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Kong Lor, una cueva única en el mundo | VIETNAM
Lo más espectacular de viajar con tu propia moto (o tu propio vehículo) por Vietnam, Laos o Camboya, es que puedes tomar todos los desvíos que quieras para llegar hasta donde te pida tu instinto. Una cueva, una playa, una montaña, un pueblo, una tribu, un lugar sin nombre. Ya has pasado inconscientemente por el proceso constante de selección, donde tu cerebro ha ido filtrando la información que…
Quotidian phenomenal, the surround nature and colours that trick your eyes as soon as the day rise.
Kong Lor, February 2017
Kong Lor, Laos.
One of the most beautiful places, I’d been on this journey! Some people even said, it’s like the time had just stopped here like 20 years ago. Keep it simple, keep it good! By the way ... - Merry X-Mas!
Reise durch Asien 2019 #30 Laos - von Pakse nach Thakhek
Reise durch Asien 2019 #30 Laos – von Pakse nach Thakhek
Die weitere Reise führte uns in Laos nach Norden. 2 Städte haben sich hier angeboten, um das Umland zu erkunden. Von Pakse aus haben wir eine Tagestour mit dem Roller auf das Bolaven-Plateau unternommen, vom Flachland in die Berge, Wasserfälle und Dschungel. Weiter nördlich ab Thakhek ist der Loop die touristische Herausforderung für den Roller affinen Backpacker. 3-5 Tage auf dem Motorrad durchs…
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DAYS 47-50 FOUR THOUSAND ISLANDS (SI PHAN DON), LAOS “THE HIPPY ISLANDS”
Today was my last day in Cambodia. I was rather sad to be leaving this wonderful country. There were so many things I had not covered. Still, the onward journey to Laos had me excited for the adventures to come.
Being in Kratie I would now head north by minivan to the enchantingly named Four Thousand Islands, an inland river archipelago in southern Laos. It was going to be a cramped journey, our minivan having scarcely enough room for the half dozen of us, let alone our baggage. It certainly wasn’t a place for somebody with long legs.
On the way up I had the company of a few fellow farang travellers with some locals thrown in for good measure. One of the guys was a German chap, in his 50s I should think. He was so delighted to hear that I spoke some German (knowing little English himself) that he broke out into full German, neglecting to realise that I could not understand much of what he was telling me (I nodded with the occasional ‘ja’ thrown in out of politeness). All the same I was pleased to have been a sounding board to this poor man.
We eventually reached the border, and after a brief delay as our passports were stamped we arrived in Laos. It was not immediately obvious that we were in a new country, other than the change in currency to Laotian Kip.
We reached the embarkation point to the islands in good time, and after a precarious boat journey in a small transportation boat, barely two people wide, we made it to the main island of Don Det.
Don Det, and its sister island Don Khon, have a reputation as being something of a ‘stoner’ resort where hippy backpackers come to lie on hammocks and while away the hours on a joint or two. Certainly on landing, one soon got the sense that this was an island where you may well get high.
The island is small, spanning a perimeter of a mere 7km. Cars are banned on the island, meaning you must rely on walking, cycling or the moped to get around.
On arrival, my priority was to rest as I was not feeling particularly well. I had eyed a place in my Lonely Planet guide prior to arrival on the island located on the “sunset side” . The accommodation generally on the islands was basic, although not bad by local standards. I had a little cabin to myself, with a sizeable bed and an en suite toilet (though requiring a “manual” flush). The view from the communal balcony was particularly nice (above).
By now, I was beginning to look like Mogli, as this photograph will attest.
Over the course of the three nights on the islands I tried to make the most of my time there, notwithstanding my somewhat worsening condition and the usual travellers’ d**a doing its worst. Cycling round the islands was a clear way to pass the time here, but on the second day I took to the waters in a kayak with a group.
It was pretty fun, if a little tiring in my physical condition. There was a funny moment though when one of the kayaks headed straight into a bush full of spiders, which predictably tried to enter their kayak en masse. Though many screams were heard nobody was (physically) harmed. Every now and then we entered a strong current and were thrown off course by the eddies, putting us perilously close to the very same bushes – but we largely avoided them.
After a touch of Irrawaddy dolphin spotting (above), we had some rather strenuous work getting the kayaks out of the water and up what might be described as a cliff - and then fastening all of this equipment on the inside and outside of a songthaew. As you can see we were rather squashed and knackered!
We then saw the impressive Don Khone waterfalls. Here we are at the vantage point:
I would eventually change accommodation a further two times on the island in search of wifi and comfort.
How first world.
For me however, being a solo traveller it was as important to continue blogging this blog as it was to travel – granted that it was always going to be difficult on an island which was only gradually embracing modernity.
My second guesthouse was on the south of the island, and was completely deserted. This was not unusual as it was not a particularly busy period to be travelling round South East Asia, and prices were cheap. Given a choice I probably wouldn't have stayed in this isolated hostel, without guests, but as it took some time to get there and my condition wasn’t great I was not particularly wont to look further.
It was however, perhaps, the first time in my travels that I had genuinely been out with the stillness of nature. At such times it would've been good to have company to share my experiences and thoughts. Maybe I would have lingered longer into the night to look at the stars. It was the right place to have done so. As it was, I briefly dined outside with some other diners in a neighbouring hostel and called it an early night.
I left that hostel the next day and returned back north of the island (this time by motorbike) where I stayed the night in a slightly tired room, again on the condition of wifi.
By the end of my stay I was really quite exhausted from illness, kayaking and all the walking on the island, and in a way quite ready to move on. I had found the locals on the island somewhat a mixed bag. Some were delightful, like the lady that served me a delicious fried fish, and when seeing I hadn't quite skinned the flesh off the bone, took the remainder and hand fed it to me!
Others were quite miserable, like the owners of the first hostel I had stayed in, who hesitated so much as to crack a smile. Perhaps they had quite enough with tourists? I just hoped this wasn’t a portent for the remaining part of my stay in Laos.
I would now move on north to Kong Lor, the world’s spookiest cave…
I’ll cut to the chase, we (that’s me, and 3 guys with a tuktuk that I met at the guest house) reached the Kong Lor caves and. They. Were. Incredible!
But the journey there was a fraught one…
I woke up to heavy rain of course, but to my delight the famous Egg Cake was still on the breakfast menu. Whilst I waited the usual 60 minutes for it’s arrival, I packed my bags and loaded up. This was a particular attraction for the local butterfly community who rarely see the sight of a sweating white western man.
All packed up, ready to go, and then Mr. Vongphata, the humble guest house owner, announces to me:
“Hi Look, the locals tell me this morning that road is full to chest…”
I translate this to mean that the river was still flowing over the road, but even deeper and faster than yesterday.
Should I ride up and see for myself? I’m ready to go. Yes yes, I’ll go, I think.
Then it rains really heavily. Not going. Stops. Going. Rains again. Not going.
Fuck it, I’m not going! I need to get out of these clouds…how far’s Savvanakhet? I’ll go there instead.
Then Mr. Vongphata announces…
“But cave is open today. You must go…”
And so I did.
For the first time in over 2 months, I climb onboard a public mode of transport with other folk on it. A converted pick-up truck no less. It hurtles down the same long straight road that I myself navigated the potholes on just 24hours prior to.
It felt bizarre to be moving without a helmet on, without my arms out in front of me, without my feet either side of a seething engine. I was scared for my life.
And the wooden seat hurt my ass.
We reached the flooded section that halted my progress the day before, and true to local word, it was much worse than yesterday.
No way was our converted pick-up bus going through the 3 feet deep water.
Converted pick-up minivan going through floods.
Undeterred, we stopped a passing family on a engine+trailer contraption, and we agreed to pay them 5000kip (about 30p) each for a ride through the swelling river road.
And onwards we spluttered.
Engine + Trailer contraption to navigate the floods
A short while ahead the waters deepened. Stood on the trailer and still with river water up to our ankles. That’s 4 feet deep at least then. The entire engine and trailer were almost completely submersed.
Next mode of transport…the much bigger tractor cousin of the engine+trailer thing.
10000kip each and we were again on our way. Now standing on a trailer over 4 feet up, the water was again up to our ankles.
Boats were speeding past in both directions. This was a story!
Finally we reached land again, and the amused tractor driver beckoned us towards a newly polished silver Toyota Hilux. Mr. Kee would turn out to be the keeper of a local guesthouse, and subsequently our host for the forthcoming evening.
We had arrived. And the clouds cleared, hidden behind which were spectacular black cliffs rising hundreds of meters high above the vast flat rice paddies below.
Miraculously trees grow from these vertical cliff faces, punctuating the dark stone with bursts of deep green. Above the cliffs the rocky outcrops resembled the jagged teeth of a giant prehistoric monster now in hibernation.
On reaching the caves there’s no sight of the bad news that greeted yesterday’s visitors.
With tickets hand, and life jackets on, we clamber into what can only be described as a hollowed out log, and make for the rapids pounding from the mouth of the cave. I’m not ashamed to reveal that four grown men were fearing for our lives at that point.
Paddling upstream to the cave mouth
But we needn’t have fretted, as we skirted the rapids and cunningly transferred to a couple of motorboats that set off upstream of the rapids.
With our head torches on and dignity tucked back in, our guide opened the throttle and launched us into the darkness of the cavern ahead.
Now I’ve heard superlatives abound in conversations about the Kong Lor caves, and seriously it deserves the praise. intimidating, yes. Amazing; awesome; fantastic; incredible; unbelievable…yes, yes, yes! They are all suitable descriptions of the Kong Lor caves.
Travelfish.org sum up it up as…
“simply a nearly eight kilometre long cave with a river running through it.”
And that it is, but at times it feels like you are exploring the surface of the moon. At times the cave roof soared above over 50 meters up, giving me a soar neck looking up whilst the swollen muddy river, just 2 inches below my ass, tossed and shoved us from side to side.
Bats shriek with disdain at disturbance of our headlamps. Spiders huddle close together in fear of our barping engine. Barp barp ba ba barp barp. Entire trees float on by, just close enough to serve as a reminder of the fragility of the wooden plank on which we sit.
Anyway, we made it out alive, drank more BeerLao, and regaled in our death-defying antics that day.
Here are some photos in case you didn’t make it there…
Paddling upstream to the cave mouth
Ready for the Kong Lor caves…
One photo inside the Kong Lor caves
The Rice Paddy flatlands of Kong Lor
Minivan in the Kong Lor floods
Minivan in the Kong Lor floods 2
The mouth of the cave (bottom left)
Entering the mouth of the Kong Lor cave
View leaving Na Hin
Engine + Trailer contraption to navigate the floods
View leaving Na Hin
Out the otherside of the Kong Lor caves
After 2 aborted attempts, we finally reach the remote Kong Lor caves... Kong Lor Cave - We Made It... I’ll cut to the chase, we (that's me, and 3 guys with a tuktuk that I met at the guest house…
Kong Lor...Take 2!
Reaching the Kong Lor caves proved to be more challenging that expected...Take 2!
When I stopped 20kms short of Na Hin at Guest House in the middle of the mountain clouds, little did I think that same quiet “Guest House” would, later that same night, double up as a brothel for the needs of the farang men working in the local Chinese cement factory.
With just a few fraught hours of sleep, I saddled my bike up in the pouring rain and squelched along the 20kms East to Na Hin. (m…
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