Into the Mud Volcano in Malaysia

Did you know, there are volcanoes that spit out cool mud, right in a village located in Limbang outskirt, Sarawak?

Located about 37km from the town of Limbang, Kampung Meritam got its fame through these mud volcanoes but due to its proximity and lack of public transportation, the place was never too touristy. In fact that when we went there, we got the whole place all for ourselves.

What I first expected was the place is just a small area with one pool of mud but as soon as we reached the entrance, we immediately noticed a few volcanoes popping out of the ground, overflowing with mud.

Around the entrance and front area

Mud volcanoes with different shapes and sizes

While in awe of the mud volcanoes, don’t forget to check out the back area with many more of them! You can walk there through a small wooden bridge/platform.

A newly formed baby mud volcano

The way they bubble out and overflow formed unique volcano shapes

The ground of the entire area were covered with a layer of dried cracked mud

Looked like a mud-filled crater

These volcanoes are “alive”! Gas bubbles were constantly popping out of the Earth

Time to dip in! It was actually kinda scary when I first went inside, because you don’t know what’s inside (what if there’s a mud shark underneath? XD). A few times my foot touched something (felt like a small piece of grass) and it tickled and scared me haha.

The mud pool was very deep, I tried poking a long bamboo stick and still cannot reach the bottom. Don’t worry though, as long as you don’t panic, you won’t sink! The buoyancy of mud pools and quicksands are actually very strong. I tried to sink in more but it’s just too hard to do so.

They don’t suck you in like those in the movies. Just wriggle your legs around to get out. If you are still worry about it, read this article: Quicksand Science

Thanks to these mud pools, I managed to do a low cost cosplay: Wakanda Sometimes XD

Kampung Meritam Mud Volcanoes: Tips & Other Information

Entrance Fee: RM4 per person
Operation Hour: Not specified but don’t come to early or too late
The area may be unmanned and locked sometimes. In that case, call the phone number hanging at the gate to have the staff come over to open the gate.
Not recommended to visit at noon when the sun is scorching hot, unless you are planning to be fully covered in the ‘natural sunscreen’ 😉
Bring extra clothing and towel
Don’t go into the mud with jewelry such as a ring, you might lose it in the mud
Wear something ‘secure’, as the mud would get inside the clothing and become slippery and heavy. You wouldn’t want your pants to slide down when you’re out.
The facilities weren’t complete at that time, the bathrooms had no water but there were a few working pipes outside. I had to take a shower outside to wash away the mud. Check if there is water from the pipes before going down into the mud.
Most importantly: Enjoy the muddy experience!

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