The morning of our second day of our cruise on Ha Long Bay, directly after breakfast, while it was still very early, we took the tender boat in to see Sung Sot Cave (Surprise Cave).
Sung Sot Cave is a large cave of 12.200 square meters. The cave has three compartments and high ceilings with lots of stalactites in various shapes. The ceiling’s maximal height is 30 meters
The mouth of Sung Sot Cave is about 25 meters above the sea level. Next to the entrance to the cave, there is a stone in the shape of a horse and a long sword.
This huge cave is considered one of the new 7 wonders of the world. It was discovered by a local fisherman.
Our Cruise tour guide was able to educate us on many fun and interesting facts on the cave formations and what they mean to the Vietnamese people. He joked about the reason it was called “Surprise Cave” as he pointed to a phallic shaped stalagmite formation however the surprise is the nonstop beauty of the cave.
This huge cavern has walking track and steps throughout. There are over 150 steps but don’t let this put you off as they are not steep at all and we were not rushed. The natural stones have different shapes inside the cave and the tour guide points them out as you go. Some of the most interesting ones for me were; the dragon on the ceiling, the turtle, heart shaped rock and several Buddhas
Being as we arrived early, there was no line of people waiting, nor difficulty getting around, however I have heard it can get very crowded. There is colourful lighting throughout the cave which does take away from the natural beauty giving it a “Hollywood” look however lights are necessary to see where you are going and to see the formations.
You really do need a local guide to give you the cultural and historical information to give more depth to the cave rather than it being purely a spectacle.
Once at the top after visiting and walking out of the Cave, we enjoyed the best views of Ha Long bay. Breathtaking!!
Amazingly beautiful formations! I love seeing caves.
Thanks Linda. This one is definitely a winner.
Good photography Lyn. You must be skilled enough to be a travel guide after your many explorations. xx gg
Thanks Gail, that is such a great compliment. But, underneath the glamour of such a job, it would be bloody hard work.
Fun adventure Lyn.
It was fabulous Ishita
Great pictures! We’ve been there too, but our guide told us it name translates to “Amazing Cave” :)
It was definitely amazing. Both good adjectives
The photos are bringing back happy memories of this wondrous cave and beautiful Ha Long Bay. Thanks Lyn!
Thanks Mary. It was a super day hey
Very beautiful. I thought the same thing in the cave in the rock of Gibralter, that the colored lighting detracted from the cave’s natural beauty. Also makes it hard to take pictures since some of the colors don’t photo well.
Yes it sure was very unnatural but that is how they chose to present it. Soft lighting would possibly be nicer
It would.
Absolutely awesome!
It was thanks Kay
Looks absolutely wonderful! Did you see a bloke with a golden gun? He may have looked like Christopher Lee.
It was more than wonderful. No did not see a bloke with a gun. Thanks for reading my blog
Wow, the caves are amazing!
They really are. Thanks
Like you, I thought the lighting could have been more subdued so as not to distract from the natural beauty.
Yes, for me, it would have been far better. I have been in many caves that needed lighting but the lighting was subdued. Thanks
Great photos one of my favourite places in the world I found it so peaceful 🙂
I agree. It is easy to get great photos when the subject is so spectacular. Thanks for your comment Lyn
Wow ! The pics looks so amazing ! May I know which tour did you booked with? :) thanks
Thank you. It is a spectacular place and was the highlight of my Vietnam trip. Our entire trip was booked through Tripadeal here in Aus, and for the Ha Long cruise they used Majestic Cruise. You may like to look at my post on the cruise. https://travelingwithlyn.com/2017/04/06/my-beautiful-ha-long-bay-cruise/
Thanks Lyn