Thac Bo Cave is located at Bung Commune, Ngoi Hoa Commune, Tan Lac District, Hoa Binh Province. It is situated on the right in the North hillside of Chua Mountain range, beside the lakeside of Da River.
In order to reach the cave, guests must begin their trip at Hoa Binh City wherein they will take a boat ride at the port of the hydroelectric plant more than seven kilometers from the city to the upstream of Da River. From there, it is a 17-kilometer journey to reach Chua Mountain where Thac Bo Cave is situated.
Thac Bo Cave is 100 meters thick. The entrance is 25 meters high and the widest part of the structure is about 20 meters wide. It is divided into three big primary rooms. The first room resembles a living room and serves as like a waiting room with its clean and clear surroundings and high dome. There are not much stalactites in this area but what they lack in number, they more than make up for in their breathtaking set up. In fact, one might see the formation of a carp fish which turns into a dragon the longer you stare at it.
From the outside of the cave, visitors have to cross a small bridge across the lake which is about 30 meters long. Along the way, stone statues with strange shapes and about two meters high can be seen. The center of the cave is said to be the “soul” of the whole structure with its spectacular stalactites. Anyone who gets inside is guaranteed to be overwhelmingly impressed by the sheer beauty of the place. The middle area of the cave has both big and small pillars, with the latter resembling a bald cypress tree. As in the other portions of the cave, the ceiling is filled with hundreds of stalactites strangely shaped as well.
The right room of the cave is the most difficult to reach but probably the most fulfilling, too as guests will find themselves in a strangely beautiful adventure of discovery and exploration. This third room of Thac Bo Cave is 35 meters high, 15 meters wide and 30 meters long. With its high dome, clean air and pillars which look like altars, this area of the cave is treated as a sacred place to worship the Buddha.
During the dry season, tourists would have to climb almost 100 staircases to reach the entrance of Thac Bo Cave. But when the water is high, water from Da River will flow to the opening of the cave, and a simple boat ride will take one to the destination. But then again, the water is not that deep. In fact, guests will be able to see fishes swimming from the river to the cave along their boat ride.
The cave system of Thac Bo is like a live and exciting museum which showcases different aspects of climate change, topography, animals and even human activities which all together make up and determine the outcome of nature if we learn how to respect and take care of it.
Photo by http://vietnam-discovery.org/index.php/en/news/Destinations/Stunning-journey-to-Thung-Nai-Hoa-Binh-133/