Weather forecast: Partly sunny and very hot with a 40% possibility of a thunderstorm in spots. Temperature 22c (72f) to 38c (100f)

We were up early to travel to Paradise Cave a journey that took 40 minutes by road. Scott went on the motorbike he has hired Sue & I travelled as pillion passengers on motor bikes driven by locals.

Once at the cave complex, we had to climb 520 stairs  to get to the cave entrance, which was challenging in itself especially given the humidity and heat.

We first walked through the tourist section of the cave with its 1km long wooden walkways and special lighting. But then we went down some steps onto the cave floor and into a private part of the cave. So our caving adventure began with just the light of our head torches to guide us.

Paradise Cave is the biggest and most beautiful dry cave in Asia. Its size and scale is breathtaking: it is 31.4 kilometres long, the height can reach 72 metres and width 150 metres. In this cathedral like space, you see a vast array of different unique rock formations and numerous array of stalactites and stalagmites all different sizes which have been formed over 1000s of years.

We were headed to a point 7 kilometres into the cave where a natural skylight allows sunlight to filter through and illuminate the cavernous space below. At first the walking was relatively easy, but then it became very challenging and in places very scary and quite dangerous. Clambering up and down large rock formations, walking along slippery mud-covered ledges. We then had to swim through one section with the water only about two foot below the cave ceiling. For non-swimmers like Sue there was a kayak.

We had lunch, which cave staff had carried in, while watching the sun stream through onto the cave floor. Then it was a 7km walk back the same way as we came in.

The staff who accompanied us were brilliant at helping us get up, over and down the most difficult sections. They called Susan, Mama and throughout the walk you kept hearing them tell each other help Mama. We could not have done it without their help.

The 14k trek inside Paradise Cave was very tiring and at times scary but it was an experience like no other we have ever had. Unbelievable, its difficult to explain how unique and how beautiful the cave is.

I have put some photos which I copied from the computer into the Flickr photo albium which you get to by clicking on the Flickr logo on the left of this page. The photos are onpage two of the albium at the very end.