Mulu Cave National Park (28-30 July 2014)

Our decision to visit Mulu Cave National Park started few months back with a group of friends but we end up only Guan, Siew Yong, Celine and I to venture the largest caves in the world!

Our flight from Brunei was at 13 55 hrs but was delayed to 14 30 hrs due to bad weather. And after all those tragic events happen to MH17, Taiwan TransAsia and Air Algerie really boost up my worries in flying. And the bad weather makes it worst.

When it's time to board, all I did was pray for a safe flight. This was also my first time flying with a Fokker F50. Looked at my boarding pass and found my seat. Of all seats, I got this one! Look below:

My seat was next to the propeller! My imagination went wild..hahaha...

30 minutes later.....

We touched down at Mulu Airport and I was so relieve and my excitement begins to explore Mulu Cave.

Didn't get the chance to take take photos of the airport and immigration counter. But all I can tell you it's small and cute :) You can google it if you want to know about the airport.

Just outside the airport, there was a van waiting to pick us up to the hotel.

The drive only took 5 mins to reach our hotel. 

After we checked in, without wasting much time, we started adventure began.

Day One(28 July 2014)

Penan Village at Long Iman in Mulu  @16 00 hrs

Our first SELFIE

Small shop for the local and visitors

The boy with yellow shorts carry his crying brother when he saw us.

Day Two (29 July 2014)

Another Long House @ 08 30 hrs

2nd Day SELFIE

What happen here? Why am I out of the boat?

I don't get paid for pushing the boat..ok? hehe

 

Wind Cave and Clear Water Cave

 

River of Youth .. hehe

Another SELFIE

Need to get off the temuai (long boat) to push ...the long boat just can't bear our weight..hehe

After having our lunch break at Good Luck Restaurant, we proceed with our trip to the Deer Cave and Lang Cave.

Lang’s Cave is the smallest of the show caves but its rock formations are well worth seeing. These are made all the more attractive by the strategically positioned spotlights which highlight stalactites and stalagmites. As the cave is relatively small and well-lit, it offers good opportunities to see some of its inhabitations such as bats, swiftlets and even cave-dwelling snakes.

-Extract from http://www.mulunationalpark.com

Lang Cave @ 14 30 hrs

Deer Cave is reached by following a three kilometer plankwalk which passes through peat swamp, alluvial flats and limestone outcrops. There is much to see on the way to the cave, including some superb rainforest, jungle streams and an ancient Penan burial cave.

Deer Cave is simply huge – it is just over 2 kilometers in length and never less than 90 metres high and wide. The main chamber, which is partially lit by sunlight, is 174 meters wide and 122 meters high. This is the area where deer used to shelter so the local Penan and Berawan people named the Gua Payau or Gua Rusa(Deer Cave).

- Extract from http://www.mulunationalpark.com/

Deer Cave

A path leads into the cave and winds its way around, following the natural contours of the cave floor. Although the path is lit, a flashlight is useful for examining the guano-covered cave floor and its population of insects. The path eventually leads to the “Garden I Eden” where a hole in the cave roof lets in a shaft of light which allows the rich green vegetation to thrive. Another feature is the famous profile of Abraham Lincoln, which guards the southern entrance of the cave.

Baby Bat - i thought it was dead and suddenly it moves and fly off

Not surprisingly, Deer Cave is home to many species of bats. Between 5 and 7pm, if the weather is fine, visitors may be treated to the spectacular sight of a black cloud of free-tailed bats emerging from the entrance of the cave to go in search of food. Originally, this cloud was thought to contain hundreds of thousands of bats but a recent study that the figure is well over a million.

-Extract from http://www.mulunationalpark.com

It was raining quite heavy when we were about to exit the cave. I was a bit disappointed when I was told by the guide that the bat might not come out to look for fruits if the rain doesn't stop.

Patiently, we waited for a while and the rain starts to subside. And this happen (look pictures below)

Day 3 (30 July 2014)

Canopy Walk @ 08 30 hrs

We were told that this snake is really poisonous. It might not kill you instantly when it strikes but the venom will "eat" you slowly.

Believe it or not, this is ratan where chairs, tables and other stuffs were made from this. Never knew they have spikes..ouch..

This cute little worm is called the Hammer Head Worm

"I wonder who is the fifth person in this picture." Our guide scares us when he took this picture. 

I was taking picture of our guide but look at the couple behind him .. haha.. they are my friends by the way :) 

 

We left Mulu Cave National Park for Brunei at 12 55 hrs. We left nothing but great memories of what we have seen, experienced, conquered our fear of height and lots of fun.