![[Niah Caves]](images/niahcave.jpg)
NIAH CAVES
![[Dayak Pattern]](lines/vasedes.gif)
Early morning transfer to Kuching airport for a 50 minutes' flight
to Miri. On arrival transfer to a car or coach for a 110 km drive
to Batu Niah passing oil palm plantation and secondary forest.
Lunch at Batu Niah, a small inland town, before crossing the Niah
River by longboat to Pangkalan Lobang. Continue the jouney by
foot, walking on a series of raised boardwalks, for a distance
of 4 km to the Great Caves (the west mouth). The Niah National
Park encompasses 3,102 hectares (7,756 acres) of virgin rainforest
with limestone outcrops millions of years old. Archaeological
excavations carried out by the Sarawak Museum beginning in 1954
have un-earthed human and food remains and stone age implements
dating back 40,000 years. Other interesting features of the caves
include the millions of swiftlets and bats which live in the
caves.
The nests of these swiftlets are a highly priced delicacy served
in Chinese restaurants all over the world. The Painted Cave with
human figures drawn in red haemitite is possibly the only surviving
cave-painting discovered in Sarawak and remains of wooden canoes
used in ancient burial ceremonies are finds that prompted the
authorities to gazette it as a national historical monument. Return
to Miri in the afternoon to catch the flight back to Kuching.
NB. An optional extension can be arranged with overnight stay
at the Park's hostel which is equipped with modern toilets and
cooking facilities.
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