The Planet's Journal

Our three-part journey finally takes us to the Great Caves, which consist of several smaller caves.

As we enter the main, it would be another few hundred meters of trekking before we finally reach the edges of the caves — the Traders’ Cave (Gua Dagang in Malay).

This is cave is named as such due to the flourishing Swiftlets’ Nests trades that took place here in the olden times.

The sight of this wondrous and ginormous caverns are only but a glimpse of the things to come.

The walk to the main caves takes us on a roller coaster journey via numerous staircases and steep rocks. Be careful as you walk, so that you don’t hit your head on the roof of the cave in some parts.

After leave the Traders’ Cave complex, trekkers would come across the Niah’s Archaeology site, where the numerous artifacts shown in the Niah Archaeology Museum were excavated here. The site is barricaded and isolated from the general public as excavation works are still ongoing and also to protect the integrity of the site.

Trekkers may choose to enter the cave by trekking across the steep rocks rather than via the actual entrance of the Great Caves, which you may decide to exit through later.

The interior of the caverns are so huge beyond your wildest imagination. The beautiful rock formations are testaments of nature’s wonders.

Due to the darkness of the caves, trekkers are advised to either bring along their own headlamps, or they could rent one at the registration counters where you first started the journey.

Being a natural environment to cave dwellers, namely bats, it’s no wonder that the staircases are covered with bats’ feces, or guano.

Be careful when taking each step as they can be very steep at places, all the more reasons to have your fully-charged headlamps ready.

From the entrance, you will slowly make your way up to the Padang Area, where you will get to see nature’s very own skylight. The rock formations are wondrous at best, and you could stop here for a few snaps of your camera.

From hereon in, you’ll pass by the Padang Area rest huts, and into the darkest parts of the caves towards the Kira Cave (or the Gua Kira), where the Painted Caves are located. Unfortunately, the Painted Caves are closed for the time being due to renovations works to the walkways and treks are ongoing.

The return journey would eventually takes us to the actual entrance of the Great Caves — truly a sight to behold.

The path would take you onto a surface that’s not very different from the surface of the moon — full of blips and craters.

There, a building still stands which was the old Bird Nest management building, which now function as a rest hut to trekkers.

Right in front of the entrance of the building, there is a small altar with burn marks. It is said that this was where the locals used to place offerings to the spirits of the caves, in order to bless them in their search for bird nests, as well as keeping them safe from harm.

This has truly been a wonderful experience for me, and to be able to see and stand within this wondrous caverns is truly amazing.

Below is a replica of the entire Niah Caves that can be seen in the Niah Archaeology Museum, courtesy of the museum.

Definitely something not to be missed.

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