Dive Into ‘Infinity’ With Dizzying Views of A Colossal Cave (interactive tour)

[demmiblue]

Source: National Geographic

Son Doong is one of the world's largest caves, with enormous chambers that can comfortably fit a 747 airplane or an entire New York City block full of 40-story buildings. Its mammoth chambers extend so far that explorers have called Son Doong an "infinite cave." And with an amazing new digital tour, you can plunge below ground to see it yourself without ever leaving the country.

Pictures have offered stunning peeks into the cave, which is located in central Vietnam's Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park, since explorers discovered it in 2009 with the help of a local guide. But the attention of curious sightseers is a double-edged sword; planned construction projects to make the cave more accessible to tourists could harm the formation's unique environment.

Photojournalist Martin Edström hopes to bring the cave to as many people as possible. He also wanted to document Son Doong in its relatively untouched state, just in case those construction plans go through. So he set out with a team in January 2015 to build a virtual tour of this roughly 2.5-mile-long (four kilometers) cave.

Digital "tourists" can mouse through 360° panoramic views of key sections of Son Doong on a smartphone, tablet, or desktop computer (see above). Some of the largest passageways are about 300 feet (91.4 meters) wide and over 600 feet (182.9 meters) high.

Read more/View interactive tour: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2015/05/150520-infinity-cave-son-doong-vietnam-virtual-tour-photography-conservation/

Amazing and awe-inspiring!

[Journeyman]

1. Thanks for the link. . .

I'll have to return when I have more time for the trip.

[demmiblue]

4. Make sure you watch it in full screen mode!

[lovemydog]

2. That's amazing.

I stood on top of the stalagtite and got kind of dizzy, lol.

[Scurrilous]

3. K & R