It took 13 years to find Son Doong Cave.

Discovering that the water streams of Khe Ry and En caves met at a point, then suddenly disappeared into the forest, Howard Limbert was sure that there was a large cave around here. But it was 13 years later that he and Ho Khanh discovered Son Doong.

In the middle of a hot summer afternoon in Quang Binh, Mr. Howard Limbert (57 years old) happily talked to reporters. His eyes lit up when talking about cave explorations.

Mr. Howard Limbert, who discovered more than 500 caves in Vietnam, including the world's largest cave Son Doong. Photo: Hoang Tao.

25 years ago, when choosing Vietnam for their new cave exploration trips, the Limberts (British) did not expect to stay in this country for so long. The first time he and his wife, Mrs. Deb Limbert, and 10 members of the British Royal Caves set foot in Phong Nha (Quang Binh) was in 1990. “At that time, the local people were poor, very poor,” Mr. Limbert recalled.

Phong Nha Cave had been discovered at that time, but the locals had not benefited much. Mr. Limbert was concerned about helping people earn money and improve their lives. In 1992, he unexpectedly met General Vo Nguyen Giap in Phong Nha. “The General was very interested in cave exploration and tourism. The conversation lasted for 2 hours, and I still remember it clearly,” Mr. Limbert said.

After this meeting, the couple was even more motivated to explore the potential of Phong Nha caves. In 1994, Mr. Limbert and British cave experts discovered Hang En, which was described as “very large at the time”. Hang En was later announced as the third largest in the world.

Three years later, Khe Ry Cave was discovered and declared the longest river cave in the world to date. From that moment on, Howard Limbert and his wife began to imagine a very large cave hidden away. “The water of Khe Ry Cave and En Cave met at a point, then suddenly disappeared into the forest. I knew for sure there was a large cave around here,” Limbert recalled.

For 10 years, the couple has been searching for this mysterious cave, but to no avail. There has been no clue to find the entrance.

Mr. Howard (in yellow shirt) and his wife during a meeting with General Vo Nguyen Giap in 1992. Photo: NVCC

In 2007, Limbert met Ho Khanh. "He was very good at going into the forest and told me about a big cave in the forest that he saw in 1990 when he was taking shelter from a storm. Ho Khanh said there was a strong wind blowing out of the cave and I knew right away that was the cave I was looking for," said Mr. Limbert.

A year later, Ho Khanh returned to the forest to find the cave entrance again. In 2009, Ho Khanh, Mr. Limbert and a team of cave experts from England discovered Son Doong, explored it and announced it as the largest cave in the world in 2010.

“It was really difficult to find Son Doong. The first time I set foot in, everyone was stunned. Son Doong is not only big, but also very, very beautiful,” Mr. Limbert repeatedly emphasized the magnificence of the cave that was recently filmed live by the American television station ABC.

Over the past 25 years, dozens of provinces and cities have seen the footprints of the British couple. More than 200 caves in Quang Binh and 300 caves from Ninh Binh, Quang Ninh, Ha Giang, Cao Bang... have been discovered and published by the couple.

Although he is attached to Phong Nha - Ke Bang, Limbert believes that what he has done is still too little. "I have only explored about 25% of this land, there are still many caves deep in the forest waiting to be discovered," he informed.

Sharing the excitement of being the first to discover a new cave, Limbert said that Phong Nha Cave is located right in the center, welcoming thousands of visitors every year, but how many people have explored the whole cave? “Only 3 people have reached the end of Phong Nha. It took us 2 days to explore the whole cave and this is not suitable for tourists at all,” he warned.

Limbert explained that it was the excitement of discovering a new cave that made him love the cave profession and was the reason he stayed with Phong Nha - Ke Bang. Before choosing Vietnam, the Limberts had explored many caves in countries such as Australia, Spain, Mexico, South America, New Zealand, etc.

Mr. Limbert and Ho Khanh, the two people who discovered and announced the world's largest Son Doong cave inside this cave, have just been awarded the 3rd class Labor Medal. Photo: NVCC

“To find caves, the first thing you need to do is be physically fit to walk for days in the forest. You also need to be patient and careful, along with specialized equipment to ensure safety and help explore the entire cave in many terrains such as rivers, streams, mountains, sinkholes…”, Limbert said about the difficulties of the job.

In addition to spending time in the forest exploring new caves, Mr. and Mrs. Limbert teach English and help local people learn how to do tourism to develop the economy. “Phong Nha is now very different from when I first arrived. People’s lives have improved a lot. They benefit greatly from tourism. Just serving Son Doong Cave helps about 100 people have a stable income,” Mr. Limbert informed.

In addition to his trips, Mr. Limbert also teaches many Vietnamese people how to search and explore caves. “I encourage young people to leave their computer keyboards and go out to explore life. Searching for caves requires passion. For example, to drop people down vertical sinkholes, it takes many years of experience to do it. If you are not passionate, you will give up at the first try,” he explained.

The Limberts shared that they have thought about obtaining Vietnamese citizenship. “I have made some efforts to obtain citizenship over the years. However, I will wait for some more favorable changes in the next few years to carry out this plan,” Limbert said with a smile.

* Panorama of Son Doong cave through 3D model

Currently, the couple works for a local travel company to conduct tours to explore Son Doong Cave and many other caves in Quang Binh. They have also settled in Son Trach Commune (Bo Trach District, Quang Binh) for convenience in their search trips. In March 2016, Mr. Limbert, along with 12 British experts and 6 Vietnamese students, will return to Phong Nha forest to search for the cave for 2 months.

In recognition of Mr. Howard Limbert's contributions, the government recently awarded him the Third Class Labor Medal for "outstanding achievements in exploration, research and survey of the Phong Nha - Ke Bang cave system, contributing to promoting the tourism image of Quang Binh province".

According to VNE