This small national park near the coast between Miri and Bintulu protects one of Sarawak's most famous attractions, the Niah Caves. Niah Caves National Park is about 115km south of Miri and its centrepiece is the Great Cave, one of the largest Caves in the world. The park is dominated by a 394m-high limestone massif, Gunung Subis, that is usually visible from quite a distance.
In 1958, archeologists discovered evidence of human occupation of the caves area dating back some 40,000 years. Rock paintings were found in what has become known as the Painted Cave, and the discovery of several small canoe-like coffins indicate that this site was once used as a burial ground. A reconstruction of the cave and some of the artefacts found here can be seen in the Sarawak Museum in Kuching. To protect the site, entry to the Painted Cave is prohibited, but you can peer in from the entrance.
The Niah Caves are home to a whole lot of bats. They are also an important nesting site for swiftlets, which supply the vital ingredient for the famous bird's-nest soup. Traditionally, the Penan tribes have been custodians and collectors of the nests, while the Iban tribes have had the rights to the caves' other commodity, bat guano. During the harvesting season nest collectors live in the caves, and the tools of their trade can be seen inside: massive bamboo poles lashed together and wedged against the cave roof above.
A lot of money has been spent promoting the Niah Caves as a tourist site, including a sultan's ransom for the flashy visitors'-centre-cum-museum, over the river from the park headquarters. It's a lovely Malay-style building that has some interesting displays on the geology, archeology and ecology of the caves.
To get to the caves from park headquarters you must first take a boat across the Sungai Niah river. Once across the river, follow the 3km-long raised boardwalk to the caves (note that it can get very slippery in the early morning or when it's raining).
The boardwalk passes through primary rainforest, but most visitors are so intent on reaching the caves that they miss the wildlife along the way. The boards are loose in places and make a lot of noise, but if you stop for a while you'll hear lots of birds and may also see macaques. As well as the hundreds of beautiful butterflies, wildlife in the area includes squirrels, flying lizards and a striking emerald green lizard that sometimes sits on the boardwalk.
Batu Niah city centre with bus station
Boat transfer from Batu Niah to Niah Caves National Park
Houses on the Sungai Niah river
As big holes in solid rock go, this one's impressive - the Great Cave measures 250m across at the mouth and 60m at its greatest height. Since you approach the cave from an angle, its enormity probably won't strike you straight away. It's usually only after descending the steep stairs into the bowels of the cavern for a half-hour or so that visitors pause to look back at where they've come. This (or maybe the treacherous stairs) explains the occasional 'holy shit!' that briefly rises from the improbable depths. Incidentally, the spirits of the Great Cave tend to be unimpressed by such outbursts and visitors are asked to keep noise to a minimum - the cave itself is an ancient burial site.
Inside the cave, the boardwalk continues down to the right, but you'll need a torch to explore any distance. In the harvesting season you'll probably see nest collectors going about their business. The stairs and handrails leading down into Gunung Subis are usually covered with dirt or guano, and can get very slippery in places. Allow a good hour to explore the Great Cave; the trail branches around a massive central pillar but both branches finish at the same point and it's impossible to get lost if you stick to the boardwalk.
To reach the Painted Cave , follow the pathway all the way through the Great Cave; the Painted Cave is just beyond the larger cavern's gaping maw. The entrance is fenced off but you can glimpse some cave paintings inside, as well as some empty 'death ships', the human cargo of which has been moved to the Sarawak Museum in Kuching. |
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