Dining in Earth's largest cave Son Doong

During the second day of 2024's first exploration of Son Doong Cave chef Hong Quang and his two assistants were getting dinner ready at 6 p.m. in Sinkhole 1. The tour group had returned to camp from a hike an hour earlier.

The dinner featured grilled chicken, stir-fried beef with bell peppers, boiled pork, tofu simmered in tomato sauce, french fries, sweet potato salad, and winter melon soup, as well as an array of other side dishes and accompaniments. Tea and coffee were also served.

The travelers who ate it praised the meals, designed for about 18 to 20 people, "above and beyond" compared to home-cooked meals, and "spectacular" compared to typical trekking tour fare.

The Son Doong tour includes a total of 10 main meals, as well as night snacks like grilled corn, potatoes and peanuts.

Quang, 48, from Quang Binh which is home to Son Doong, has served as the tour chef for 7 years. He starts his day at 5 a.m., making breakfast before embarking on the day's journey with the group. He usually heads back to the camp early to cook dinner, then stays busy with cleaning and preparing ingredients for the next day until around 10 p.m.

Dinner is a highlight, featuring the same ingredients as other dinners but prepared in different ways. As Quang explains, "If we prepare stir-fried beef one day, the next day it might be grilled beef rolled in betel leaves."

While dinner stands out for its "fanciness," breakfast and lunch are just as satisfying. They include a variety of options like beef banh mi, fried rice, instant noodles, rice paper rolls with pork, crepes, and sandwiches.

To cater to the diverse group, including Asians, Europeans, and Americans, food is prepared in different styles to meet various preferences and dietary requirements.

Quang takes charge of planning the menu before each tour and personally handles ingredient preparation. Food brought along is refrigerated to maintain freshness for the first two nights of the journey. Supplies for the third night are brought from outside the cave. They are brought over "the Great Wall of Vietnam," which is a large flowstone wall on the other side of the cave.

"Fish isn't included in the tour's menu due to preservation challenges and the risk of bones," Quang said.

Hong Quang prepares dinner at the camp during a Son Doong tour in January 2024. Photo by VnExpress/Linh Huong

Son Doong Cave lies within Phong Nha Ke Bang National Park in central Vietnam’s Quang Binh Province. It was declared the world's largest natural limestone cave in 2009. It was shaped over 2-5 million years ago by river water flowing through buried limestone, forming a huge underground tunnel beneath the mountains. Son Doong is about 150 meters wide, over 200 meters tall, and almost 10 kilometers long.

About 1,000 to 1,200 visitors are allowed annually from January to August, helping to maintain the cave's ecosystem responsibly.

Each Son Doong tour usually has about 10 guests and employs nearly 30 staff members. This includes 20 porters carrying luggage, 5 safety assistants, a tour guide, a cave expert, two chefs, and a ranger. All staff are locals trained in safety and rescue procedures. They transport 600 kilograms of equipment and supplies, including waste, into and out of the cave, and they clean the campsites upon departure to leave them as they were found.

The chefs not only need cooking skills but also have to be healthy as they travel long distances and carry more than 10 kilograms of luggage.

For the meals, porters need to carry a 20-kilogram gas tank, a stove, pots, pans, bowls, utensils, and other items necessary for cooking. After their daytime work, they assist in the kitchen, allowing dinner to be prepared quickly for the tour group, guides, and support staff. Usually, the support team eats first with a simple meal, while guests enjoy a more elaborate one later.

Hoang Anh, a member of a recent Son Doong tour, mentioned that he finished all his food at each meal and even helped others finish theirs.

"The cave meals are tasty," he said. "We cleared our plates, which made the chef happy and motivated."

Nguyen Chau A, General Director of Oxalis Adventure and Oxalis Holiday, the exclusive provider of Son Doong tours, emphasized the company's dedication to preparing meals for guests.

Upon booking a tour, guests are asked about their eating preferences because there are no restaurants nearby, and no extra food can be bought.

Due to these practical needs, the company hires skilled chefs and assistants.

"Our chefs and assistants from Phong Nha Town and Tan Hoa Village have spent months cooking in the forest, so they can cook well," he said.

He added that when guests enjoy the food and give compliments, "the chef gets excited and tries to make the meals even better."

A dinner set up at a camp during a Son Doong tour in January 2024. Photo by VnExpress/Linh Huong

Each Son Doong tour usually has about 10 guests and employs nearly 30 staff members. This includes 20 porters carrying luggage, 5 safety assistants, a tour guide, a cave expert, 2 chefs, and a ranger. All staff are locals trained in safety and rescue procedures. They transport 600 kilograms of equipment and supplies, including waste, into and out of the cave, and they clean the campsites upon departure to leave them as they were found.

The tour operates in a remote area of the national park, far from medical or emergency support, but a satellite phone is available for emergencies, with helicopter support if needed.