Kuching is the capital city of Sarawak which is part of East Malaysia and is located on the wider island of Borneo. Anyone who has been to Peninsular Malaysia will find that Sarawak has a very different feel, and Kuching in particular, thanks to its strategic location on the snake-like Sarawak River, is one of the prettiest spots in the region.
Malaysia: Sarawak – Gunung Mulu National Park
About Gunung Mulu National Park
The Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that encompasses caves and karst formations in a mountainous equatorial rainforest setting. The park is famous for its caves and the expeditions that have been mounted to explore them and their surrounding rainforest, most notably the Royal Geographical Society Expedition of 1977–1978, which saw over 100 scientists in the field for 15 months. This initiated a series of over 20 expeditions now named the Mulu Caves Project.
The national park is named after Mount Mulu, the second-highest mountain in Sarawak.
Wind Cave and Clearwater Cave
Our tour started from the Marriott’s boat launch, where five of us scrambled onto a narrow canoe with our guide. At the rear of the canoe was a man with a motor and at the front we had another man who was there to stop us getting stuck on the rocks. It was the middle of the dry season (although it still rains a lot) and the levels of the Sungai Melinau Paku River were low, so there was a good chance we could bottom out.
Before visiting the caves, our boat pulled into a jetty next to a village. This village was inhabited by the Penan people.
The Penan are nomadic indigenous people living in Sarawak and Brunei, although there is only one small community in Brunei. I recently read a book called ‘The Last Wild Men of Borneo’ in which the Penan featured strongly. Penan are one of the last such peoples remaining as hunters and gatherers. The Penan are noted for their practice of ‘molong’ which means never taking more than necessary. Most Penan were nomadic hunter-gatherers until the post-World War II missionaries settled many of the Penan. Whilst the Penan of Mulu are deemed to be Christian they still follow many animistic practices. They eat plants, which are also used as medicines, and animals and use the hides, skin, fur, and other parts for clothing and shelter.
The river tours all stop at this village to educate visitors on these indigenous people but also for the chance for the Penan to sell their crafts to the tourists. We, as usual, didn’t buy anything as we had no room in the luggage, but to be honest, the crafts were not that good.
Our journey continued along the Sungai Melinau Paku for about 20 minutes until we reached the dock below the first of the caves, we would be visiting, Wind Cave. From the river, it was a steep climb up some steps to reach the entrance of Wind Cave.
We’d travelled with some fellow tourists on the boat, including one couple from the UK, an older lady, and her son, who was in his late 40s and working in Singapore. She was in her late 70s, so the climb up to the caves was challenging for her.
The Wind Cave is named after the gusts of cool wind that can be felt in some of its narrower passages. But the cave is just one part of the larger Clearwater Cave system – widely believed to be the longest interconnected system of cave passages in the world!
The entrance to the Wind Cave is relatively narrow, at least compared to other caves in Mulu. They have put in walkways throughout the caves, which makes them accessible and hopefully keeps people from straying off and damaging the formations. The lighting installed in the cave made viewing easy without being overbearing. The formations in this cave were incredible, with numerous stalagmites, stalactites, and columns. It was not a huge cave, so we were done in around 30 minutes.
We climbed back down the hill and got back into our boat and travelled to the next cave, Clear Water Cave, which was about 5 minutes down the river.
Once there we quickly disembarked the boat and began our climb up to the cave entrance. There are more steps here than at Wind Cave, and the ascent was not made any easier by the high humidity. By the time we got to the top, we were dripping with sweat!
As mentioned, Clearwater is considered the longest cave system in the world. In total, it measures out to around 107km! A river emerges from the bottom portion of the cave, hence its name.
The cave is fascinating from the very beginning. Outside the entrance, multiple tiers of stalactites hang down like fangs. Many of Mulu’s strange formations have an air of mystery about them. Walking through the caverns, we encountered new and unusual formations, sometimes unique to just one part of a certain cave.
The water outside flows well into the centre of the cave, forming what’s referred to as an ‘underground river.’ But one of the most unusual portions of the Clearwater Cave are these limestone needles which closely resemble a miniature version of the Pinnacles.
Deer and Lang Caves
Our second day in Mulu was the inverse of the first, with a chillout morning followed by a tour in the afternoon to visit more caves. So, a chance to have a later breakfast and enjoy the facilities at the Marriott Hotel.
The afternoon tour did not start until 2 pm. We climbed aboard the hotel’s truck that would transport us to the main entrance of Gunung Mulu National Park.
We were headed to Deer Cave which is reached by following a three-kilometre boardwalk which passes through peat swamps, alluvial flats, and limestone outcrops. There is much to see on the way to the cave, including some superb rainforest, jungle streams and an ancient Penan burial cave. We also got to see some interesting creatures such as millipedes and lizards.
We were travelling with our guide and a small group of five others who were also staying at the Marriott. One of our fellow visitors was a young girl of about ten or eleven who was with her mother. This young lady latched onto Karen, which is not normally an issue, but she was a very insistent and demanding child. I think Karen was quite pleased when eventually her attention was directed elsewhere, and we could put some space between us.
About halfway along our walk to Deer Cave, our guide said he could hear the rain coming, so we all quickly donned our rain jackets, and sure enough, a couple of minutes later the rain started to come down heavily.
Fortunately, by the time we reached the bat observatory, the rain had stopped, and we took a break before making the short 500m walk to the entrance of Deer Cave.
This cave, which is also known as Gua Payau or Gua Rusa by the local Penan and Berawan people, is said to have received its name because of the deer that go there to lick salt-bearing rocks and shelter themselves.
When you reach the cave entrance you are left in no doubt that you are about to enter the largest cave passage in the world. Deer Cave is simply huge – it is just over 2 kilometres in length and never less than 90 metres high and wide. The main chamber, which is partially lit by sunlight, is 174 meters wide and 122 metres high. It was so impressive. Supposedly, a jumbo jet could fly through the main chamber without its wings crashing into the sides.
A stream of water runs through the cave, supplemented by a waterfall that comes from the ceiling of Deer Cave and falls to the cave floor. A very impressive sight! We stopped by the pool made by the waterfall and looked back towards the cave entrance. In silhouette is a rock which looks like the profile of Abraham Lincoln. Of course, this was a great photo opportunity.
Turning around and looking back into the depths of Deer Cave we could see people on the trail ahead of us looking like ants such was the size of the cave.
We continued our trek into the heart of the cave.
The most famous residents of this cave are the bats. Twelve species of bats have been recorded within Deer Cave, including the colony of Wrinkled-Lipped Bats which is estimated to number between 2.5 and 3.5 million individuals.
Expectations build as the sun moves towards the horizon and the Bat Hawks take up their roost on the cliff face, waiting for the first of the millions of bats to appear. Each evening the bats gather at the cave entrance in large ring-shaped formations, circling higher and higher up the cliff face before moving out across the rainforest in spiralling ribbons.
It has been estimated that nightly each bat consumes between five and ten grams of flying insects. This means that 3 million bats will return in the morning to deposit a huge amount of guano in the cave and provide a unique ecosystem, home to millions of insects and their predators.
The bats leave the cave most evenings between 17:30 and 18:30 but rarely do not leave at all. Even more rarely they sometimes leave as early as 16:30 and are believed to travel up to 100 Kms from the cave before they return in the early morning. Their “cruising altitude” to their feeding areas is around 3500 metres at up to 75 km/h.
As we reached further into the cave the natural light from the entrance dimmed and we relied more on the artificial lighting. Eventually, we reached the end of the trail at the Garden of Eden, where a hole in the cave roof lets in a shaft of light which allows the rich green vegetation to thrive.
From here we retraced our steps back to the cave entrance.
Just a short distance from Deer Cave is Lang’s Cave which is the smallest of the show caves, but its rock formations are well worth seeing. These are made even more attractive by the strategically positioned spotlights which highlight stalactites and stalagmites. As the cave is relatively small and well-lit, it offers good opportunities to see some of its inhabitants such as bats, swiftlets, and even cave-dwelling snakes.
Once we were done with Lang’s Cave, we returned to the bat observatory hoping to see the bat exodus. We sat done and patiently waited for them to appear, but unfortunately, the heavens chose that moment to open.
The bats don’t like to fly when it rains, especially as heavily as it was doing as we sat there. It did not look like the rain was going to stop anytime soon and it was getting dark, so we made the decision to head back to the Park entrance and catch the truck back to the resort.
During the 3km, 45-minute walk back we got totally drenched, despite wearing our rain jackets. Luckily, the truck was waiting, and we were soon back at the Marriott, where we made a mad dash to our room. It took us about 30 seconds to get out of our wet clothes and into the shower.
It was sad not to see the bat exodus, but we had a lovely time visiting the caves.
Planning your visit Gunung Mulu National Park
Getting there
It is possible to travel independently in Mulu National park. Flights can be booked on Malaysia Airlines website as there is no road access to the park.
Accommodation can be booked using the park website or via independent operators that are around the park.
Unlike with tour packages, a 5 Day Pass is needed before you can enter the park. These cost RM30 for foreign adults and can be purchased at the Park HQ. Some of the attractions and hikes, such as to see the bats, can be done by yourself. A lot of the pathways are signposted and have information regarding the flora and fauna in the area.
It is possible to visit some of the caves with a guide from the park to get a better understanding of the nature around. More information can be found at the Park HQ.
To see caves that are further away or to head up river to any attractions, a boatman and guide will need to be negotiated independently or organised through the Park HQ office.
The best time to visit Gunung Mulu National Park
Mulu National Park is open year round and can be experienced at any time. June to September are the peak times to visit and booking ahead is essential during these months.
It is wetter from November to April but being in a rainforest, it rains all year round. Expect temperatures to be 30+ degrees and 90%+ humidity at almost all times.
Where to stay in Mulu National Park
Inside the park there are plenty of options run by the park management with a hostel bed starting at RM66 per night, up to a deluxe bungalow from RM270 per night. These can be booked in advance on the park website or they can be arranged if you do book through a tour.
All rooms have air conditioning and are pleasant for a short stay in the wilderness.
Close to the park is the Mulu Marriot Hotel, a 5 star international standard hotel that gives a little slice of luxury. Prices start at RM650 per night and include pick up and drop off at the airport. The resort is 5 minutes from the park entrance so factor this in when deciding where to stay.
There are also a variety of homestays and lodges around the entrance to the park, many of which you will go past on your way from the airport to the park entrance.
Some can be found on booking.com with prices starting at RM60 and sometimes including breakfast. Expect basic accommodation with a fan only, however this may be a more local experience.
More to Explore
