The motor roars and then we’re off, speeding into the darkness, my nerves tingling with excitement from the ever-present threat of submerged rock. RELATED: The joys of Southeast Asia’s well-trodden path The longtail boat I’ve clambered into is so narrow and shallow, it’s difficult to balance, especially with three others on board.
When they need to ship a crop of tobacco to the markets in Thakhek, the capital of the province, they simply load up a longtail and head into the darkness.Īs I enter the huge mouth of the cave, there’s a mounting sense of anticipation as the light gives way to pitch black. The villagers from Natan, on the far side of the river, still use the cave as their main method of transportation, due to the terrible roads in the area. The fast boat ride to Kong Lor Cave takes travelers along a rushing underground river that leads to a lush hidden valley. It wasn’t rediscovered until 1995, and in 2002, several enterprising locals opened it up to tourists. Paddle power made the trip upstream difficult in those days, so the cave fell out of use. After three days exploring by torchlight on canoes, they made it to the other side, where they founded the villages of Ban Sianglae and Ban Kkunkeo. When some ready-to-plant rice seed bundles and a carved wooden buffalo yoke also appeared, they began to suspect the Nam Hinboun River might go right through the mountain. Neither boatman speaks enough English to reassure us. The limestone cavern itself is spectacular-over 300 feet high in parts-and full of ancient stalactites and stalagmites.Īlternately called Tham Kong Lo, Kong Lor or Konglor, legend has it the underground river was discovered in the 16th century after villagers noticed a strange-looking duck, that wasn’t native to the area, swimming in the emerald pool outside the cave. The fast boat ride takes travelers along a rushing underground river that leads to a lush hidden valley.
Buffalo relax on the shore of the Hinboun River, on the east side of Laos’ Kong Lor Cave.
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