Since the eco-tourism area of the Chay river and Toi cave in central
Quang Binh province was put into operation in 2011 with a new tourist
activity of kayaking on the Chay River and discovering the mysterious
beauty of Toi cave, it promises to be a haven for tourists.
The trip starts from the wharf at Tro Mong Forest Management Station
in Phuc Trach commune, Bo Trach district. Rowing on the 10km-long Chay
river which originates from the immense mountains in the ancient karst
mountain area of Phong Nha-Ke Bang, tourists seem to be on a lissome
silk ribbon with two sides of verdant fields of corn and old trees.
During
the trip, tourists sometimes see stones in different shapes in the
clear and turquoise water of the river. The blue colour of the water in
this river is rather strange and according to scientists’ explanation it
is because of the erosion of the karst mountains and the natural
phenomenon of calcium dissolving into water for millions of years.
Rowing the kayak on the transparent Chay river, tourists arrive at the
entrance to Toi cave where the temperature is quite lower than the
outside. Toi cave, with a length of 5,258m and a height of 80m, is a
branch of the system of Phong Nha caves (a cave of the Phong Nha system)
which was surveyed by explorers from the British Caving Association in
1990 and 1992.
Going deep inside the cave, tourists will enjoy
cool air and the magnificent beauty of the stalactites and stalagmites
in different shapes on the ceiling and the floor that look like a golden
stream. The stalactites in the cave are considered the standard sample
of fossils that help scientists define the origination of the ancient
karst mountains in Phong Nha-Ke Bang from the ancient ocean.
Because
it is located near the river, the cave is rather humid, creating
favourable conditions for the growth of fern plants. Therefore, tourists
sometimes see small fern plants growing on stalactites and stalagmites
that is a new and strange natural phenomenon in Toi cave. The cave is
also home to many animals like bats, swallows and Vooc (trachypithecus
phayrei crepusculus). In 1995 Russian scientist L.Deharveng discovered a
new species of crab and named it nemoron nomas. The sample of this
species of crab is now preserved at the National University of
Singapore’s Museum.
Taking in the four-hour tour, tourists not
only had a chance to discover the beauty of nature, but also accumulate
useful knowledge about typical karst geomorphologic characteristics of
the ranges of mountains and diversified ecological system in Vietnam.-VNA