This tour offers a glimpse into the amazing beauty of the Tu Lan area: caves, karst mountains, jungle, and waterfalls. It is an opportunity to escape civilization and go deep into the rugged and untouched nature of Vietnam for two-days and one-night with a professional English-speaking guide and jungle porter team.

This tour is perfect if you are short on time but still want a solid taste of adventure in the amazing Tu Lan jungle and cave system.

You will enjoy exploring Ken Cave, Kim Cave, Hung Ton Cave and of course Tu Lan Cave. You’ll also be subjected to a decent amount of trekking with over 12 km of tough jungle terrain covered over the two days and plenty of swimming!

Once the day’s adventures are over get ready for a night in the jungle at our amazing Tu Lan campsite located by a beautiful waterfall. You’ll enjoy a delicious BBQ beside the campfire before turning in to the sounds of jungle critters and rushing waters of the nearby waterfall.

With climbing, trekking, and swimming through river caves, this will surely be a highlight of your travels in Vietnam.

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

ITINERARY

DOWNLOAD ITINERARY (PDF)

QUICK FACTS

• Operating: from mid-Nov to mid-Sep (closed in October)

• Duration: 2 Days/1 Night

• Adventure Level: Easy for physically active guests (swimming necessary)

• Availability: Every Tuesday, Thursday & Saturday

• Small Group Tours: Average 8 - 10 pax

• Minimum Age: 16 years & above (Physically active 15 y/o with previous experiences will be considered)

• Tour Starts: 7:30 am - 8:00 am from any local hotel in Phong Nha

• Tour Ends: 6:00 pm - 6:30 pm at any local hotel in PhongNha.

• Price: VND 5,500,000/pax ($239)

DAY 1

Phong Nha - Tan Hoa - Tu Lan

You’ll be picked up at your hotel in Phong Nha between 7:30 am and 8:00 am, before venturing off to the village of Tan Hoa, located 70 km away. After a safety briefing and gear check, you need to sign our Release Form before it’s off and away for a full day of trekking.

The trek begins with a 2.5 km march across fields of peanut crops, giant water buffaloes, towering corn stalks, and down to the Rao Nan River.

The adventure accelerates with a 30 m climb up a rocky hill to a small jungle opening where you can catch your breath before a 100 m descent in elevation down to Hung Ton Valley.

Lunch will be enjoyed in the Hung Ton Cave opening and then the adventure picks up again with some serious trekking from Hung Ton Valley and over to Mango Mountain, then back down into Tu Lan Valley (3 km).

By mid afternoon, Tu Lan campsite will be on the horizon, where swimming can be enjoyed in the beautiful waterfall. Afternoon activities include exploring and swimming through Ken Cave, located next to the campsite, and after that it’s back to camp for a delicious BBQ dinner.

Sleep will come easy in comfortable or tents set up amongst the trees!

Note: A complimentary 6-bed dorm room at Oxalis Home is offered for our adventurers who arrive in Phong Nha early in the morning, few hours ahead of their booked tour departure. Here you can catch some shut eye and be prepared right before your tour departs. This dorm room comes with air-conditioning, comfortable bedding and is equipped with Wi-Fi as well. Please inform us in advance if you request to stay in this room!

DAY 2

Tu Lan - Tan Hoa - Phong Nha

The second day starts with a hearty breakfast, and more cave exploration.

Starting with a brief swim across the river into the heart of Tu Lan Cave System, you will break to enjoy the blue lagoon entrance before making your way 180 m downstream through Tu Lan Cave entrance.  Make your way up to explore the dry part with some climbing and squeezing, at which point you will reach the dry exit and trek a short way through the valley into Kim Cave dry entrance.  Stay for a while to watch out for a natural window in Kim Cave, and you’ll then be on a 600-meter cave exploration including 350m of swims of varying lengths. A picnic lunch will be served next to a stunning waterfall by Hung Ton Cave mouth. Then, you will try to follow a dry path before swimming out through Hung Ton wet cave .

Following this is the exploration of a dry passage, and then a trek down into Hung Ton Valley (800 m).

Arrival in Tan Hoa is followed by a chance to take in the scenery with a cold drink in hand.

Showers are available for those who would like to clean up and change, and then departure back to Phong Nha is at around 4 pm, with arrival in Phong Nha by 5:30 pm (Note: 6:00 – 6:30 pm from November to March).

OXALIS ADVENTURE LEVELS

LEVEL 2

Tu Lan Cave Encounter

Please make sure that your health is suitable for these activities with ease.

• 12km jungle and mountain trekking, rocky terrain
• Elevation change up to 150m (between valley and top of mountain)
• 1 km swimming in caves (from 200m – 500m each cave)
• 3 km caving
• 2 days and 1 night in jungle and caves
• Requirements:
  • Basic trekking experience
  • Swimming skills are required

Tu Lan 1-day Experience

Please make sure that your health is suitable for these activities with ease:

• 9km jungle and mountain trekking, rocky terrain
• Elevation change up to 150m (between valley and top of mountain)
• 100m swimming in caves
• 1 km caving
• Requirements:
  • Basic trekking experience
  • Swimming skills are required

Note: Be prepared for your shoes to get very wet due to many river crossings!

Oxalis Adventure Tours staff (cave expert or guide) reserves the right to decline, accept or retain any person as a member of any party at any time without compensation or refund due to safety issue.

WE WILL PROVIDE

• Camping gear: tent, camp light, sleeping bag, mattresses, pillow
• Caving & safety gear: caving helmet, caving headlight, life jacket, gloves
• 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 (day 1, day 2), breakfast (day 2), dinner (day 1)
• Professional English-speaking tour guide and guide safety assistant
• Porter team to carry all camping gear and prepare all meals
• Shared dry box for phones and small cameras (limited availability for larger cameras)
• Water filter and purifier (used only by guide and porters)
• 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.

YOU WILL NEED

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

PRICING AND AVAILABILITY

• This tour is operated from mid-Nov to mid-Sep (closed from mid-Sep to mid-Nov).
• Maximum is 10 participants per booking
• You will pay in Vietnam Dong. The tour price is about US$239 as an estimation and could be affected by the foreign exchange rate.