 Two kilometers south-west of
Ti Top Beach is the
Me
Cung Grotto or Bewitching Grotto. It formed on Lom
Bo Island, and seen from afar, the entrance is like
the roof of a house denting the island's side.
After a narrow crack only allowing one person
through at a time, many partitions appear. These
chambers are somewhat small and narrow, but very
refined, and with many stalagmites and stalactites
bearing beautiful forms.
Threading your way through narrow passages, you find
a dim light from afar, which signals the exit of the
grotto. On getting out of the grotto, climb up
several rugged stone stairs and look down, you see a
large round lake surrounded by the mountain. Its
waters is blue all year round. The lake is home to
many kinds of fish, shrimps, octopuses, algae, see
weed, and coral. Lying adjacent to the lake there is
an area of old trees popularly known as an alluring
"royal garden".
It is dry and well-ventilated, and features a thick
layer of shells forming the foundation of the
entrance. Formerly, this layer was 1.2-meter-thick
and semi-fossilized. In the course of research,
there was also a fossilized animal's skeleton
discovered in the interior. The Me Cung Grotto has
been recognized by archaeologists as one of the
vestiges of the pre-Ha Long new Stone Age culture,
that existed between 7,000 and 10,000 years ago.
Tours to Halong
bay.
Pushing into the grotto, tourists feel like walking
in a palace of a Persian king. Hearing the murmur
from out of nowhere, you think that Scheherazade is
telling the stories of the Thousand and One Nights
for her king.
On the island, there are many ancient trees casting
long reflections on the water of the bay. They are
home to many species of birds and animals (monkeys,
chamois and varans).
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