Hang Son Doong Tours 5 & 6

SD5 – Saturday 21^st to Wednesday 25^th February – Ruth & Howard

SD6 – Wednesday 25^th February to Sunday 1^st March – Dave & Deb

Setting up for breakfast

This was the first trip of the Vietnamese New Year, so it started with a special celebratory breakfast at Khanh’s. Having spent the previous day and night eating and drinking the last thing needed was yet another full Vietnamese feast, but we got one anyway, complete with whiskey. And very good it  was too with a particularly nice fish dish and a speech from both Chau (owner of Oxalis) and Khanh.

Cheers

Most of the porter team had gone up to the drop off point the previous night rather than the usual practice of packing at Khanh's on the morning of departure. Last year on the first trip in the New Year, the porter bus was involved in a head on collision with a truck. They believed it would be inviting bad luck to travel on the same route on the equivalent day this year, hence the packing at the drop off point.

Packing up at the drop off point

At the Doong village small gifts were given for Tet and we stopped for the usual chat and rest. As we neared Hang En we were lucky enough to glimpse Languor monkeys high up on the tree covered cliffs.

No sunbeams on our first morning in Hang En so no frantic photography before we set off. The swifts are beginning to come back so the whole time in En we were accompanied by the high pitched noise of the constantly flying birds and the occasional poop on the head!

There were quite a few very keen photographers in the group and once into Son Doong much photography was done on the way to the first camp. There was a clear view towards the Hand of Dog so l was volunteered to stand on it. It is difficult to stand still for twenty minutes or so on a small space when you are aware of the steep drops around you! But funnily enough one manages it quite well.

Sunbeams and Waterfalls at Doline One

We were once again treated to sunbeams in Doline One. During this sunbeam display Jaryd proposed to his girlfriend Alesha. Very romantic. Sadly l am unable to put down what Dave thought about this as the blog would be taken off line.

The trip to the Great Wall of Vietnam was different again. There was no lake but we donned life jackets and set off walking through the steep mud walled channel in water thigh deep. It gradually became increasingly deeper and deeper until we had to swim the last four hundred metres to the end.

On the way back through the Doline Two jungle l managed to pick up a leech which was spotted on my neck by eagle eyed Jim. I had been told they don’t hurt, but they do. It felt as if l had been bitten by an insect and it continued to hurt for a while.

The Garden of Edam

On our return into En everybody managed a full immersion into the lakes for a wash and l had my first swim in the colder lake.  The last morning saw the appearance of those sunbeams again so more frantic photography. Soon the sun will be too high in the sky for sunbeams in En. Shame.

The temperature was much hotter on our walk back to the road and by the time l got to the top of the hill l was as red as a beetroot. A good trip with a great bunch of people who all got on well together.

 

Footprints in the sand of Camp One

My trip had a slightly more normal start, somewhat delayed by the late arrival of the group (of six wealthy Americans) that we had met the previous nights briefing. They were all known to one another, two families, linked by business partnerships and long friendships.  From the start I could tell that this was going to be an enjoyable trip, they were all very nice and easy-going, and also, they had given me and Deb each a bottle of tequila to carry in for them, each bottle was worth about £100.

Tasty Tequila

Despite the late start and the knee injury sustained by one of our party within half an hour, we all made it to the Hang En Camp at about the normal time and the first bottle of tequila was duly opened, I’m no tequila expert but I will say it was very pleasant indeed! Day two started as normal for this time of year, with limited sunbeams at Hang En, and then, as the water levels had dropped since my last visit, we walked along and through the river from Hang En Exit to a point where a short steep climb led up to the entrance of Hang Son Doong. The walk to Camp one passed without incident, although when we got to the Hand of Dog viewpoint (The Witches Hat) it was very misty, so much so, that within ten minutes of our arrival it was no longer possible to see the hat at all! That evening first bottle finished, second opened.

Witch in the mist

The third day was still a little cloudy in the cave (although obviously sunny outside) but we were still treated to sunbeams in Doline One. After arrival at Camp two we went down to the Great Wall of Vietnam, this time it was walking all the way in a narrow trench, knee deep in water and mud. Before the night was over, the second bottle was finished.  The next day steady progress was made back to Hang En, and the group were still loving every moment of the trip, no more tequila tonight but we had been re-stocked with rice wine, too much for some as two of the party spent most of the night being sick! A steady walk back up the hill for the final day, all in all, they were a fantastic group to be with, mega rich but not in the least spoiled by their financial status, for me, probably the best group of the year (including all those yet to come).

The Cook, Tu, at Doline One