Discovering the Mulu Caves

Deer Cave, in the heart of Gunung Mulu, Sarawak’s largest National Park, is genuinely jaw-dropping. It left one of our Borneo experts completely lost for words when he first encountered it. The cave boasts the largest entrance and single passage in the world, and is so big that St Paul’s Cathedral would fit completely under its enormous archway.

Beginning with a 3km plank walk through the forest to Deer Cave and neighbouring Lang’s Cave, home to some of the most impressive limestone stalactites and stalagmites in the whole park, it can take a whole afternoon to explore Deer Cave’s stunning moon-like landscape, staying until sundown to witness the extraordinary bat exodus. Three million of anything is hard to visualise, and the sight of this fluttering ribbon of bats stretching for miles towards the twilight horizon is truly spellbinding.

Each trip into this landscape of caves is full of adventures. Take a longboat trip up the Melinau River to Wind Cave, and walk to Clearwater Cave, home to many rare and unique species of orchids and other plants. At a staggering 200km long, the Clearwater Cave system is one of the longest in the world and is almost certainly the largest by volume. The underground river flowing through Clearwater adds a sense of tranquillity, and a swim in the beautiful, clear pool at the cave’s entrance, followed by a picnic lunch under the shade of the rainforest, is a perfect way to end a morning.

If you enjoy climbing, a further trek can be organised to visit the 'Pinnacles' - a series of imposing, jagged limestone spires that jut out of the forest-covered flank of Mount Api, which rises 1,750 metres above the surrounding landscape. Stay at your choice of well-equipped climbing lodges within Mulu Park, and embark upon a variety of expeditions arranged to suit different abilities. The ideal, tailored adventure.