Niah Caves: 40,000 years of human prehistory
Located around 90 kilometers from the town of Miri, Niah National Park is one of Sarawak’s top attractions, where people come to visit the great caves of Niah.
The caves had been used as an important center of human settlements since 40,000 years ago. Find out more about Niah Caves’ rich histories by clicking the link to Sarawak Tourism website here.
How to get to Niah National Park
By bus
- Head over to Terminal Bas Pujut (also known as Miri Bus Terminal). You can get to this bus stop by taxi / through e-hailing platforms such as Grab and Maxim (Maxim is more popular than Grab in Miri due to the slightly cheaper price), or you could take a public bus that passes by Boulevard Shopping Complex and drop off near the complex and walk 10 minutes to the terminal.
- Buy an express bus ticket from the terminal counter. Tell the staff you would like to visit Niah National Park and they will give you the Miri-Bintulu express ticket for RM15.
- Drop off at the Niah rest stop and take a taxi or hitch a ride to the national park.
My favorite option: By Motorbike
I was lucky to have a scooter provided by the homestay and it was really fun riding along the coastal road from Miri town and enjoying the wind. The road was straight forward and pretty empty during the day when I was riding the scooter on Sunday.
Make sure your vehicle has enough fuel to cover the journey from Miri town to Niah town (and vice versa), as I did not find any petrol station in between. My scooter with a small fuel tank went from full tank to almost empty for the one way journey.
You can stop by Tusan Beach on the way back from Niah to Miri.
My night ride back to Miri was pretty dark, so make sure your vehicle head & rear lights are working well and it is best to wear a reliable reflective vest.
Niah National Park
Niah National Park Entrance
Enter and purchase the ticket (RM10 per adult) at the headquarter and obtain a map from them.
Accommodation: Campsites and chalets available.
After getting the ticket, head over to the back of the park to the jetty.
Beware of Crocodiles: Please don’t swim across the river.
A fare of RM1 each person per crossing is to be paid to the boat driver. The very short boat ride will take you to the opposite bank of the river.
Map of Niah National Park
Right after crossing the river, there was this Niah Archaeology Museum but it was closed for renovation since 14 August 2019. There is no confirmed date to reopen the museum.
Madu Trail
We began the walk to Niah Caves.
The paths were mixtures of wooden elevated planks and concrete paths.
*It was supposed to be an easy walk but due to the rain and the mossy wooden and concrete paths, each step for me required a great amount of concentration just to not slip and fall. My hiking shoe that is designed to grip soft soil just wasn’t built for this (maybe a normal shoe or slipper wouldn’t face this slippery problem). A casual easy 45 minutes walk turned into a mentally exhausting focussed stepping.
About 12 minutes into the walk, a path branches out to a hiking trail, which is heading to Bukit Kasut. Due to the time constraints I have not tried the hiking trail during this visit.
On the way to Niah Caves, you’ll see some unique looking rock boulders and surfaces at the side.
Also some small caves at the side by the river.
*Pay attention to your surroundings and you might find some animals nearby (if the humans are not making too much noise). I saw a bird that looks like a hybrid between a rooster and a hornbill. I also heard some noise from the river but didn’t manage to spot the creatures diving into the water.
Before reaching Niah Caves, there is this rest stop where the locals are selling handicrafts and drinks.
Right after the rest stop, the path branches into two: left – to the longhouse; and right – to Niah Caves. Due to time constraints I didn’t go to the longhouse on this visit.
The path to Trader’s Cave, Great Cave & Painted Cave
Trader’s Cave
You will know when you are at the Trader’s Cave when you see many wooden scaffoldings along and within the cave.
Following the path walks you through Trader’s Cave.
Within the cave, there was a fenced dugout site for archaeological research.
The landscape and environment were rather amazing to see. It feels like being on another planet. Even the ground feels different when you stomp on it (yes, it is covered with a thick layer of 40,000 year worth of bats and birds poop (guano) that they become the hard ground itself).
Follow the path and stairs up to exit Trader’s Cave from the other side.
Great Cave
Follow the stairs to the Great Cave (3 minutes walk from Trader’s Cave).
A huge cave indeed
40,000 years of poop haha (don’t worry about the smell, it wasn’t stinky actually).
Guess which side is up
Water falling from the top
Luminous moss
Into the unknown
Beautiful scene looking out from the Great Cave
Make sure you bring a torch light with you
Green luminous rock surface
Blue luminous rock surface
In the dark cave, there is one junction at the wooden path where you can go left or right. The left takes you to another path back to the Great Cave entrance (you can take this as the return path after exploring the caves). The right path takes you to further explore the cave and to the Painted Cave. The photos above are the exit to the entrance if you take the left turning.
To explore the caves you need to turn right. Above are some of the photos I took after turning right.
Rain in the cave?
I was starting to get used to the darkness. Then, I reached this sign stating ‘DARK AREA AHEAD’, and I was like “You gotta be kidding me right now!”
Damn, this is scary! But I have to go in! P.S. I WAS ALONE BY MYSELF
In complete darkness: Photo taken inside with flash and long exposure
Finally after about 15 minutes walking in the dark, I see light again!
At this end of the cave you’ll reach Gan Kira, which used to be some kind of burial site.
Painted Cave
From Gan Kira, continue along the path to the Painted Cave
Unfortunately, the path going up to the Painted Cave was blocked by a fallen tree too huge to be removed by myself. I jumped off the wooden walkway and tried to climb from the side but the soil was too loose and dangerous to climb. No choice, I can only head back without seeing the Painted Cave. Back to the dark cave!
You’ll have to travel back to the same path and take the boat back to the other side of the river in order to return to the park HQ. It took me almost 1.5 hours going back to the HQ from the Painted Cave area, thanks to the slippery path due to the rain.
Epilogue
The Niah Caves are magnificent and you should really come here when you are in Sarawak. Make sure to bring enough water and torchlight with sufficient battery. Wear a pair of non-slip shoes as the path gets really really slippery when it’s wet. The paths inside the cave could also be very slippery due to the guano (bat and bird droppings). Don’t worry about the smell because the caves weren’t smelly but there was an earthy dampy scent.
If you’re afraid of the dark, this is the chance to conquer your fear. Stop thinking about irrational scenarios such as something will pop up and jump-scare you, or some haunting figures are following you. It’s all in your mind. It might take some time getting more comfortable with the dark but trust me, it is totally worth it and you’ll feel good and more confident with yourself after that!
Have this guide helped you? Tag @meowtainpeople in your hiking stories & posts!
*Captain Planet passing by* Remember, please take care of our environment, and please don’t destroy the Nature. Leave no trash behind and take back only photos and memories (and also some trash if you can). Walk on the designated path and stay in the middle as much as you can, so that the exposed soil doesn’t spread/corrode further. BE ONE WITH NATURE *flies away*
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