Feature Tours: Caving

If you love caving, Malaysia should be the place to head for. Some of the most spectacular caves can be found in Malaysia. Limestone caves are to found around the country including Sabah and Sarawak, which has the largest cave chamber in the world.

Most caves are habitat to many exotic creatures like centipedes, blind catfish, and spiders – whip spiders and trapdoor spiders, cave racers as well as cave crickets.

These caves are so biologically rich that scientists recommended that tourism to these places should be controlled to preserve its natural characteristics thus minimise its effect towards the cave delicate fauna and formations.

Gunung Mulu National Park in Sarawak has many magnificent caves. Here is the world's largest natural cave chamber named the Sarawak Chamber, which is large enough to fit in 40 jumbo jets! The world's largest cave passage; the Deer Cave, which is 90m high, and wide whilst the Clearwater Cave which is 107km long is the longest cave passageway in Southeast Asia.

Its sister's cave located in Niah National Park offer a similar breathtaking albeit less strenuous experience. One can find some of the oldest burial sites in Southeast Asia, iron-age cave paintings, and luminous rock formations.

Meanwhile, in the Peninsula, the longest cave system is in Perlis near the Thai border. Gua Kelam or Cave of Darkness is a national/recreational park situated in Kaki Bukit. The centrepiece of the park is the 400-long cave tunnel that forms the entrance to the park.

A little south from Perlis, is Ipoh in the state of Perak. The Perak Tong and Sam Poh Tong contain Buddha statues and religious cave murals. While nearby the Gua Tempurong massif have 1.9km long river passageways, which are softly lit to highlight the spectacular cave formations.

Of course, there is Batu Caves, which is famous for its Hindu temple and the festival of Thaipusam. Elsewhere in the peninsula, there are limestone caves in Ulu Kelantan and Langkawi. In Sabah, the Gomantong Caves are famous for the large amount of quality bird's nests collected. You may be able to see local people collecting these nests using bamboo ladders and poles.