Inside the Wind Cave, Mulu

Stairs inside the cave makes touring convenient

Natural formations inside the Wind Cave

Photos courtesy of and Copyright to Abdul Aziz Pandin and Brunei Press Sdn Bhd

Story & photos by Abdul Aziz Pandin

No two caves are alike. Indeed it is true. Completely different from their sister caves, Deer and Lang, Clearwater Cave and Wind Cave offer you other endearing insights to behold. You can experience such natural beauty in the Mulu National Park in Sarawak.

By riding a long boat from Mulu Park Headquarters, it took us 15 minutes to reach the drop-off point for the caves. As we got off the long boat and hopped on the dock, we saw a small signboard: the Wind Cave is 100m to the right and 400m to the left is Clearwater Cave.

We headed to the Wind Cave and began our escapade. An ascending long plank walk throughout the way connected the dock to the cave. It was no stroll in the park. It was tiring as we went against the gravity to reach a wide platform at the mouth of the Wind Cave. At the entrance of the cave, while catching our breath, we were briefed by the park guide on safety precautions while touring inside.

The darkness of certain parts heightened our sense of hearing. The interior is naturally designed as a result of stalactites and stalagmites formations. Wind Cave is breezy and at certain spots, the wind is rather strong, and serves as a ventilation system that circulates fresh air in the cave.

At the end of the passage is the famous King's Chamber, magnificently illuminated to highlight the complex details of the stalactites and stalagmites formed in that chamber.

There are also some impressive flow rocks, helictites and rock corals which make the interior view so spectacular!

We headed to Clearwater Cave, Asia's longest cave and also rated as 7th longest cave passage in the world. It measures 107km. It has a subterranean river, part of which is navigable by boat. The 400-metre plank walk that lead to Clearwater Cave was built hanging on the limestone cliff that had fallen down vertically to the floor of Sungai Melinau. The trail took us to the foot of a hill where there is a huge courtyard provided for visitors to rest before proceeding to Clearwater Cave. Picnic tables as well as toilets and changing rooms are available. Nearby the courtyard is another dock where a group of colourful longboats are docked.

The Clearwater Cave can be reached by climbing a 200-step steep stairs and can leave you breathless. At the cave's entrance, we were briefed by another park guide. What really grabbed our full attention was his mention of the local belief that immersing yourselves in Clearwater River can restore your youth by five years. Definitely we did not want to miss that. But since it rained the night before, the river was murky and the current was strong.

Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin Weekend
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