Attractions of Halong Bay #2 Sung Sot Cave

inseasia (61)in #travel • 6 years ago

Sung Sot Cave is one of the main Halong Bay attractions. Most of the Halong Bay Cruise boats will pull in to the small jetty from where the cave is accessed. It has become a main part of any itinerary for people cruising in Halong Bay and enjoying this truly amazing UNESCO World Heritage Site. Halong bay itself was named as one of the “Seven Wonders of Nature” in a worldwide survey.

The fabulous Sung Sot Cave
The tour boats all arrive at a little after 8.00 am and then you begin the climb up to the entrance. To traverse the full length of this magnificent cave involves going up and down 800 steps. It is not for the faint hearted. I have to admit it was a bit of a struggle at times for me, but my word, I am so glad I did it. The cave is lit to great effect, I was a bit worried about the lighting as I had seen some pictures where coloured lighting had been used. These are only a small part of the whole though. The general appearance is as close to natural light as it gets.

The cave was busy as all the tour boats turn up at the same time. Each telling their charges, that they have to go early as it gets too busy later on. I suspect though, that they all go early so they can get everyone back on board, ready to check out of the rooms, in order to give the cleaning staff time to get the boat ready for the next group of tourists who will be arriving at lunch time. The tour parties move through the cave in a pretty organised manner, moving at a pace, that gives one time to take in the breathtaking features. This was truly special among all the Halong Bay attractions.

Coloured lighting is used sparingly
The guides are informative and fun, likening almost every rock formation to an elephant, a lion, a monkey or some other animal. Vietnamese love the idea of symbolism. The thousands of stalagmites, stalactites and columns are very impressive.

The Sung Sot Cave, means The Surprise Cave and it is impressive in size covering as it does two and a half acres. The route through the cave has been paved for safety and measures about a third of a mile. The central chamber has a ceiling that towers 100 feet above your head. at its deepest point a “royal garden” appears. This has a clear pond and a fascinating landscape that resembles small mountains. Many birds and plants live here and it is even home sometimes to a visiting troop of monkeys. This is one of the best Halong Bay attractions and shouldn’t be missed. Ask your tour organiser to make sure you don’t miss it.

!steemitworldmap 20.844449 lat 107.091315 Sung Sot Cave D3SCR