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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.
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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