Our first adventure outside Malaysia was Vietnam. And what an adventure it was. One of us (no prizes for guessing which one) spent an incredible few days in the World’s Biggest Cave. It’s in Central Vietnam, has been visited by less people than the summit of Everest, is called Hang Son Doong, and you can check it out on U-tube.

 

 

Why, asked a few people, didn’t I join the expedition? chance of a lifetime etc.

The short answer is that my brother, who is one of the British cavers who provide technical assistance on the expedition, forbade it. Seems to think I might not have been fit enough. I didn’t argue much, as the trip included, in no particular order:

Steep path down to cave
Leeches
Crossing underground river
Crossing jungle streams and rivers
Leeches
Boulders
Rappelling
Leeches
Steep path back up from cave
Mud (there’s a reason why one section of the cave’s called Passchendaele)
More mud
More slithery bits
Oh and did I mention the leeches…

And – despite all that (maybe because of it? who knows) the 11 intrepid souls who went on the 5 day trip loved it. Challenging, beautiful, fascinating, ‘best experience of my life’. Some of them are already planning to go again…