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Niah Caves, Malaysia, August 3, 2010
The next day I went on a day trip to Niah Caves. It's a two hour ride from Miri. I put up a sign at the hostel that I will be going there and if anybody woukd like to join me. One girl, Liz, wrota back and we went to the caves together.
My initial plan was to see the caves and come back the same day, but once at the Niah Park I was told that the bats leave the cave at around 5:30 or so, so I decided to stay the night at the park and come back the next day.
The caves were awesome! First a walk through the jungle, then a smaller open cave. Then more jungle, up and down hill, to one of the main entrances to the whole caves complex. The first one was huge! The stalaktites were also huge. I have been to a few caves in my life, and this one is one of the best. I definitely recommend a visit to anyone who likes caves. There were not that many strange formations as in other caves I have seen, but all together, the size, the colors, and the whole atmosphere mae the visit a memorable one.
First we walked through the passages from one chamber to another. Sometimes there was no light at all, so you must to have a torch. There were thin wooden poles hanging from the ceiling in the large chambers - this cave complex is used for collecting bird nests, those used for cooking. Quite a dangerous job - the ceiling of the caves is really high, and the whole climbing support seems flimsy. But, as they say, somebody's gotta do it.
We waited till around 7 PM and no bats... Only lot's of swiftlets flying in the air. It was raining before, so perhaps the weather, perhaps the bats chose to leave the caves through another exit. Too bad.
On our way back it started pouring rain. We had to get back to the park's entrance by 7:30. There is a small river you have to cross to get back to the campground. It cost 1.50 to cross it and it takes only a couple minutes. It is really silly how they are trying to get the money from the tourists. The entrance fee to the Niah Park is 10 dollars. You can't get to the caves unless crossing the river, so they invented the 1.50 fee for it. And it's 3 after 7:30! Also, the one page map of the caves is not included with the ticket - if you want it you have to purchase it for additional 1.50. So, basically, the entrance fee is 13 dollars plus the optiopnal 1.50 for the map (I took a photo of the board and information instead).
Since getting back to Miri would be too troublesome and expensive (there is no bus connecting the Park and the Niah city - you need to arrange a taxi which cost 20 or even 30 at night, OK if you share it but I'd have to pay it just by myself), I decided to spend the night at the park. They have rooms for rent for 42 dollars, so my share was 21. Also, the woman at the counter told me that there is a snake farm in ............., a town another 2 hours by bus to the West, so I decided to go there the next day.
The next day, shared taxi from the Park, a bus to .........., and another taxi to the snake farm. And the surprise - it's not a farm but a small ZOO with a cave and four snakes in it! Onsidering that I had this type of snake as a pet, actually a few of them, lived with them and handled hundreds of time, this was a real disappointment. What the heck!? - why did she say snake farm and not a ZOO!?
Back to Miri...
The trip cost me too much money overall. No a good value for what I spent, but the caves were awesome and the good will be remembered and the baad forgotten :)
Below some images from the Niah Caves. It's difficult to take good photos there - to have awesome pictures there is definitely need for multiple flashes and a tripod. Well, I did the best with what I had. Enjoy!
Photo: Niah Caves, Malaysia. Crossing the river.
Photo: Niah Caves, Malaysia. The walk.
Photo: Niah Caves, Malaysia. This big tree fell on the path and crashed it, so they rebuilt it again over the fallen trunk.
Photo: Niah Caves, Malaysia. Some carved in ancient times by water rock formations. A prelude to what lies ahead.
Photo: Niah Caves, Malaysia. A local forest resident met along the way. It's only about 2 inches long, but even with the limited light the 18 - 200 mm VR lens helped in this quick makro photo.
Photo: Niah Caves, Malaysia.
Photo: Niah Caves, Malaysia. Inside the caves, walking.
Photo: Niah Caves, Malaysia. There are some nice passages in the cave complex you go through.
Photo: Niah Caves, Malaysia. One of the exits of the caves. It is difficult to take a good photo because of the very high contrast - the darkness of the cave against the very bright outside light, plus the distance. For quality photo I would need a tripod and multiple exposures. Even better would be a set up of multiple flashes. So, some of these photos might not be the greatest, but still, they give an idea of what the caves look like.
Photo: Niah Caves, Malaysia.
Photo: Niah Caves, Malaysia.
Photo: Niah Caves, Malaysia. Approaching one of the big chambers. There is a person down there, if you can see. It's huge. The ceiling is very high above, but even with an 18 mm lens I wasn't able to capture it. The bottom surface of the cave looks and feels like a huge meteorite. It's riddled with small craters, sculpted by the water.
Photo: Niah Caves, Malaysia. Looking in the oposite direction - the stairs leading to the cave. It's easier to take a photo with the right light.
Photo: Niah Caves, Malaysia. The play of colors and shapes.
Photo: Niah Caves, Malaysia. A closer look at the staircase.
Photo: Niah Caves, Malaysia. The rocks look like a painting.
Photo: Niah Caves, Malaysia. Play of shadows - another painting made my nature.
Photo: Niah Caves, Malaysia. A local cave resident tried to hide.
Photo: Niah Caves, Malaysia. The Alien, beamed down to greet me.
Photo: Niah Caves, Malaysia. He raises from the rock when the light shines down.
Photo: Niah Caves, Malaysia. Boats to the afterlife. Wall paintings in the Painting Cave. I wonder if thousands of years ago, the people who painted this scene were standing at the exact spot where I was, looking at the Alien and wondering where it came from.
My life has always been about freedom and I shall continue to walk this path.
Safe travels ! ........... Stan
Check out my Photography Portfolio
stan@ancientnomad.com
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