Niah National Park is located 90km south-east of Miri in Malaysia. It is a two-hour drive from the city. Niah is an interesting park to visit because it’s possible to explore the caves, admire the original ancient cave paintings, go for a jungle walk and visit Iban Longhouses. The dense rainforest is home to different kind of plants and wildlife.

It’s possible to stay overnight in Niah National Park but during low season (October – April) not many peoplestay. It feel eerie to walk around in the jungle alone. When you arrive at the Headquarters (HQ) you have to take the boat to get to the other side of the river. The boat ride takes only one minute, and you pay the boatman 1RM per person. If you plan to go back later in the afternoon/ evening, ask the boatman until what time he is working.

The Great Cave

The Great Cave is easily accessible via the plankway-trail. Look around carefully and spot some birds, walking sticks, insects, squirrels, many colourful butterflies and monkeys. It’s not common to see the Hornbill but you can hear the bird singing. Sometimes you can hear their songs nearby which makes it a bit frustrating when you can’t spot them.  

High up in the caves local Penan Tribesman are collecting edible birds nest built by swiftlets. The bird’s nests are a popular Chinese delicacy. When you wonder around in the caves you will probably run into a group of guano collectors. Guano is bird and bat poop and is sold as fertiliser. The first caves to walk into is the Traders Cave. The wooden huts are still standing inside the Traders Caves. In the old days this was the market place where traders sold the birds’ nests and guano.

Later, you enter the Great Cave. When you walk towards the entrance you know why they named this cave the Great Cave. The cave entrance is 260mtr wide and 60mtr high. The first chamber is even bigger. On the right side of the entrance is a shelter. On the left side is the Archaeological Site. In the caves they discovered human remains that are at least 40.000 years old. It is said that these remains are some of the oldest found in South East Asia.

Moon Cave

At the back of the first chamber it’s gets darker but there is still enough light to look around and see the millions of bats and swiftlets flying around. The second chamber is named the Padang. The sunlight comes from large holes in the roof of the cave. After the Padang you enter a entirely dark passage, the Moon Cave. You need a torch or flashlight. I would not recommend using this passage if you don’t have one. Using the flashlight on your phone is enough to find your way but most ideal is a torchlight.

I visited Niah alone and I was alone in the Moon Cave. I stopped for a minute and I realized how scared I was. Without flashlight you can not see anything, not even my hands. It is impossible to find your way without a light. You are not able to see much and the noise of dripping water, the bats and swiftlets is more intense. It’s easy to lose sense of direction when there is only darkness.

It felt like walking around in your own fictional scary movie. I was very excited when I saw daylight again. I don’t regret entering the Moon Cave alone, but I realized how vulnerable we are as humans. Make sure not to drop your torch or phone when you are alone in the Moon Cave.!

The Painted Cave

After the Moon Cave the plankway continues through the forest up to the Painted Cave. Here you find the famous Niah cave paintings. Researcher Barbara Harrison rediscovered the ancient paintings on the wall and the boat coffins on the floor in 1958. The drawings are next to the gravesite with boat-shaped wooden coffins. The paintings and the gravesite are protected by a gate.

It’s not possible to see the paintings up close. Some visitors were very disappointed by this but in my opinion it’s necessary to protect Sarawak’s Cultural Heritage. As soon as your eyes are used to the light you see the red coloured paintings. The drawings are mostly individual drawings about humans, hunters, animals, the forests, motifs and geometric designs.

Patrick Libau Village

One of the side trails leads to Patrick Libau Village. There is a shelter and it’s a quiet place to rest for a bit. After I left Niah National Park I found out that it’s possible to visit and/ or sleep in Patrick Libau Homestay. But even when you don’t stay overnight it’s worth visiting this small authentic village and just wander around. The children are particully excited to see foreigners in their small village.

Getting to Niah National Park

The most convenient option to get to Niah is by taxi or Grab. It’s takes 1,5 hours from Miri to arrive at the entrance of Niah National Park. Another option is to take a bus. Buses depart at Pujut Corner Bus Terminal. Here, you can take any bus to Bintulu, Kuching or Sibu and ask the driver to call you when the bus arrives at Niah Rest Stop. From there you can take a taxi to the Park Headquarters. Just ask around where you can find a taxi.

Staying overnight

It’s possible to stay overnight in Niah National Park. They have chalets and hostel rooms. The most convenient way to book is via Sarawak Forestry. It’s best to bring some food. You can either buy food in Miri or at Niah Rest stop. There is small restaurant behind HQ but I’m not sure what the opening hours are. When I walked up the owners opened the restaurant and I am pretty sure that when I left, they closed it again.

Keep in mind that Niah National Park is not a busy park. I was alone and after the scary dark Moon Cave I met an elderly couple. I was lucky this couple stayed overnight otherwise I would have spent the evening alone. Not a bad thing per see but there is not much to do in the evening.

In the worlds jungle travel

Visit other National Parks in Borneo. Try to find the proboscis monkey at Bako National park. Go further north to Sabah and explore the white sandy beaches, crystal clear waters and spot the gorgeous colourful fish. Or go deeper into the jungle at Mulu National Park. Find out about places to visit in and around Kota Kinabalu. Another great option to explore Borneo is the virtual picture tour of Borneo to get an idea how beautiful the island is.

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