Ho Dong Tien Cave (Fairy Lake Cave), Vietnam

So you want to feel like an explorer? You want to go underground in a small confined space using only a small light source to guide your way? Not knowing what is in front of you….or behind you?! Then you should stop off at Ho Dong Tien Cave in Vietnam and you may get your wish!

What is Ho Dong Tien Cave

When visiting Ho Dong Tien Cave you will likely visit two sections of the complex. The first chamber, which is accessed through a very narrow passage, has stalactites and stalagmites within. The second part of the cave is the little lake which is surrounded by the island. This is the part that gives the lake its name. In Vietnamese folklore the fairies are said to have come here to swim. In Vietnamese the name translates to Fairy Lake Cave. 

Getting to Ho Dong Tien Cave

Getting to the cave, like many other places in Halong Bay, is either by kayak, or by a tender boat from a cruise vessel. We were lucky in that we were the only boat that was there at the time, and as you may discover on Halong Bay this does not happen too often! It is quite hard to see the entrance from afar, but as you approach the cave it becomes more visible to you.

The entrance to the cave can get very slippery and wet and you need to be cautious when moving through the first parts of it. There is also no artificial light source so you will need to bring your own. Either a lighter, a torch, or more commonly used nowadays, the light from a mobile phone!

Inside Ho Dong Tien Cave

Moving into the first chamber can be nerve wracking if you are someone who does not like the dark, or does not like cramped spaces. If you have a bad back or anything like bad knees or hips, then you may have trouble getting through this passage as well. You will need to crouch down a lot and may have to crawl for a portion of your journey into the first chamber.

It is not long but if you are not used to this sort of traversing then it may feel like an eternity! (This passage reminded me of all those horror movies where people go into cave complexes and face off against evolved humans. Kind of glad I hadn’t seen one in a while as I was going through it!)

Once inside the chamber you are free to stand up and take note of everything around you. The cave is nice. But what we didn’t like about it was that it was obvious that others who had been there before had helped themselves to some souvenirs. Not a thing that we like to see in any destination we go to. It’s something that you would think people would be aware of no matter what their race or culture. Disappointingly some people like to take privileges and ruin things for others. 

The Second Section

The second section with the lake is a bit brighter as you make your way out into the open and look over the lake. It’s not a very big lake, but the sunlight and brightness is welcome to you. After a couple of photos then you go back to your boat the same way you came in. This time the journey through the narrow passage isn’t as daunting as you know what is on the other side!

Conclusion

When on a cruise then it is nice to go to Ho Dong Tien as it will be part of the itinerary and you have lots of time in your schedule. If we were tight on time I wouldn’t have been too put out if we had missed it. There were other caves we visited and to be honest they were better than this one. For more on those see some of our links below.

The one thing I did enjoy personally about this cave was what a lot of people may hate. That was the sense of adventure going into the unknown with barely any light and crawling through a narrow rock passage. It really felt like you were entering as the first person did when it was initially discovered.  

 

– Information if you are planning this activity

Cost: Entry is free but you will need to be on a cruise or have a kayak to get there.
When to do: Daylight hours only!
Duration of activity: Approximately one hour in total.
What to bring with you: A light source if you can find one, possible something warm to wear, as in all caves it can get chilly underground. 

Our Vietnam Travel Guide

• For our Vietnam Travel Guide with information for people looking to travel to Vietnam please click here.