(CNN)"Watch out for dinosaurs."
I smile at our guide"s warning and enter the lush jungle growing inside Hang Son Doong, a three-million-year-old cave in central Vietnam.
Water drips from a gaping scar in the ceiling over 100 meters above us. A spectacular sunbeam starts to creep down the side of the serrated cliffs.
The shrill call of birds and macaque monkeys echoes off the limestone, drifting in from the unseen world beyond the skylight.
"Watch out for dinosaurs. That"s what we called this place when we first discovered it," , caving expert Howard Limbert, elaborates. The prehistoric atmosphere made the reference obvious.
We continue on, stepping deeper into the void that is the largest cave in the world.
The discovery
Located in the heart of the UNESCO-listed Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park in Vietnam"s Quang Binh province, Hang Son Doong is one of the most captivating adventures that can be experienced in Southeast Asia.
More people have stood on the summit of Mount Everest than have witnessed the surreal beauty inside these enormous chambers.
Translated as Mountain River Cave, it was first discovered in 1990 by Ho Khanh, a local farmer who was seeking shelter from a passing storm in the jungle.
He noticed clouds and the sound of an underground river gushing from a large hole in the limestone, and reported his findings to the British Caving Research Association (BCRA), who were stationed in Phong Nha at the time.
Unfortunately Ho Khanh lost his bearings during his return, and the exact location of the cave remained lost for 18 years.
In 2008 while hunting for food he stumbled across the entrance again, and returned the following year with Howard and Deb Limbert from the BCRA.
They began the exploration of the cave, and in 2010 determined it to be the largest ever discovered.
The news shook the caving world.
The expedition to Hang Son Doong
However a new threat has emerged in recent years, which may compromise the integrity and environmental splendor of the area.
The Vietnamese development company Sun Group has been pushing to build a cable car to Hang Son Doong, which could potentially ferry 1,000 visitors an hour to the cave.
Staunch opposition from UNESCO and activist group Save Son Doong encouraged the Vietnamese government to temporarily halt the construction permits in 2015.
Some argue that this increase in tourism will continue to benefit the local community, while others fear for the destruction of the ecosystem that increased traffic will bring.
Similar projects on Mount Fansipan, the highest mountain in Vietnam, and in Halong Bay have resulted in dramatic environmental damage.
Will history repeat itself with the world"s largest cave?
The cable car development continues to loom in the background, and no one knows whether approval will eventually be given.
As one of the last truly pristine environments in the region, Hang Son Doong is a place so remarkable that it demands protection.
One can only hope that a sustainable and responsible decision is made in these critical months.
For now the locals of Phong Nha relish in this new opportunity that the colossal caves have given them, and Hang Son Doong remains as beautiful as ever.
Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2016/09/04/travel/vietnam-hang-son-doong-cave/index.html
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