Son Doong, the world’s largest known cave located in Vietnam’s central province of Quang Binh, has been ranked third among the worldwide bucket-list trips for 2019 by Lonely Planet, a prestigious travel guide magazine. 

Son Doong cave (Photo:Ryan Deboodt)

“The incredible depths of the world’s largest cave lures in travellers who want a true adventure. But the arduous journey into this subterranean site makes booking a trek essential,” according to the magazine. 

“The major tour operator that takes travellers inside, Oxalis Adventure Tours, says on its website that less than 300 spaces remain for 2019 tours. If you want to make it happen book soon – or get on the waiting list for 2020,” it said. 

Deputy Director of the provincial Department of Tourism Dang Dong Ha said on January 4 that the ranking has significantly contributed to promoting the cave, as well as general tourism in Quang Binh and Vietnam around the world. 

Quang Binh will partner with relevant agencies to ensure safety and quality for tourists to Son Doong, while implementing many large tourism promotion programmes in the cave. 

The Inca Trail in Peru tops Lonely Planet’s list, followed by Burning Man in Nevada of the US. Other destinations included on the list are Under Restaurant in Norway and the 2019 Solar Eclipse in South America. 

Son Doong Cave has been recognised as the largest of its kind in the world by three international record-keeping organisations – Guinness, the Association World, and WorldKings.

The cave is located in the heart of Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park in Quang Binh province. Son Doong was discovered by a local resident in 1991. It was first explored in 2009 by the British Cave Research Association and has been open to the public since 2013.

The 1,645m-long cave system, which extends through a mountain, was named one of the most captivating caves on earth by National Geographic.–VNA