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Caving is a safe sport provided the fact that the visitor is properly prepared and equipped. Caves are dark so it is essential for each caver to have at least one source of lighting, preferably a light attached to a helmet such as carbide light. Some caves may require the use of ladders or ropes and thus caves should be visited only when accompanied by an experienced caver.
Malaysia is well known for some of the biggest and longest limestone caves in the world. Some of the caves are archaeological sites; others are beautiful with stalagmites and stalactites, and maybe underground rivers and some caves are the home to a wide variety of cave fauna such as bats, snakes, and invertebrates.
Among the most famous caves in Malaysia, mention may be made of certain renowned caves in Sarawak . The Mulu National Park , Sarawak is described as a world heritage site in 2001. The Gua Nasib Bagus houses the world's largest chamber - Sarawak Chamber. Clearwater Cave is the 10th longest in the world; at 110 km. Deer Cave is one of the world's largest passages. The Niah caves are also a famous archaeological site. A 40,000 year old human skull has been found there, and the rock paintings have been dated at 1200 years.
In Sabah , the well known caves are Gomantong Caves which are famous for their birds' nest industry. It is fascinating to see the local people collecting these nests using bamboo ladders and poles. There are many other caves scattered across Sabah, at places such as Madai, Tempadong, Baturong and the Sapulut Valley. Many of these caves have been used as human burial sites.
In Selangor , the Batu caves near Kuala Lumpur are a famous tourist destination and site of the Hindu festival of Thaipusam. Temple cave and the Art gallery caves are open to the public. Dark Cave is one of the best studied caves in Malaysia and is rich in cave fauna. It is the longest cave in the hill.
In Perak there are many cave temples which can be visited. Gua Tempurang is a show cave with electric lighting and walkways, and a variety of tour options. It has a fine river passage and some enormous upper chambers. There are other 'wild' caves which can be visited by equipped cavers.
In Pahang the Charas caves house a reclining Buddha. There are caves at Gunung Senyum and Kota Gelanqqi which have been developed for tourism. There are several caves in Taman Negara . Kedah , Kelantan , and Terengganu also have caves worthy of a visit.
Worldtravel4indians.com provides information on Cave Exploration in Malaysia and different Caves around Malaysia.
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