It’s surprising to hear of new natural wonders being unearthed around the globe — especially when they’re large enough to fit a 40-foot skyscraper. Yet this is exactly what happened in Vietnam in 2009, when a group of British explorers trekked through Son Doong cave, now known as the world’s largest.
Son Doong is an impressive 5 1/2 miles long, with a river and jungle that boasts trees nearly 100 feet tall. Fossils as old as 300 million years fill passageways, while stalagmites tower at more than 250 feet inside the cave.
This year, local tour company Oxalis Adventure Tours is working with the Vietnamese government to launch exclusive seven-day tours into the world’s largest cave. To keep the cave protected, only 220 tourists will be allowed to visit Son Doong this year, though future trips are in the works.
You can learn more about tours into Son Doong on the Oxalis Adventure Tours website, or take a peak into the world’s largest cave with the images below.
(All images: Ryan Deboodt)
