Pu Sam Cap Cave – The Awake Sleeping Beauty in Lai Chau

The sleeping beauty has been awoken

Nature gives the Northwest majestic mountains, endless green forests, rivers constantly flowing day and night, and a lot of stunning caves. Pu Sam Cap is one of these masterpieces of the MotherNature!  Don’t miss the chance to discover this magnificent cave when you travel to Lai Chau Province. The amazingly fanciful stalactites, which has been formedthousands of years ago, will definitely awaken your curiosity!

The name Pu Sam Cap means three big mountains overlapped. This is acomplex of more than tenlarge and small caves that just recently discovered. The wild and indigenous beauty of the cave system, making it a sleeping beauty in the deep forest. According to experts, the cave’s pristine beauty can be compared to any previously recognized cave such as Phong Nha - Ke Bang (Quang Binh Province), Thien Cung Grotto (Quang NinhProvine) or HuongTich Cave (former Ha Tay Province).

With massive stalactites, cave arches and traces of tectonic lines on rock, Pu Sam Cap is an evidence of the spectacular formation and natural texture of the Earth's crust. Wonderfulcaves, dotted with primitive forests and diverse plants, make it a giant mysterious treasure with strange tectonic structures. Looking at Pu Sam Cap, we can see a miniature of the Northwest, which is currently being investigated by professionals and archaeologists.

How we got to Pu Sam Cap Cave System

Following Vietnam Offroad Motorcycle Tours, I drove from Hanoi through few mountainous provinces and then stopped at Lai Chau in the morning. Pu Sam Cap range locates at the height of 1,300m to 1,700m above sea level, on provincial road 129 linking between Lai Chau City and Sin Ho District. It is only about 5km away from the city center. This range, which is the natural boundary of Lai Chau, Tam Duong and Sin Ho District, runs from the Northwest to Southeast. According to geologists, there are often plenty of groundwater flowingunder the valleys which are surrounded by limestone mountains. For that reason, the locals named this the basin Nam Loong.

Trekking inside the caves

Pu Sam Cap cave system includes 3 caves: Thien Mon (Heaven Gate), Thien Duong (Paradise) and Thuy Tinh (Glass). Lying at the entrance to the cave, Heaven Gate appears charmingly with an enormous arch gate. The cave’s floor looks like a lake surface rippled with thousands of stalactites. We can hear the dripping sound harmony right from the entrance. The drops from stalactites on the ceiling constantly fall on my face and hair, making me feel like I’m trekking in a summer rain.

The inside was little dark despite some lights put on the walls. The path along slippery cliff have enough space just for one person, just you should be careful at every step, or else you might fall.

After Heaven Gate, we discovered Paradise Cave. The cave is a little more challenging with winding dangerous paths. There was a rope pinned on the wall that wehad to cling on when following the path. The deeper we got inside, the more spectacular stalactites in various unique shapeswesaw. The small ones are scattered on the floor covered with full of pointed branches, looking like sprouts in the garden. Others get the shapes of orchids, butterflies or even "celestial dragon". There are also huge steep stalagmite columns arising suddenly from the ground, making the cave a magnificent and gorgeous palace.

Glass cave is our last destination to relax after a long thrilling adventure in a primitive cave system. Its space is larger and lighter, helping us enjoy the whole fantastic view of the inside.

It is not easy to explore untouched nature in the modern life and Pu Sam Cap won't ever let you down. Thanks to Vietnam Offroad Motorbike Tours, I had the exciting unique experiences that I’ve never been before.