Post by L Roebuck on Apr 11, 2006 14:23:27 GMT -5
Insiders’ travel tip - visit Mo So limestone cave
Insiders’ travel tip - visit Mo So limestone cave
Vietnam’s most famous caves with stalactite and stalagmite formations are undoubtedly in the north, in Halong Bay.
Yet all the way across the country, in the southern province of Kien Giang, the beautiful cave system of Mo So Mountain is quite impressive – and much less known.
A very long time ago, the land of the Kien Giang region sank, and sea water flooded it, creating a shallow extension of the sea. Gradually the water level subsided, and alluvium accumulated.
But the water level at that time was still a few meters higher than the ground and together with the ocean waves, it eroded the foot of the mountain, called Mo So.
The sea continued to wear down the stone and with time dug far into the mountain, opening up connecting underground tunnels and forming a huge water-filled grotto.
Now the water around the Chung Son mountain range, some 30 kilometers southwest of Ha Tien Town, has completely subsided, but its creation has remained.
In the American War, Mo So used to be a revolutionary base. Eleven years ago, the Ministry of Culture and Information recognized it as a national historic relic.
Stalactite and stalagmite formations rising from the ground and growing from the ceiling have left fantastic shapes in the limestone cave system. Paths guide visitors through this magic world of smooth and shiny stones deep into the mountain.
Most visitors say Dong Nuoc, or Wet Cave, is the best and the biggest in the system. A footpath west of the valley leads to the cave.
The cave is deep, gradually expanding to a height of 20 meters. A cool underground stream still flows through it, sometimes creating a fog that obscures everything and makes the stone formations appear even more mysterious.
But the most impressive and unusual are the trees whose roots have pierced through the hard stones and keep growing inside the cave.
Occasionally bats, awoken by the noises of the few visitors, fly through the cave, their black wings a marked contrast against the soft light that filters through the sky well, the hole in the cave’s ceiling.
The dry season is the best time to sightsee the cave. Then people can walk through the cave though sometimes they must still wade through some remaining water, which is fun. In the rainy season, tourists must use small rowboats to visit the cave.
To reach Mo So Cave used to be quite difficult. Passing shrimp breeding ponds, paddy fields and canals it took visitors two hours to cover the five kilometers from the main road to the cave. Now people can go to the cave entrance straight by car in just 10 minutes.
Because of the caves’ history, special tours for Liberation Day on April 30 and Labor Day on May 1 take people there.
HCMC-based The He Tre Co. offers a three-day, VND1.19-million excursion to see Mo So and Thien Cam mountains and Ha Tien in Kien Giang. The tour will leave HCMC on April 29 and 30.
Those who book before April 20 will get a 5% discount. For more information, contact The He Tre at 209 A Hoang Van Thu, Phu Nhuan District, HCMC. Tel: (08) 842 2432.
The Dung
www.saigontimes.com.vn/daily/detail.asp?muc=11&Sobao=2666&SoTT=18
Insiders’ travel tip - visit Mo So limestone cave
Vietnam’s most famous caves with stalactite and stalagmite formations are undoubtedly in the north, in Halong Bay.
Yet all the way across the country, in the southern province of Kien Giang, the beautiful cave system of Mo So Mountain is quite impressive – and much less known.
A very long time ago, the land of the Kien Giang region sank, and sea water flooded it, creating a shallow extension of the sea. Gradually the water level subsided, and alluvium accumulated.
But the water level at that time was still a few meters higher than the ground and together with the ocean waves, it eroded the foot of the mountain, called Mo So.
The sea continued to wear down the stone and with time dug far into the mountain, opening up connecting underground tunnels and forming a huge water-filled grotto.
Now the water around the Chung Son mountain range, some 30 kilometers southwest of Ha Tien Town, has completely subsided, but its creation has remained.
In the American War, Mo So used to be a revolutionary base. Eleven years ago, the Ministry of Culture and Information recognized it as a national historic relic.
Stalactite and stalagmite formations rising from the ground and growing from the ceiling have left fantastic shapes in the limestone cave system. Paths guide visitors through this magic world of smooth and shiny stones deep into the mountain.
Most visitors say Dong Nuoc, or Wet Cave, is the best and the biggest in the system. A footpath west of the valley leads to the cave.
The cave is deep, gradually expanding to a height of 20 meters. A cool underground stream still flows through it, sometimes creating a fog that obscures everything and makes the stone formations appear even more mysterious.
But the most impressive and unusual are the trees whose roots have pierced through the hard stones and keep growing inside the cave.
Occasionally bats, awoken by the noises of the few visitors, fly through the cave, their black wings a marked contrast against the soft light that filters through the sky well, the hole in the cave’s ceiling.
The dry season is the best time to sightsee the cave. Then people can walk through the cave though sometimes they must still wade through some remaining water, which is fun. In the rainy season, tourists must use small rowboats to visit the cave.
To reach Mo So Cave used to be quite difficult. Passing shrimp breeding ponds, paddy fields and canals it took visitors two hours to cover the five kilometers from the main road to the cave. Now people can go to the cave entrance straight by car in just 10 minutes.
Because of the caves’ history, special tours for Liberation Day on April 30 and Labor Day on May 1 take people there.
HCMC-based The He Tre Co. offers a three-day, VND1.19-million excursion to see Mo So and Thien Cam mountains and Ha Tien in Kien Giang. The tour will leave HCMC on April 29 and 30.
Those who book before April 20 will get a 5% discount. For more information, contact The He Tre at 209 A Hoang Van Thu, Phu Nhuan District, HCMC. Tel: (08) 842 2432.
The Dung
www.saigontimes.com.vn/daily/detail.asp?muc=11&Sobao=2666&SoTT=18