2D1N Mulu Show Caves & Park HQ Stay Print

Although Mulu has become synonymous with caves, the ‘Mulu experience’ is not limited to underground attractions; above ground there is plenty to see and do. It is covered in rich primary rainforest and offers a whole range of nature-based activities. There are some excellent jungle treks and mountain hikes, including the challenging trek to view the Pinnacles – 45 meters high, razor-sharp limestone spikes that sit majestically on the slopes of Gunung Api.

With its rich bio-diversity and world-famous caves, Mulu offers the adventurous traveller an exhilarating cave and rainforest experience, possibly unmatched anywhere else on Earth.

Deer Cave is reached by following a 3-kilometre plank walk, 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.

When you reach the cave entrance, you are about to enter the largest cave passage in the world. Deer Cave is huge–just over 2 kilometres long and never less than 90 metres high and wide. The main chamber, partially lit by sunlight, is 174 meters wide and 122 meters high. This is where deer used to shelter, so the local Penan and Berawan people named it Gua Payau or Gua Rusa (Deer Cave), both local words for "deer".

A path leads into the cave and winds its way around, following the natural contours of the cave floor. Although the path is lit, a flashlight is useful for examining the guano-covered cave floor and its population of insects. The path eventually leads to the “Garden of Eden”, where a hole in the cave roof lets in a shaft of light, allowing the rich green vegetation to thrive. Another feature is the famous profile of Abraham Lincoln, which guards the southern entrance of the cave.

Not surprisingly, Deer Cave is home to many species of bats. Between 17:00 hrs and 19:00 hrs, if the weather is fine, visitors may be treated to the spectacular sight of a black cloud of free-tailed bats emerging from the entrance of the cave to go in search of food. Originally, this cloud was thought to contain hundreds of thousands of bats, but a recent study found that the figure is well over a million.

A visit to Deer Cave is usually combined with one to Lang’s Cave, whose entrance is a short distance away from Deer Cave. Lang’s Cave is the smallest of the show caves, but its rock formations are well worth seeing. These are made all the more attractive by the strategically positioned spotlights highlighting 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.

Clearwater Cave is Southeast Asia’s longest cave system, measuring some 107 km. It has a subterranean river, part of which is navigable by boat. There are two ways of reaching Clearwater: trek along a 4 km nature trail, which takes approximately one and a half hours or travel by longboat along the Melinau River, usually stopping off at Wind Cave along the way. It normally takes about 15 minutes to reach Wind Cave by boat. When the water level is low, the journey takes longer as the boatman often has to jump out of the boat and push.

A plankwalk leads from the riverbank to the entrance of Wind Cave, so named because of the cool breeze which can be felt at the narrow parts of the cave. Wind Cave, which is part of the Clearwater system, has many impressive stalactites, stalagmites, flow rocks, helictites and rock corals, some of which are illuminated in the King’s Room.

From Wind Cave, you can either follow a plankwalk or take a boat to a picnic area near the entrance of Clearwater Cave. Either way, the journey takes about 5 minutes. 200 steps lead up through the forest to the mouth of Clearwater Cave. With its underground river, Clearwater is a fascinating cave to scroll around. Plankwalks, paths and small floating bridges make this an easy and enjoyable experience. There are excellent photo opportunities for those who have the patience for cave photography.

After a tour of the cave, you will descend back down the steps to the picnic area. At the base of the steps, there is a crystal-clear pool that flows outwards from the cave. Visitors are free to take a dip or relax on the picnic benches and admire the rainforest scenery or perhaps watch the swarms of butterflies that are often found fluttering around near the river bank. If you are lucky, you may see the Rajah Brooke butterfly with its huge bright-green-coloured wings.