Safe adventure - no worries breaking limit

For those who are passionate about new travel experiences, trips that break out of the familiar way of sightseeing of traditional tours are becoming a hot and sought-after option. Especially, with the survey of large cave systems in the mountains and forests of Vietnam such as Ho Sut Kong, Hang Hung Thong, Hang Son Doong,... the model of exploration tour with the mountains, caves, and the experience of immersing in wildlife is becoming a new trend in the travelers’ community. For the longer version, see Stream crossing tips for adventure tours.

However, before joining the adventurous tour, many people are still intimidated by the safety of the new tourism model, and still do not know how to keep themselves safe in a harsh environment. 

1. Good preparation for the journey

Before every adventurous tour, whether it is personal or in an organized tour, travelers need to be well prepared:

- On administration: Please prepare all the booking procedures, check the necessary documents for the trip. On some special tours, like the Kong Collapse Adventure or the Son Doong Cave tour, it is advisable to book in advance because the queue is often very long. Some places are only accessible to certain licensed tour operators, so be sure to research them carefully before going on your own. See also Basecamp on the Water.

- On health: Adventure travel often requires good health and endurance, so a prerequisite for safety before every trip is physical preparation. Please exercise and build endurance according to the difficulty of the tour so as not to be exhausted on the road. If you have any problems with the heart, bones, joints, medical history, ... then you should definitely consult the tour operator and doctor before you go. It can be difficult to handle emergencies (eg food allergies) in the jungle so let the tour operator know about your condition.

- On schedule: Make sure you know the schedule, and some points to keep in mind (eg difficult roads, possible obstacles on the road, things to note on the road like regular trees). Poisonous spring, squeezing, wild animals, ...). In particular, for long tours, it is necessary to know the walking distance, special activities such as swimming in a cave or swinging rope, ... to be able to prepare the best mentally.

- On luggage: If you go by yourself, or make sure you bring all the necessary protective gear to ensure safety for the trip such as helmets, mountain shoes, gloves, waterproof jackets, waterproof bags ,... because it's not superfluous to prepare for any eventuality. If you follow the tour Jungle Boss is responsible for organizing, we will equip you with full safety equipments like shoes, helmets, headlights, gloves,... We recommend you not to carry too much - leave valuables, bulky items at home or at the tour operators’ office.

- On communication: In case of self-sufficient travel, please inform your loved ones in advance about the trip and prepare backup methods of communication in places where there is no phone signal. Be prepared for an emergency (e.g. ask a loved one to try to contact you and find someone to help you if you can't call/text to update your situation after a predetermined amount of time). In the case of traveling in a tour, talk and discuss with your guide, safety assistant, Porter, and other companions about your walking strength so that you do not fall behind the group if you are exhausted.

The shortest way to find out how any of this feels is a day: the Elephant Cave and Ma Da Valley trek, with a permit, a daily cap, and enough wet rock and river to tell you whether the longer routes are for you.

2. In the tour 

Stay alert. On the trail and in the cave, there are wet rocks and slippery moss, which is easy for inexperienced travelers to slip or step on loose rocks. To avoid slipping on a guided tour, you need to follow the instructions of the tour guide and stay on track - never go off track on your own. In case you are traveling on your own, keep an eye on your surroundings for the wild life, jungle leech, insects, poison ivy, poison mushrooms,... that might be troublesome. 

A jungle leech in the raining season, also known as the “inland blood sucker”

- Don't be reckless: Being reckless is different from taking risks. In a journey with many potential surprises, you should not risk separating yourself from the tour group, or falling behind to take pictures or rest without informing your guide and fellow travelers. It is very easy to get lost in the forest, and if something goes wrong when you are alone, it will be very difficult to handle in extreme conditions.

- Follow the safety rules: In every adventure tour, the company will have to disseminate to you the safety instructions in accordance with the regulations. Follow the safety instructions of your guide, safety advisor or local authority recommendations for safety equipment (helmets, gloves, shoes, life jackets, seat belts, etc). Especially with difficult activities such as 100m rope swing (abseiling), swimming in a cave, or conquering the back of a dinosaur, visitors need to listen and follow the instructions from safety experts or tour guides.

- Personal hygiene: Due to wet jungle conditions, please bring enough clean clothes, especially those that are waterproof or easy to dry. Mosquito repellent and sunscreen are recommended. In the event of a skin wound, you should bring betadine and medical cotton to clean your wound every break. For women, you should pay attention to bring backup tampons.

3. Conclusion

If you still have any questions on safety in adventures, please reach out to Jungle Boss for further details! 

Jungle Boss has got your back - cre: Jungle Boss Tours

How this works in practice is set out trip by trip in our cave tours in Phong Nha.