Hostel in Niah NationalPark

Niah National Park has a number of chalets and hostels for visitors to stay over night.

These accommodation available here can be booked from the visitor’s info centre in Miri.

The alternative is you can use one of three Hotels in Batu Niah Town 3 Km away.

A guide is not essential as the trail is clear but they are not expensive and will give you some additional information.

Entry Pass for Niah National Park for Senior Citizen and disabled.

Entry Fees/Admission Fees

A nominal entry fee for all National Parks in Sarawak.

Entrance fee is RM10 for adult and RM5 for child. RM5 for Senior Citizen & Disabled.

Entrance fees are paid upon arrival at the park HQ. Remember to get a trail map of the park at the counter.

A permit is required for professional photography or filming, which should be arranged in advance with the National Parks Booking Office in Miri.

The Painted Cave

Shortly after the Moon Cave, the plank walk emerges into daylight and a short pathway through the forest leads to the Painted Cave. This is the site where the famous Niah Cave paintings and the 'death-ships' were found. The contents of the death-ships have since been transferred to the Sarawak Museum, but the cave paintings and some of the empty death-ships can still be viewed on the wall behind the fenced-off burial site.

The paintings can be difficult to see unless you allow your eyes to become accustomed to the light. They are rendered in red hematite and cover a long narrow strip (approximately 30m) at the back of the cave wall. They portray spread-eagled human figures, probably representing warriors and hunters, some of the animals of the surrounding forest, and - most importantly longboats carrying the souls of the deceased on the dangerous journey to the land of the dead.

"The Longboat to Heaven" Painted Cave, Niah National Park. 6-6-2015 SAT 1:11PM

"Drowning In The Sea" in Painted Cave, Niah National Park. 6-6-2015 SAT 1:12PM

"Big Sea Monster" Painted Cave in Niah National Park. 6-6-2015 SAT 1:20PM

Above images from photos displayed at the Painted Cave.

"Dancing Angel in Heaven" and "Arriving Heaven" in Painted Cave, Niah National Park. 6-6-2015 SAT 1:28PM

Close up of "Dancing Angle in Heaven" and "Arriving Heaven" in Painted Cave, Niah Park. 6-6-2015 SAT 1:28PM

"Dancing Angle in Heaven" Painted 2,000 years ago in Painted Cave of Niah National Park, Borneo Island.

Archaeological Interest
Niah's importance was first realised in 1957 when the curator of the Sarawak Museum, Tom Harrison, led an archaeological dig at the West Mouth. The excavations revealed a long period of human settlements; tools, cooking utensils and ornaments, made of bone, stone or clay reaching back into the Palaeolithic era (the earliest part of the Stone Age). As excavation progressed, the following year Harrison and his team unearthed a skull dated at 40,000 years old. This skull, of a modern human (Homo sapiens), disproved views that Borneo was settled much later and is a key piece in the jigsaw of early human colonisation of SE Asia.
The continued human presence over tens of thousands of years at Niah is evidenced by the gradual development of sophistication of societies that lived there. Burial sites date from Paleolithic times right up to the modern era, as late as 1400 AD. The earliest graves found in the deepest levels, were simple shallow graves without adornment. Yet moving up through the layer, coffins and urns appeared along with grave goods such as pottery, textiles and ornaments and even glass and metal items, which came comparatively late to Borneo.
The Great cave is not only important archaeological site. The Painted Cave as its name suggests, houses detailed wall-paintings depicting the boat journey of the dead into the afterlife. The meaning of the paintings was explained by the discovery of a number of "death-ships" on the cave floor-boat shaped coffins containing the remains of the deceased and a selection of grave-goods considered useful in the afterlife, such as Chinese ceramics, ornaments and glass beads. The death-ships have been dated as ranging between 1 AD and 780 AD, although local Penan folklore tells of the use of dead-ship burials as late as the 19th century. To avoid damage, you can only inspect the paintings from a wire fence some 10 m away..to be honest there is not much to see.

A reconstruction of the original scene and some of the artifacts can be seen at the impressive Sarawak Museum in Kuching.
 

Great Cave was formed in the past by the action of river water dissolving the limestone and progressively enlarging and deepening the cave. As this area of Borneo was uplifted, the river found a different route and the cave was left high and dry to be filled by the droppings of thousands of generations of several species of bats and of small birds called swiftlets.

Proceeding into the cave, the sound of disembodied voices mingles with the squeaking of millions of bats and swiftlets to create an eerie atmosphere. The voices belong to the guano collectors, who toil by the light of paraffin lamps to recover the guano (bird and bat excrement) covering the cave floor. You are probably standing on the biggest mountain of pooh in the world! The guano is then carried in sacks to the Sungei Niah, where it is graded and sold as fertiliser. As you proceed to the centre of the cave, you may meet the guano collectors sweeping the cave floor to accumulate the swiftlets and bats droppings. Digging is no longer allowed s as to preserve the appearance of the cave.

The guano collectors are not the only people who earn a living from the cave. Strategically positioned massive bamboo poles and ladders are evidence of the birds nest collectors, local people who have practised this dangerous occupation for generations. There are millions of swiftlets living in the cave of 6 different species. Swiftlets are amazing birds that can eat, drink, sleep and mate on the wing, soaring on thermals and updrafts from cliffs. They find their way to their nests I caves by means of “echolocation”, which is the ability to hear the reflected sound of high pitched clicks that the birds make and hence allows them top sense the walls and roof of the cave even in complete darkness. Swifts can catch up to a 1000 flying insects and form them into a single ball to feed to its chicks! The most common species is the glossy swiftlet, whose nest is of vegetation material cemented by salivary secretions and not marketable. A less common species however makes their nests purely from salivary secretions and when the nests are cleaned and cooked they produce the famous birds nest soup, which is as highly regarded in Chinese cuisine as caviar is in the West.

The best time to see the swiftlets and bats is at dusk when the swiftlets return and the bats come out of the cave.

Traditionally the Penan tribe has been the custodians and collectors of the nests while the Iban have the rights to the Guano. Both activities are now regulated and are now on a sustainable long term basis.

Inside the cave, the walk goes to the left and you traverse a massive central pillar which will eventually lead you back to the Great Cave entrance after a round trip. It is boardwalk nearly all the way.

The Padang
The passage at the back of the Great Cave leads to a large chamber known as the Padang, where shafts of sunlight stream down from large holes in the cave roof to illuminate the bizarre rock formations in the Burnt Cave (Lubang Hangus). Watch out here for the huge and rather ugly brown crickets with enormous antennae reaching out for easily 20cm in length!

From here you can fork left into the Moon Cave or continue to the traverse to the right back to the Great Cave entrance.

Gan Kira (Moon Cave)
After the Padang area, you enter a totally dark passage known as Gan Kira (Moon Cave) This is where the torch is essential, not only to find you way but to admire the remarkable rock shapes and weathering effects,

The “Lost World”
Between the Moon Cave exit and the Painted cave is a swampy lagoonal area characterised by giant sized Pandan tress with dramatic stilt roots..this area is very evocative of a “Lost World”, lying between the two cave entrances.
 

The Board Walk

The board walk is enclosed on both sides by dense primary rainforest and the route is fascinating in its own right.

Old Boards
New Boards

Jetty of Niah National Park

1- From Park Headquarter
2- This side to the caves
3- Niah River

The Great Cave is 3.5 km from the Park Headquarters. The start of the boardwalk that leads to the caves is on the opposite side of the Niah River, so a short but fun ferry ride across the river is the staring point.

1 Ringgit each before 5.00 pm. 1.5 Ringgit each after 5 (last crossing 7.30).
 

CANTEEN

There is a cafeteria that serves simple local dishes and various soft drinks  for thirsty travelers.

The museum has some interesting displays on the geology, archaeology and ecology of the area and is well worth a visit before the walk.

Entry tickets are 10 Ringgit for adults and 5 Ringgit for children payable at the office in the HQ.

The regular direct bus service to Batu Niah Town (4 km from Park HQ) from Miri Bus Station is no more in service for several years. This is due to insufficient passengers as now a day most people own a car.

Now you have to take the indirect buses from Miri Town to Pujut Express Bus Terminal to Batu Niah Junction then to Batu Niah Town

Or if you are willing to pay higher fee to charter a Taxi directly from Miri Town to Batu Niah Town.

Car Park in Niah National Park

Entrance to paved path from Niah Park to Batu Niah Town

The paved path to the town is 2.5 Kilometers along the Niah River.

The path is running parallel to the river leading to Batu Niah 2.5km away.

This is a  pleasant stroll along the riverbank  to Batu Niah Town when you arrived at the red Tua Pek Kong Chinese Temple.

Image above : Sungai Niah Bridge
 

Distance from the above Sungai Naih Bridge to following points:

To Miri 96.5 Km
To Bintulu 115 Km
To Niah Rest Stop (Batu Niah Junction) 100 meters
To Batu Niah Bazaar 11 Km
To Niah National Park 15Km