Sung Sot: Cave Exploration in Ha Long Bay

I went to Ha Long Bay for the  water and scenery, not for the caves. I didn’t even know there were caves there until the boat docked and we were told to get off. Being kind of a cave nerd, imagine my surprise and delight, to find that we would be visiting a cave! Unfortunately, Sung Sot Cave, also known as the Surprise Cave,  was crowded with tourists on that day, as it was the end of December and close to New Years.

The lighting in this cave was strange, all technicolor and neon, like a show. I enjoyed this weird neon cave, it was a totally different experience from Mulu’s dark and haunting ones. 

It was super busy at the end of December

View from the mouth of the cave

Rock concert lighting

The ceiling of the cave looked like footprints in sand

Pak Ou: Cave Exploration in Luang Prabang, Laos

Like the touristy Batu Caves in Malaysia, the once spiritual atmosphere of the Pak Ov caves  is Laos dissipated long ago when the slow boats began bringing tourists over from the saturated Luang Prabang. I saw the caves on the way from Pakbeng to Luang Prabang, and I would not have made a return journey.

The caves are decorated with hundreds of Buddhas and a few alters, which make for interesting pictures. However, the entryways are tiny, and crowded with literally hundreds of tourists. With barely any room to move or photograph, it is a chaotic experience. 

Batu: Cave Exploration in Kuala Lumpur

Cave exploration? Hmm, not really. The name Batu Caves is rather misleading. They are not actually caves to explore, but rather a tourist attraction to see and photograph.

At the foot of the caves is the world’s tallest statue of the Hindu deity Murugan, which is impressive in and of itself.The 272 steps that lead to the top are made fun by the many monkey sightings along the way. The limestone caves themselves are quite lovely and impressive, especially when sunlight pours in from openings in the roof.

At the top, multiple stands sell cheap tourist items and Hindu prayer beads, as the caves are now home to a Hindu temple. It is by no means a spiritual experience, as loud music plays nonstop throughout the cave. Crowds of tourists are everywhere, photographing the temples and sculptures, and the floor is extremely dirty with poop from a thousand pigeons.

One more thing to note, this is a holy site, so you must cover your legs below the knee. Sarongs are available for rental. 

Mulu: Cave Exploration in Borneo

My fascination with caves dates back to childhood, but it was rekindled when I lived in Japan and went on a weekend trip to Yamaguchi. That’s where I realized that caves are my living fantasy, the place where dreams and reality intersect. On my trip through SE Asia I explored great caves in several countries, but the limestone caves of Mulu National Park are the most amazing. Mulu is truly a paradise for the spelunker. 

Mulu is a located in Sarawak, on the Malaysia side of the island of Borneo, and boasts the largest limestone cave in the world (The Clearwater Cave). I booked a three-day two-night package and stayed at the luxurious Marriott Resort. During the day I went on guided tours of the caves, and at night, I watched the bats feast on bugs outside my window, and slept to the sounds of the jungle.

Mulu caves also housed an impressive number of bats - my favorite animal! Though their poo was everywhere, I loved watching them fly out of the caves at dusk. The Mulu bats fly out in swarms, much like flocks of birds, and they create unique patterns in the sky that resemble dragons.
One tourists joked that the bats would spell "Mulu" in the sky.