On the territory of Malaysia there are many limestone caves, thanks to which this country is very popular with fans of speleotourism. The caves of Malaysia have an interesting feature: most of them are located above the ground level. They have a different level of patency; some of them are suitable for tourists, others can be visited only by speleologists with special equipment, such as Legan and Dranken Forest in the state of Sarvak, which are preserved in their natural state.
Most of the caves are well-studied and equipped for tourists: they have lighting, comfortable paths, bridges, signs and explanatory signs. Visiting such a place can be an interesting adventure: visitors are welcome not only beautiful landscapes, but also a meeting with the most diverse "cave dwellers".
Batu Caves
Limestone cave formations near Kuala Lumpur , called Batu , are perhaps the most famous of the Malaysian caves. They owe their name to the river and the village located nearby. The age of the caves, according to the assumptions of archaeologists, is about 400 million years old.
In Batu Caves, one of the most popular Hindu shrines located not in India is the temple of Murugan, the god of war and the "warlord" of the army of the gods. Every year during the Taipusam festival (it takes place at the end of January) Batu caves visit more than 1.5 million pilgrims.
Ganung Mulu Caves
In the Gunung Mulu National Park on the island of Borneo Deer Cave is located, considered one of the largest cave complexes in the world. Its total length is 2 km, width - 150 m, and height - more than 80 m (in some places it reaches 120 m). Thus, it would easily fit two dozen Boeing 747s.
The cave received its name due to the large number of deer bones found in it: either ancient hunters drove reindeer caught here to eat them later, or brought here carcasses of dead animals.
On the territory of Gunung Mulu there are other caves - "ennobled":
- The Clearwater Cave is a large cave over 51 km long, within which runs an underground river. In it you can swim. The system also includes the Cave of the Wind (Wind Cave);
- Cave Lang (Langs Cave), which is known for the artifacts found here, indicating that it was also used by ancient people.
There are also "wild" caves in Gunung Mulu, which can be accessed only if there is a special pass and under the guidance of a qualified guide-speleologist.
Another famous cave of the reserve is the Saravak-Chambert Grotto, which occupies the first place in the world among underground caves by area and the second by volume, second only to the Chinese cave Miao. Its dimensions are 600х435 m, height - up to 115 m.
Nyah
Karst caves and grottos of Niakh that are located on the territory of the National Park of the same name in the state of Sarawak (it is located on the island of Borneo) are known for finding traces of the stay of a reasonable man, dated about 37-42 thousand years BC. Here are found human remains and rock art.
Gomantong
This is a complex system of caves inside Mount Gomantong. There is a complex on the territory of the reserve in the state of Sabah. Here in a large number of nests sweeps, whose nests are considered one of the most original (and expensive) Malaysian delicacies. Residents of the settlement, located near the caves, several times a year collect these nests to sell. And a lot of tourists and local curious people specially come here at this time to enjoy the spectacle.
In addition to swifts, there are a lot of cockroaches and a lot of bats, and outside - eagles, kingfishers, Asian blue birds, as well as several species of reptiles.
Other popular cave tourists
In Malaysia, you can also visit such caves as:
- Kelam Cave in Perlis; in it once extracted tin ore, and today during a walk through the cave you can see traces of work on its extraction;
- Kundu and Gua Tempurung in Perak;
- Gua Icahn in Quelentan;
- caves near Lake Kenyer in Terengganu;
- underwater caves of the Quinta Valley .
How and when to visit the caves?
It is best to visit the caves of Malaysia in the dry period, that is, from April to the end of October: during the rainy season this may not be a very pleasant adventure. Tours to some caves are sold by tour operators, and in order to get to other caves, you should contact the Society for the Study of Nature. To study some caves, you need to obtain a special permit from the Department of Forestry in the state where the cave is located. A group of tourists is necessarily accompanied by a guide - an experienced speleologist.
Cave dwellers can be inhabited by dangerous creatures - snakes or insects, so it is advisable to wear closed shoes. Any cave dwellers, as well as formations (stalactites and stalagmites) should be treated very carefully. One of the limitations is the ban on photographing with a flash, since a bright light can scare the inhabitants here.
Most of the "cave tours" is designed for one day. In some of the caves, overnight is allowed, but in most cases tourists can stay only in special residential areas nearby.