An underground river
Clear water from mountain springs.
Sunrise Odyssey from Singapore — CC BY-SA 2.5 · John Mason from Edinburgh, UK — CC BY 2.0 · Sunrise Odyssey from Singapore — CC BY-SA 2.5 · Gido from Netherlands — CC BY 2.5
A vast cave system running beneath Gunung Api, counted among the largest interconnected cave networks in the world by volume and the seventh-longest, with more than 265 kilometres of explored passages, and expeditions keep finding more. A river of crystal-clear water from the mountain's springs runs through its depths and gives it its name. Visitors arrive by longboat up the Melinau River between walls of forest, then climb steps first to Wind Cave, with its beautiful limestone formations and the stalactites and stalagmites of the King's Chamber, and then to Clearwater Cave, where the walkway runs above the underground river beneath a soaring roof. At its mouth is a clear spring pool where visitors swim when the flow is gentle. The tour costs seventy ringgit per person including the guide and the longboat, plus the park fee; it starts daily in the morning at a quarter to nine or a quarter past nine and lasts about four hours. Keen walkers can reach the two caves along a forest trail of about four kilometres instead. Pair it on the same day with the Deer Cave tour in the afternoon, and you will have seen Mulu's great caves in a single day. Bring swimwear if you want to take a dip in the spring, and non-slip shoes for the damp steps.
Clear water from mountain springs.
The formations of the King's Chamber.
Up the Melinau River through the forest.
Gunung Mulu National Park, by longboat up the Melinau River from park headquarters
Usually yes, in the clear spring pool at the mouth of Clearwater Cave when the water is flowing gently, so bring swimwear and a towel. Ask your guide before going in, as it may be off-limits after heavy rain.