Gua Niah, Sarawak - The making of a spelunker

While planning for our Miri-Brunei trip, I toyed with the idea of going to Niah Cave but somehow the idea was binned as I was not sure whether it would be suitable for a child. My biggest worry was the long walk from the entrance of the park to the cave itself. I trawled the net looking for other people's experience with kids but could not find any.

So we flew to Miri with only a loose itinerary to visit Canada Hill and the Petroleum Museum. At Miri Airport, while looking for taxi to take us to the town centre, there were lots of posters on Gua Niah and Gua Mulu which got us to think that it would be a sin to be in Miri without going to one of the caves. We saw the car rental desk at one corner and the rest, as they say, is history.

Our car was an old-ish Proton Saga rented for RM180 for the day. I thought it was quite expensive but by that time I was already hooked with the idea of Gua Niah. Then, it was off to a convenience store in the airport to get some supplies for our last minute caving trip - bottled water, buns, chocolates, snacks, torchlight. Alas, we could not find any shops selling shoes (at least for Snufkin) so all three of us had to be content with the slippers that we were wearing!

The journey to Niah National Park, based on directions from the car rental guy and signboards, took us close to two hours. 

1) Niah National Park headquarters

Entrance tickets costing RM10 can be bought here. You also need to register your names in and out. When we registered, there were only around 5 other names in the log and that was already past 12pm.

At the entrance of the Niah National Park Headquarters

Niah National Park map

2) Sungai Niah crossing

This is where you would need to take a boat ride to the other side of the river. It cost RM1 one-way per person - I have read some complaints on these extra charges but it's only RM1 and it provides extra employement opportunities to the villagers.

The journey took all of 2 minutes. You can swim of course, but be mindful of the crocodiles.

Crossing the crocodile-infested Niah River

A short walk after the crossing was the Archeology Museum and a shop selling drinks and basic supplies (torchlights can be rented here for RM10).

3) Trek to the caves

This was the part that I dreaded most. I was not sure how Snufkin would take the 3.5km walk to the caves, in the caves and another 3.5km back to the carpark. He was not even 5 after all. If your kids are still using strollers/pushchairs, I would recommend bringing one of the lightweight ones (this could be "parked" at the bottom of the staircase right before the caves). At least it would help to conserve their energy before the walk in the caves itself.

The trek to the caves was via a raised plankwalk enclosed on both sides by dense primary rainforest. In many parts, giant trees (including tapang trees) provided the much needed shade. We walked under the green canopy, crossed wooden bridges over mendearing streams and trickling brooks, with the chorus of birds chirping and insect sounds in the background.

Snufkin's main source of entertainment was the bright red milipedes. We made it into a game: "Count the milipedes". He got 20 easily. He also found himself a stick, purportedly to fend off elephants, tigers and jungle bandits.

The trek seemed never-ending. I nearly gave up until I saw the Iban stalls selling souvenirs and snacks. From here, it was a short walk to the rickety staircase that led to Traders' Cave. We had already walked for close to one hour.

The route from the park headquarters to the caves

Some of the red millipedes that we saw along the way

4) Traders' Cave

The stairs leading to Traders' Cave

This cave was used by the local merchants as a trading spot for the swiftlet birdnests and guano, hence the name. What remained from those heady days of trading were just falling structures of the huts and sheds erected by the birdnest traders and which was used up until the late 70's.

It was cool in the cave, a respite from the tropical heat. We spent some time there cooling ourselves with nature's air-conditioning system, admiring the huge and impressive stalactites on the roof of the cave.

At the far end is the staircase leading to the Great Cave

To get to the Great Cave from here, we ascended another set of rickety and steep staircase (cobweb-ridden - so I was squinting my eyes all the way), then walked a short distance on a plankwalk along the limestone wall and then were rewarded with the sight of the spectacular West Mouth entrance of the Great Cave.

5) The Great Cave

This is the main cave within the Niah cave complex. It is a vast cave consisting of many chambers connected by narrow passageways. Standing near the West Mouth entrance, the hugeness of the  high-ceilinged chamber that we were standing in was jaw-dropping. You could easily build a whole village here.

The main inhabitants are bats and swiflets, the products of which (birdnest and guano) are a source of the local economy. We could hear the squeaking sound of the bats and even saw a few swooping around near the roof of the cave. The game "Count the millipedes" turned to "Count the bats".

Niah cave is also one of the most  important archeological sites in the world. The oldest modern human remains discovered in Southeast Asia were found here in this very cave by a team led by Tom Harrison, then a curator in the Sarawak Museum. The site of the fenced archeological digs could be seen towards the left as we walked to the other side of the cave.      

My little spelunker

West Mouth entrance of the cave

The house that Tom Harrison stayed in while researching the site

Doing his own archeological dig.

Background: The stairs leading to the inner chambers



Stalactites galore

6) The looong trek back

There were more flights of wooden stairs towards the back of the cave, leading to more chambers. It was time for us to turn back to the same route that we came. We did not want to risk going to the pitch-dark chambers wearing only slippers.

Now, if you are training for weightlifting, I would suggest a trip to Gua Niah with a young child. There is a high probability that you have to carry the child on the way back. We had to. Snufkin begged to be carried and he looked so tired that we did not have any choice but to take turns and carry all 18kg of him . To me, it was a combination of pass the baton, endurance race and mind control. To say I was knackered at the end of the trek would be an understatement.

But it was a trip worth making. It was Snufkin's first caving-related experience and he enjoyed walking in the cave with the torchlight and his "staff", looking for bats. And I got to be reminded again on the difference beteween stalactites and stalacmites.

Note:

Park headquarters opening hours: 9.00am to 5.30pm.
Entrance fees: RM10 (free for kids under 6).
Boat ride:RM1 per person per way for 9.00am to 5.00pm, RM1.50 for 5.00pm to 7.00pm.

Gua Niah day tours  from Miri are available for around RM200 but it can easily be done on your own (just follow the plankways). You'll save a lot too.