Sarawak in East Malaysia is predominantly green, with hundreds of hectares of rainforest and national parks. Still, a cave adventure may be a more adventurous option
If you have done the rainforests, rivers and mountains, look deeper and you’ll come across the mighty caves.
There are hundreds of caves, some dating back 150 million years with weird and wonderful geographical formations, wildlife and trekking options. Prepare to enter a different world.
Intriguing Cave Systems
It is beneath the limestone mountains in Sarawak that you will find many cave systems, which can stretch for kilometres on end. Be prepared for an arduous trek as these caves have ups and downs, slippery slopes, low ceilings and claustrophobic chambers.
Be prepared. Here, you may have to crawl on all fours, through mud and bat guano, and your knees might get cut on limestone chips and hardened rock.
In Mulu National Park, you will encounter one of the country’s largest cave networks. The oldest of Mulu’s caves started to form some 5 million years ago when sideways earth movements resulted in the formation of both limestone and sandstone mountains adjacent to each other.
Millions of years of heavy rain, winds and river currents have carved out the vast subterranean system that exists today, and even these continue to shift and change.
Sarawak Chamber
Mulu’s Sarawak Chamber is the largest underground chamber in the world and can hold 40 Boeing 747 aircraft. Discovered during the British-Malaysian Mulu 1980 Expedition, it has maximum dimensions of 700m x 400m and an estimated roof height of 100m.
Deer Cave has the world’s largest cave passage as well as a unique rock formation with a silhouette that resembles the side profile of Abraham Lincoln. We followed a path through the cavernous depths to the Garden of Eden, a completely enclosed patch of jungle open only to the sky.
As the sun went down, an eerie spectacle emerged: thousands of bats flew out of the cave’s networks towards the open, darkening sky. The noise is tremendous.
An important thing to remember when cave trekking is to wear clothes and hats that you can discard afterwards. If there are bats like these, you’ll be splattered from head to foot.
Another cave system we explored is Lang’s Cave with its limestone formations. Stalactites, stalagmites, caricature-like mounds and large chalky pillars make dramatic features of the cave. If you hate creepy crawlies than you’re in trouble. These creatures have never seen the sun and live in gloom and darkness.
Apart from bats and swifts, some of the alien-like cave creatures include giant spiders, white snakes, white crabs, white giant cockroaches and mole rats. Yes, it is only for the intrepid.
Licensed guides
Cave trekking and exploration is dangerous and is not permissible without a licensed park guide. Many of these guides are natives, such as the Iban and Penan, who have been living off the land for centuries.
For cave trek beginners with children, start with the Show Caves which have timber and concrete pathways as well as artificial lighting. These are easy to explore and are not tiring.
For the adventurous, try the Wild Caves, which have no man-made structures at all. You need a lot of energy and bravery to do these. Just imagine pitch darkness for hours and hours, with only a torchlight in hand, and the exhaustion of climbing, crawling, jumping, stretching and roping.
If you enjoy this type of adventure, the caves of Sarawak offer some of the most exciting experiences of all time.
By Freda Saunders
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