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Malaysia is endowed
with vast numbers of limestone caves. Many are
shrouded in folklore and mystery and are home to
some of nature's most fantastic and beautiful
sculptures. Archeological research has
found evidence of early man in many of these
cave sites.
Although major
expeditions have been carried out by the Royal
Geographical Society in London and the British
Caving Research Association, many caves are
still not fully explored and remain an alluring,
enticing adventure for the nature tourist.
Repeat visitors marvel at how a cave can change
within months as the naturally humid Malaysian
weather promotes faster stalagmite and
stalactite formations.
CAVES OF MALAYSIA
The majority of
caves are limestone and are above ground level.
These include Gua Kelam in Perlis, Gua Tempurung
and Kundu in Perak, Batu Caves in Selangor and
scattered caves around Lake Kenyir in Terengganu
and Gua Ikan in Kuala Krai, Kelantan. Famous
caves in Sarawak include the Painted Cave in
Niah and Fairy Cave in Bau. The Gomantong Caves
is the most well known cave in Sabah.
Underwater or river
caves in the Kinta Valley make up less than ten
per cent of local caves and are to be avoided
during the rainy season. There are also dolomite
and sandstone caves scattered around the
country.
Malaysian caves can
be divided into two categories: adventure and
show caves. Adventure caves which include
Drunken Forest Cave and Legan's Cave are caves
which remain close to their natural state. Show
caves such as Deer, Lang and Clear Water Caves
in Mulu National Park, Sarawak, are those which
have been opened up for public viewing with
guides, lights and walkways as well as clearly
marked paths and explanatory notes. Show caves
are cleaner and easier to access than the more
challenging adventures caves.
CAVE ATTRACTIONS
Malaysian
caves are home to many exotic living creatures.
The most notable are the blind catfish of
Loagan's Cave and the Trapdoor Spider of Batu
Caves.
The skeleton of a
big cat fossilized in the roof of Gua Harimau in
Kinta Valley makes an intriguing sight. Perak is
also famous for its cave temples. The most well
known are Perak Tong and Sam Poh Tong which
contain many Buddha statues and religious cave
murals.
The Hindu cave
temple in Batu Caves have shrines to the Hindu
deities and is the site for the colorful
religious festival of Thaipusam.
The Gomantong Caves
near Sandakan, Sabah house thousands of swifts
which nest in the two large caverns, producing
birds' nests, an exotic Chinese delicacy.
The Niah Caves in
Sarawak have walls which portray unique
prehistoric paintings which point to the
existence of early Man. Its chambers have
hundreds of fascinating formations. The Mulu
Caves in Sarawak is one of the longest networks
of caves in the world. Although 195 km of cave
passages have already been surveyed, this
represents just 30% of the estimated total. An
estimated four million bats live in this system
of caves.
GOING CAVE
There are seasoned
cavers who will be willing to act as guides.
They may be contacted through the Malaysian
Nature Society and through various nature
adventure operators.
Tour operators will
arrange packages on request. Most caving
expeditions are day trips though a visitor can
choose to stay overnight. No overnight camping
is allowed in most caves but budget hotels are
available around most of the cave districts.
Caving is normally
done in the dry season which runs from March to
October. Permits may be required when exploring
some of the caves. These are available from the
respective state forestry departments and cost
from RM10 to RM40.
WHAT TO WEAR AND
BRING
For the recreational
caver, all that is needed to explore adventure
caves is a reliable guide, safety helmet for
protection and a powerful torchlight.
More experienced
cavers may want to bring their carbide lamps as
well as harnesses, ascending and descending
equipment and carabanners if they plan to
abseil.
Tropical caves are
not as damp as those in Europe and the Americas,
but they are chilly at times especially during
storms and heavy rain. A light jacket is also
recommended. As with all nature adventures,
preservation and conservation of stalagmites,
stalactites and all cave dwelling creatures are
of utmost importance. In caves with known
inhabitants, avoid flash photography as the
light frightens the cave dwelling life forms.
See also:-
Caves to
Explore Sites
Practical
Caving Tips
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