tour overview

HANG TIEN ENDEAVOR 2D1N

The Hang Tien Endeavor is a great combination of jungle trekking, caving and outdoor camping adventure.

 

As the largest cave in Tu Lan cave system, Hang Tien is famed for its enormous size and spectacular formations. Our guide will bring you into the depths of the Vietnamese jungle where the lost world of ancient rock configurations can be found dripping from the ceilings and spending a night under a net of a thousand stars is truly a unique chance to enjoy the real wilderness of this country.

 

With formations rising like a layer cake of rimstone pools and lush ferns, Hang Tien, or “Fairy Cave”, is truly a unique specimen. Highlights of the tour include gour pools, magnificent formations of cave and caveside waterfalls.

 

You will also explore extraordinary caves, including Hang Tien Cave – famed for its vastness and magnificent formations. You will not miss the highlight caving activity of the tour – the flying fox.

 

Note: Unexpected changes on itinerary might happen due to the weather conditions.

 Duration: 2 Days & 1 Night

Adventure Level: Moderate for physically active guests (13.5 km)

Availability: Weekly on Monday, Wednesday and Friday

(operates only from mid-November to mid-September)

Group size:  2 – 10 pax

(minimum requirement of 2 persons to operate)

Minimum Age: 16 years old

Tour Starts: 07:30 am – 08:00 am from any local hotel in Phong Nha

Tour Ends: 6:00 pm – 6:30 pm at any local hotel in Phong Nha

 

Day 1: Phong Nha – Tan Hoa – Cao Quang

Your first day begins in Phong Nha with pickup from your local hotel around 7:30 – 8:00 am. From 8:00 – 9:30 am, you’ll make your way to Oxalis’s Tan Hoa office, where you will learn all about safety measures, collect your gear, and sign our Release Form before departure at 10:30 am. The first part of the walk is tricky with 1 hour trekking uphill and then a hike down alongside the river. You will make a stop for lunch at around 1:00 – 1:30 pm.

You then will reach a tranquil magnificent blue lagoon located right in the middle of the jungle surrounded by rocks. This kind of scenery is rare in the world, it makes you wish you could stop the time and live in this moment forever. Take you time to enjoy a refreshing swim or moments to take some great photos when the sun goes down. Your campsite of the night will be right beside the lagoon, where the mouth-watering fulfilling BBQ dinner prepared by porter team is waiting; this definitely will gain energy for your upcoming exploration of Hang Tien 1 and Hang Tien 2 the following day.

Day 2: Hang Tien 1 – Hang Tien 2 – Tan Hoa – Phong Nha

Wake up in your jungle campsite to breakfast prepared bright and early by the porter team. After enjoying breakfast, you’ll need to climb over a field of boulders before being greeted by the sight of Hang Tien 1 around 9:00 am. Within Hang Tien 1, about 50 m inside the entrance, lays a large chamber where the ceiling is beautifully patterned. The cave has two sections, one on the right side which goes deep down and we will pass on the left-hand side with many gour pools.

Travel deeper into Hang Tien cave and try our brand new caving activity, the 18-meter-long flying fox. Each of you will be equipped with professional safety equipment such as sit harness, locking karabiners and tandem pulleys. You will pull yourself across the steel cables, as if you were floating in midair. Our professionally trained guide team will support you. This is one of the new exhilarating parts of the tour, enjoy this amazing experience.

Pushing forward, the tour will continue through most of Hang Tien 1 and up a ladder, from which the exit of Hang Tien 1 will be visible. The exit will be reached around 11:00 am.

Trek through the jungle for thirty minutes and at 11:30 am, you’ll head back into the subterranean world known as Hang Tien 2. Here you’ll find many formations and you’ll trek about 300 m into the cave, before making your way out, back through the exit of Hang Tien 1. Enjoy a picnic lunch.

The next couple of hours will be filled with your return trek to the road, where cold drinks will await you. Arrive back at the office around 4:00 pm, where you’ll have time to shower and change into fresh clothes before heading back to Phong Nha. The endeavor will end at 6:30 pm in Phong Nha.  

Packing list

We will provide you with the following:

  • Camping gear: tent, camp light, sleeping bag, mattress & pillow
  • Caving & safety gear: caving helmet, caving headlight, life jacket, gloves, safety harness, ropes..
  • Light PVC backpack (if you do not want to take your own, as it will get wet)
  • Semi dry bag (for clothing and personal belongings excl. electronics) for inside the (light PVC) backpack
  • Basic canvas trekking boots (only if you do not have your own pair) sizes 36 – 46
  • Meals: picnic lunches, dinner (day 1), breakfast (day 2)
  • Professional English-speaking tour guide and guide safety assistant
  • Porter team to carry all camping gear and prepare all meals
  • Shared dry box for phone and small cameras (limited availability for larger cameras) depending on water level
  • Water purifier (used only by guide and porters) and water bottle
  • Basic camping facilities with eco-friendly compost toilet using western toilet seat
  • First Aid Kit and Medical Rescue Equipment (application by guides and porters only)
  • Secure Storage Facility at Oxalis Headquarters to store all luggage you will not be taking on the trek

Please also bring with you the following:

  • 1 long (easy to dry) pants and 2 long sleeved shirts to wear during the trek (quick dry)
  • 1 pair of shorts and t-shirt to wear at campsite and swimsuit
  • 1 pair of trekking boots/shoes – difficult terrain, good footwear necessary. Gore-Tex/waterproof boots are NOT recommended as they do not drain well
  • 1 pair of flip-flops (sandals) for campsite
  • 1 medium size towel
  • 2 – 3 pairs of calf-length densely woven socks (not ankle socks!)
  • 1 change of clothes for after the tour
  • Personal items: mosquito repellent, sunglasses, hat, camera, underwear, toiletries

If you are trekking in the colder months (November to March) please bring additional warm clothes for the evening and extra change of long pants and shirt for swimming.