Welcome To Niah Cave: One Of The World's Largest Limestone Cave

Welcom To Niah Cave: one of the world's largest limestone caves

Tips:
Archelogy Museum that you should not missed. Go visit! Cross this river by boat and start your advantures walking. Is a long walk into the cave. Don't forget to bring some light food and mineral water. Also a good torch light!!

Itinerary : From Miri, take a scenic country drive past forests, oil palm and rubber trees, small villages and longhouses with rice fields, pepper and market gardens. At the Park, cross the Niah River by boat to visit the Archaeology Museum and then take a 3-kilometre walk on a raised plankwalk through virgin rainforest to the cave entrance. Get your camera ready for West Mouth is indeed one of the largest and most beautiful cave entrances. Framed by creepers with overhanging stalactites, the view takes in the lush greenery of the surrounding rainforest.When in season, witness bird nest collection by the locals. Explore the magnificent cave system and surrounding jungle. View prehistoric wall paintings and remnants of prehistoric human settlements. Return to Miri. Niah National Park has chalets for those who would like an overnight stay to best enjoy and appreciate the park. There are two walking trails to explore and the Iban longhouse is nearby.

Niah Cave

Niah Cave is one of the world's most significant archaeologicalsites since the 1954 discovery of Stone Age human settlements. The Niah national park is home to the popular Niah cave, one of the world's largest limestone caves. Within the Gunung Subis limestone massif of north Borneo is a series of caves that have been used for burial and settlement over many millennia.

The park itself covers an area of forest and limestone, all together about 3102 hectars in size.Niah Cave in Borneo is important because of the "Deep Skull", an anatomically modern human skull recovered from deep within the deposits and dated to 42,000 years ago.

In year 1958, old remains of a modern human (Paleolithic Era - earliest stone age) was found by Tom Harrison and his archaeology team at a dig of West Mouth of the Great Cave, this discovery was finally proved by modern scientific dating techniques.

Niah Cave is located on the north side of the island of Borneo, inland from the South China Sea some 12 kilometers. The park is nice and the big cave is interesting,i have visited Niah Caves near Miri. it's a great cave to be visited. You could see people havest bird nest inside the cave. althought is a long walk to the cave, but you will enjoy it!!

That's interesting, because that date makes Niah Cave the site of one of the oldest established evidence of modern human beings outside of Africa. The Great Cave Niah is another attraction to tourism in north east region of Sarawak (Miri). It is the place of oldest modern human settlement and civilization found in this region.

Birds Nest

Million of cave swiflets that live in the cave make their nests purely from their own salivary secretions, and when the nests are cleaned and cooked they produce the famous birds nest soup, which is as highly regarded in Chinese cuisine as caviar is in the West.

Marvel at agile collectors perched precariously on flimsy bamboo poles reaching 80 metres high into the darkness to collect the prized bird nests (when in season) while below voices of guano collectors can be heard. Besides bats and swiftlets, lookout for giant buttress roots and pandanus, exquisite orchids, luminous fungi and all manner of unusual insects and invertebrates.
Prices vary to the quality of the bird nest. Collecting the nest from the cave ceiling is a dangerous and difficult job, thus the price of birds nest is so high.

Obviously such a valuable commodity is a magnet and highly business potential for poachers who will collect the bird nest unlawfully, therefore the caves are constantly monitored by park wardens, to prevent illegal collectors. What a great excitement to be HERE!

The Painted Cave

As you enter into the Great cave, darkness start to conquer!! Your torch light is so small and you are alone to go theu about 1km under the darkness of Niah cave!!!

A wall painting that depicting the boat journey of the dead into the afterlife. Most importantly the painted wall was explained by the discovery of a number of death-ships on the cave floor - a boat-shaped coffins containing the remains of the deceased. The death-ships burials have been dated as ranging between 1 AD and 780 AD.

The human figures and the boats of the painting probably respresenting warriors and hunters with longboats carrying the soul of the deceased on the journey to the land of death or resting place. The atmosphere of the painted cave is very relaxing, it is easy to understand that why the early inhabitants had chosen a suitable resting place for their ancestors afterlife.

You also have a small tinny torch light to guide you. Are you dare to go thru the mystery of Niah caves? The passage at entrance of the Great Cave leads to a large chamber known as the Padang, where there is shaft of sunlight stream down from large holes in the cave roof to illuminate the bizarre rock formations in the Burnt Cave. You still have chance to quit! behind me is the entrance of the Great Cave, as you can see the sun light coming in.