Mulu, Sarawak - Day 2 (Kampung Batu Bungan - Wind Cave - Clearwater Cave

We had an early start planned for our second day in Mulu. We went for breakfast at M Cafe at around 7.25am before getting ready for our cave exploration at 8.30am. Breakfast was quite good. I had some nasi lemak, lamb, fried egg and hash brown. The nasi lemak was tasty, although the sambal and lamb were quite spicy. The lamb was tender and soft, which I liked. The fried egg, however, did not look very appetising. It was quite pale and lacked the slightly browned, crispy edges that I like. I prefer my fried egg with crispy edges and a soft, tender centre. The hash brown was much better as it was nice and crispy.

My partner had a cup of teh tarik, which was not too sweet and tasted quite nice. I liked that they had longans and especially pomelo, as not many resort buffet breakfasts serve these fruits. The pomelo was sweet and juicy, which I really enjoyed. Overall, we had a satisfying breakfast before heading out for our cave exploration. My partner was particularly happy with the breakfast. The only thing we didn't like was seeing a fly on the dessert and fruit, which was not very pleasant.

Chilled orange, mango and apple juice

Coffee and tea station

Nasi lemak condiments

Pandan nasi lemak

Lamb curry

Fried vermicelli

Oats

Baked beans

Sauteed mushrooms

Steamed bun

Beef sausage

Chicken sausage

Fruits station

Bread station

Pastry station

Blue cheese and brie cheese

Gouda cheese and cheddar cheese

Gluten free bread station

Assorted ice cream

Hash brown

Pancake and waffle

Egg station

Noodles and toast station

Full cream milk, soya milk and cereal station

Assorted nuts and dried fruits

Salad station

Beef salami and chicken ham

Fried egg with baked beans

My breakfast

Teh tarik

Yogurt and fruits

After breakfast, we waited at the resort lobby for our cave exploration. We were supposed to leave at 8.30am, but we had a short briefing first. Lawrence, our guide for the day, explained what we would be doing and gave us some basic instructions before we set off. It was a simple and straightforward briefing, so it didn't take too long. There were 10 people in our group, including a couple from overseas and a family of four from KL. Just as we were about to leave, my partner suddenly realised that he had forgotten to bring a towel for the swim later. He quickly went back to our room to get one before we set off.

The jetty is located just next to the resort lobby, so it was only a short walk to the boat. Before we left, Lawrence handed each of us a bottle of drinking water for the trip. This was my first time riding a longtail boat, and getting onto it was not as easy as I expected. The boat kept rocking slightly as we stepped in, so I had to watch my footing and hold on carefully to avoid losing my balance. Once we got into the boat, we had to put on the life jackets that were provided inside. After everyone was on board and settled into their seats, the boat felt a little more stable. Unfortunately, one of the ladies from the overseas couple was not so lucky. She accidentally dropped her glasses into the river while getting onto the boat. By the time we realised what had happened, there was nothing we could do to get them back.

There were two boats departing for the tour, and we ended up taking the second boat. There were seven of us on the boat, including the boatman and navigator. We left the resort lobby at around 8.45am and started our boat ride at about 8.50am. The journey to Kampung Batu Bungan took around 25 minutes. We travelled along Sungai Melinau Paku, surrounded by rainforest and greenery on both sides. At some parts of the river, the boat had to slow down as the water became shallower and there were rocky areas along the way. The navigator would use a long stick to manoeuvre the boat through the rocky sections, which was quite interesting to watch. The boat ride was quite relaxing, and it was a nice way to start the morning, especially with the peaceful surroundings and fresh air. We were also glad that the weather was good that morning. It was cloudy and not too hot, which made the boat ride much more comfortable.

We arrived at Kampung Batu Bungan at around 9.15am and had about 25 minutes to look around. The settlement is known for handicrafts made by the local Penan community, and there were various handmade items laid out for visitors to browse and buy. There were bracelets, baskets and other small handicrafts, with some of them made from natural materials. I had a look around the different stalls and found some of the handmade items quite interesting. There were also several bracelets that caught my attention. One of them was priced at RM 10, but I decided not to buy it as I didn’t really need another bracelet. Although we only had a short time there, it was still nice to stop by and have a look at the local handicrafts before continuing our journey to the caves.

Resort lobby

Longtail boat ride

Sungai Melinau Paku

Our boatman

Sungai Melinau Paku

Batu Bungan Penan Settlement

Batu Bungan Penan Settlement and our tour guide Lawrence

Local handicrafts made by the Penan community

Spotted a wasps nest

Kampung Batu Bungan

We left Kampung Batu Bungan at around 9.45am and continued by longtail boat towards Wind Cave. The boat ride took about 10 minutes, and once we reached the jetty, we continued on foot towards the cave entrance. The walk to the cave involved going up some wooden steps. Since it was drizzling, the steps were a little slippery, so we had to be careful along the way. Lawrence also pointed out a lantern bug and a centipede along the wooden steps.

Once we entered Wind Cave, the surroundings became darker and cooler. The cave had a mixture of wider sections and narrower passages, with limestone formations along the walls and ceiling. We also spotted some moon milk inside the cave, which looked like soft, white mineral deposits on the rock surface. Some of the formations had interesting shapes and textures, so we took our time looking around as we made our way through the cave.

There were also wooden walkways and steps inside the cave, making it easier to move through some of the sections. As we went further in, we could see more of the limestone formations around us. It was quite different from exploring a normal attraction as we had to watch our footing while walking through the darker sections. We spent around 40 minutes exploring the cave before coming out at about 10.35am. One thing I noticed was that there wasn’t actually any wind inside the cave during our visit. Apparently, whether you feel the wind depends on the weather conditions, so we didn’t get to experience it that day.

Sungai Melinau Paku

Rock formations along Sungai Melinau Paku

Sungai Melinau Paku

Walking path to Wind Cave

Can you spot the lantern bug?

Spotted a centipede along the trail

Wind Cave

Gate inside Wind Cave

Wind Cave

Moon milk

Wind Cave

Hand-shaped rock formation inside Wind Cave

Wind Cave

After exploring Wind Cave, we continued our journey to Clearwater Cave by longtail boat. We travelled along Sungai Melinau Paku, and along the way, we passed by another boat with a dog standing right at the front. It was quite amusing to see the dog looking so comfortable as it travelled along the river. We eventually arrived at a picnic area near the cave, where we stopped for a short tea break before starting the climb. Lawrence brought some coffee, tea and biscuits for us, which was a nice little break before tackling the steps.

There was also a toilet at the picnic area, and it was clean and well maintained, with toilet paper provided. We started the climb at around 11.30am. There were more than 200 steps leading up to the cave entrance, so it was quite a workout, especially after the morning's walk through Wind Cave. Once we reached the top, Lawrence introduced us to the distinctive one-leaf plant called Monophyllaea, which grows on the limestone rocks around the cave entrance. It was interesting to see the plant growing naturally around the cave, especially since it has just a single large leaf.

Clearwater Cave was beautiful and felt very different from Wind Cave. The cave was spacious in some sections, with limestone formations along the walls and ceiling. There was also a stream flowing through the cave, and the cool air inside made it feel very refreshing after the climb. Inside the cave, we also came across a small bowl-shaped formation with water dripping into it. Lawrence showed us how to use the slow-motion mode on our phones to record the water droplets as they fell into the bowl. When we played the video back, the slow-motion effect made the water drops look really nice.

We came out of the cave at around 12.35pm and returned to the picnic area for our bento lunch. Both of us had the classic tuna wrap, which came with a mini salad, fruits and a slice of cake. I also had an extra boiled egg because Vincent had earlier requested two eggs, and they had put one egg in each of our lunch boxes. So I got to eat the extra egg.

Once we finished lunch, the majority of the group went down to the stream for a swim. I decided to stay back and relax while the others enjoyed the water. It looked like a refreshing way to cool down after the morning's activities. We left the jetty at around 1.40pm, and we were the last group to leave. Before we departed, Vincent suggested that my partner, Brad, the two overseas guests and I take one boat, while the family of four could sit in another boat with him. We then made our way back towards Mulu Marriott Resort & Spa by longtail boat.

We reached Mulu Marriott Resort & Spa at around 2.10pm and had the rest of the afternoon to ourselves before dinner. After starting the day early and spending the morning travelling, walking and exploring the caves, my legs were feeling really tired. In fact, I don’t think I had ever felt my legs this sore before! By the time we got back to the resort, all I wanted to do was lie down for a while. I decided to take a nap, which was much needed after all the walking and climbing earlier that day.

Longtail boats on Sungai Melinau Paku

Picnic area

Tea break

The staircase leading up to Clear Water Cave

The staircase leading up to Clearwater Cave

One-leaf plant called Monophyllaea

Clearwater Cave

My bento lunch - classic tuna wrap

Clearwater Spring

Spotted a caterpillar

Sungai Melinau Paku

The nap really helped, and by the time I woke up, I was feeling much more refreshed and my legs were feeling better. We took our time getting ready before making our way to M Cafe for the buffet dinner. The buffet had a fairly good selection of food, with both savoury dishes and desserts to choose from. The main dishes included chicken briyani rice, roasted chicken, curry chicken, oxtail, paratha, and some vegetables. The chicken briyani rice was the highlight for me. The rice was flavourful and tasted good with the chicken dishes. I also liked the curry chicken and oxtail, while the roasted chicken was decent. The paratha was another dish I liked as it was served nice and crispy.

The dessert selection included pandan chocolate cake, coconut cake (rangin), yam cream cake, strawberry pudding, mini mango cheesecake, assorted mini tarts and strawberry panna cotta. The cakes were moist and fluffy, which I liked. The strawberry panna cotta was not too sweet and had a nice texture, while the strawberry pudding was also quite mild in sweetness. The mini tarts were sweeter, but the pastry crust was crunchy and enjoyable. However, some of the desserts were not really to my liking. The coconut cake (rangin) was very sweet, while the green pudding custard had a slightly bitter taste. The mango cheesecake was also quite sweet, and I didn't really like the texture. The ice cream had started to crystallise, so it didn't have the smooth texture I would normally expect from ice cream.

The other savoury dishes were less impressive. The tapioca vegetable tasted very old and was not pleasant to eat. The salad didn't taste very good either, and the chickpeas and penne had a slightly strange taste. The fruit selection was also quite limited, with not many options to choose from. The guava we tried was already overripe, so I didn't really enjoy it.

Overall, I would say the buffet was just so-so. The quality of the dishes was quite inconsistent. Some items, especially the chicken briyani rice, curry chicken, oxtail and crispy paratha, were good, while several of the other dishes and desserts didn't really suit our taste. The limited fruit selection was also a little disappointing. If I were to choose only a few things to have again, I would definitely go for the briyani rice and the crispy paratha.

Rice

Tomyam fried rice with anchovies

Beef oxtail tamarind sauce

Fish curry with okra

Roasted pumpkin

Japanese tofu egg sauce

Tapioca leave with coconut milk

Noodles station

Noodles and toast station

Spaghetti

Chicken briyani rice with roasted chicken

Curry chicken

Roti paratha and vegetable fritter

Roti paratha in the making

Pandan chocolate cake

Pandan custard

Coconut cake (rangin)

Yam cream cake

Strawberry pudding

Mini mango cheesecake

Strawberry panna cotta

Assorted mini tarts

Green bean sago in coconut milk

Pandan ice tea

Fruit station

Blue cheese and brie cheese

Chicken ham and beef salami

Salad station

Condiments for ice cream

My dinner

My dessert

Fruits

Salad

Ice cream

After dinner, we walked over to the River Bar to redeem our complimentary drinks. We could choose between soft drinks such as 100 Plus or Pepsi, or a glass of house white or red wine. The white wine options included Fuego Verdejo, El Molino Chardonnay, Robert Estate Pinot Grigio, Astica Chardonnay and Torconal Sauvignon Blanc, while the red wine selection included El Plano Tinto, Fuego Garnacha, El Molino Merlot, Astica Cabernet Sauvignon, Astica Malbec and Cono Sur Tocornal Merlot.

I asked the bartender what she would recommend, and she suggested that I try the Robert Estate Pinot Grigio. I decided to give it a try, and I actually quite liked it. It was smooth and not too sweet, so it was easy to drink. We found a spot at the River Bar and just relaxed there for a while, enjoying the quiet evening and taking our time after a long day of cave exploration. We stayed there until around 10.15pm before walking back to our room. Once we got back, we spent some time chilling and winding down before calling it a night. It was a nice way to end our second day in Mulu.

River Bar

Robert Estate Pinot Grigrio and 100 plus

Wooden plank walkway to our room at Mulu Marriott Resort & Spa

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Mulu, Sarawak - Day 2 (Kampung Batu Bungan - Wind Cave - Clearwater Cave - Clearwater Spring)

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