MY · Sarawak · 3.81°N 113.78°E

niah caves

Giant cave mouth where 40,000-year-old human remains were found.

Best time
Any time of year. The wettest months are roughly November to February, when the plankwalk gets slippery.
How long
A day trip from Miri, or a night at the park
Getting there
Fly from KL to Miri (about 2 hours 15 minutes), then drive about 1.5–2 hours to the park. It's also about 2 hours from Bintulu.
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MY · Sarawakniah caves3.81°N 113.78°Egowherelah.com
Dear group chat,Giant cave mouth where 40,000-year-old human remains were found.— gowherelahTo: whoever’s drivingNiah CavesMY, Sarawak
KLniah caves
≈ 1,344 km from KL, as the crow flies
The entrance to the main cave at Niah Caves National Park, Miri, Sarawak, East Malaysia.

Photo: Starlightchild · CC BY-SA 3.0

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Photos: Wikimedia Commons, credited on each.

Niah National Park, between Miri and Bintulu, protects a limestone massif full of caves, including the vast mouth of the Great Cave. Archaeologists found a human skull about 40,000 years old here in 1958, and the caves are now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. You walk in on a long plankwalk through the rainforest.

Things to do

  1. The Great CaveWalk into the huge west mouth, where the excavations took place and the 'Deep Skull' was found.Map ↗
  2. Painted CaveFaint red rock paintings and the remains of boat-shaped burial coffins, further along the trail.Map ↗
  3. The plankwalkA raised boardwalk through the forest. Allow about an hour each way to the caves.Map ↗
  4. Niah Archaeology MuseumA small museum at the park on the digs and what they found.Map ↗
  5. Iban longhouseA side path off the plankwalk leads to an Iban longhouse you can visit.Map ↗

Good to know

  • Bring a torch or headlamp. The caves are dark and the walkways inside can be wet.
  • Wear shoes with grip. Bird droppings and damp make the steps slippery, and the guano smells strong.
  • Stay on the walkways and don't touch the rock paintings.

Last checked October 2026. Things change, so check opening times, fees and transport before you go.