Mulu, Sarawak - Day 3 (Mulu National Park HQ - Lang Cave

Our third day in Mulu started at a much slower pace compared to the previous day. After all the walking and climbing during our Wind Cave and Clearwater Cave exploration, it was nice to have a more relaxed morning. We had our Lang’s Cave and Deer Cave exploration planned for 2.30pm, so we could have a leisurely morning before heading out in the afternoon.

I woke up at around 7.50am and took my time getting ready before heading out for breakfast at M Cafe at around 8.35am. Vincent joined us shortly after, followed by my partner and Brad. I had some hash browns, fried egg, chicken in spicy tomato sauce, chicken cocktail sausages, pandan nasi lemak, porridge and fried Lee Fah noodles for breakfast. The hash browns were really crispy and were my favourite. They were also one of Vincent’s favourites. The chicken cocktail sausages were also good. However, the fried egg was still not quite to my liking and looked a little unappetising, just like the day before.

The chicken in spicy tomato sauce was just so-so and didn't really stand out, but the pandan nasi lemak was nice. The rice was fluffy, had a good flavour and went well with the sambal and other condiments. I also had some porridge, which was warm and comforting and tasted quite good. The fried Lee Fah noodles were a little hard and didn't have the soft texture I prefer for fried noodles. Besides that, the fruit selection was also quite limited, with not many options to choose from. Overall, the breakfast had a few things that I liked, especially the crispy hash browns and pandan nasi lemak, although some of the other dishes were just average.

Breakfast was served until 11am, so we could take our time and really enjoy a slow, relaxed breakfast. We stayed at the cafe chatting for a while before leaving at around 11am. After that, we took a leisurely walk around the resort before heading back to our room. The room had already been serviced by the time we returned, but our bath towel and hand towel had not been replaced. I called to request two fresh towels, and they were sent up to our room shortly afterwards. Since our cave exploration wasn’t until 2pm, we still had a few hours before we needed to head out. It gave us plenty of time to relax, freshen up and get ready without having to rush before our afternoon visit to Lang’s Cave and Deer Cave.

M Cafe

Chilled mix fruit, mango and apple juice

Coffee and tea station

Noodles station

Toast station

Nasi lemak condiments

Pandan nasi lemak

Chicken in spicy tomato sauce

Fried Lee Fah mee

Oats

Baked beans

Chicken cocktail sausage

Beef rasher

Grilled tomato

Egg station

Hash brown

Waffle and pancake

Cheddar cheese and gouda cheese

Blue cheese and brie cheese

Feta cheese

Pastry station

Bread station

Bread spreads

Fruit station

Chicken ham and beef salami

Salad station

Full cream milk and soya milk

Assorted nuts and dried fruits

Cereal station

Cakes

Gluten free bread station

Assorted ice cream

Fried egg with baked beans

My breakfast

Porridge

Mulu Marriott Resort & Spa

We met up at the resort lobby before 2pm for our afternoon cave exploration. Lawrence was our guide again, and he gave each of us a bottle of drinking water, a sandwich and a poncho to bring along. There were eight of us in total, including the family of four who had joined us the previous day. We decided to skip lunch as we were still quite full from breakfast. The sandwich that Lawrence gave us would be enough for us to eat later during the trip.

At around 2pm, we set off in the resort modified pickup truck and took a short 5-minute ride to Mulu National Park. After arriving at the park, we went into the Mulu Discovery Centre for a short tour. Lawrence explained more about the caves and the different things we would see during the afternoon, which gave us a better idea of what to expect.

We started our walk at around 2.30pm. I had imagined the trail would be quite difficult, but it turned out to be much easier than I expected. The route was mostly along a proper wooden plankwalk through the rainforest, so we didn't have to deal with too much mud or uneven ground. The plankwalk stretches for about 3 km towards Lang's Cave and Deer Cave, passing through the rainforest along the way.

There was quite a lot to see along the way. Lawrence pointed out a salak tree, and we also passed by Sungai Paku. He showed us a corpse plant and a pokok belian as well. Since we were walking through the rainforest, there were also plenty of little creatures to spot. We saw many red Borneo millipedes along the plankwalk, and I kept noticing them as we continued walking.

We reached the bat observatory at around 4pm and stopped there for about 10 minutes to rest. We also took the opportunity to have our sandwiches there. There was a toilet at the observatory, and toilet paper was provided, which was useful after the walk. There were quite a lot of bees around the area, and we even spotted a beehive up in the trees, so we had to be a little careful while having our sandwiches. It was not exactly the most relaxing place to eat, but at least we had a short break before continuing to the caves.

After our break, we continued towards Lang's Cave and Deer Cave, which are located close to each other and are normally visited together. We entered Lang's Cave first. Compared to Deer Cave, Lang's Cave was much smaller, but it had plenty of interesting limestone formations along the walls and ceiling. The cave was also well lit, making it easier to see the different formations as we walked through. One formation that stood out to me was a stalactite that looked a little like a giant jellyfish. Its thin, hanging formations gave it a jellyfish-like appearance, making it quite different from the other formations around it.

Another thing we noticed was the threadworms hanging from the cave walls. They looked like tiny threads dangling from above, and it was fascinating to see them inside the cave. Lawrence also pointed out different formations and things to look at as we slowly made our way through the cave. However, with eight people in the group, we sometimes ended up walking quite far apart, so it was not always easy to hear what Lawrence was saying when we were at the back.

Our sandwich

Poncho

Suspension bridge at the entrance to Mulu National Park

Sungai Melinau Paku

Suspension bridge at the entrance to Mulu National Park

Our wrist tag for the Mulu National Park tour

Mulu National Park

Mulu Discovery Centre

Souvenir shop

Cafe Mulu

Red Borneo milipede

Plankwalk to Lang and Deer cave

Spotted another red Borneo milipede

Wild banana tree

Plankwalk to Lang and Deer cave

Salak tree and ferns in rainforest

Spotted a dragonfly

Spotted another red Borneo milipede

Plankwalk to Lang and Deer cave

Spotted a tiny grasshopper

Trail to Mulu Summit

Stream

Plankwalk to Lang and Deer cave

Plants along the trail

Octomeles sumatrana (pokok binuang)

Spotted a few lantern bugs

Deer Cave

Bat-watching platform

Lang Cave

Bat droppings

Bird's nest inside Lang's Cave

Lang Cave

Stalactites and stalagmites inside Lang’s Cave

Threadworms inside Lang’s Cave

Jellyfish-like stalactite inside Lang’s Cave

Stalactites and stalagmites inside Lang’s Cave

Lang Cave

The last cave we visited was Deer Cave, and by then, we knew we had to pick up the pace as the bats would soon start coming out. We didn’t have much time to explore the cave at a leisurely pace. So once we were inside, we walked quite quickly through the cave, hoping we would make it out in time to catch the bat exodus. Deer Cave was much bigger than Lang’s Cave, and to me, it was also the most beautiful cave we visited that day. The huge chamber was impressive, and we also passed by the Garden of Eden, where the opening in the cave allowed natural light to come through. It felt noticeably cooler there, which was a nice break from the walk. However, there were quite a lot of people around, so I couldn't find a good spot to take photos.

There were plenty of bats inside the cave, and the floor had a lot of bat guano as well. It was interesting to see just how many bats were living inside the cave. Vincent and Brad were behind us for most of the time as they were busy taking photos, so my partner and I continued ahead. They eventually caught up with us at the bat observatory. We came out of the cave at around 5.30pm and settled down at the observatory to wait for the bats. Just before the mini market closed, my partner managed to buy a can of Coke and a can of Sprite for Lawrence.

At around 5.40pm, the first batch of bats finally emerged from Deer Cave. They flew out together in a large swirling formation, creating a beautiful spiral in the sky. We had to keep quiet while watching them, and because everyone was so still, we could hear the sound of their wings flapping as they flew past. More batches followed, with each group forming its own spiral as they left the cave. The tenth batch was the most impressive as it formed the longest spiral we saw that evening. We stayed at the observatory, watching the bats come out one batch after another and wondering how the next spiral would look.

There were also a lot of bees around the observatory, and unfortunately, some of them left yellow droppings on us while we were sitting there. The droppings were sticky and quite difficult to remove. I noticed some on my left hand, while my partner had some on his hand too. It was definitely an unexpected part of the experience! We eventually left at around 6.15pm and were one of the last groups to leave. By then, it was already getting dark, but there were lights along the plankwalk to guide us back. Brad walked in front, followed by Vincent and me, while Lawrence stayed at the back to make sure everyone was together.

We headed back towards the park entrance, and it took us only about 35 minutes to get there from the cave. By then, my legs were already tired after such a long afternoon, but we were moving so quickly that Lawrence barely had a chance to show us any night creatures along the way. He had wanted to point some out to us, but we were going too fast for him to stop and show us. We eventually reached the main gate at around 6.50pm and waited for the resort’s second round of pickup trucks, which arrived at around 7.10pm.

Once we got back to the resort, we thanked Lawrence for guiding us throughout the two days. He had been very helpful and patient, especially when showing us the different plants, insects and cave formations along the way. He also made sure everyone stayed together and was able to keep up during the walks. Vincent then suggested that the four of us give Lawrence a tip to thank him for his help and effort over the two days. We decided to chip in together and gave him RM 50 in total. It was a small gesture, but we thought it was a nice way to show our appreciation for all his effort over the two days.

Deer Cave

Bats inside Deer Cave

Deer Cave

Spotted a spider

Deer Cave

How Mulu's Caves Were Formed

Bat-watching platform

Deer Cave

Coke - RM 7

The bats making their way out of Deer Cave

Mulu National Park HQ

After returning to the resort, we put our things back in the room before heading to M Cafe for dinner. Unfortunately, the dinner buffet was not really to our liking. I tried the kuih lapis, but it had a minty and slightly bitter taste that I didn't enjoy. The banana dessert was also very sweet, and the chocolate dessert was similar. The glass noodles were too salty for me, while the beef was just okay. The strawberry mousse was another disappointment as it had not set properly and was very watery. I also tried the barley dessert, but it was too sweet for my liking. After trying a few of the dishes and desserts, I felt that the overall quality of the buffet was not very good that evening. Nothing really stood out to me.

By around 8.30pm, I decided to walk back to our room first as I was starting to feel a mild headache. The others stayed back a little longer before returning to the room. That was the end of our third day in Mulu and our final night at the resort. It had been a tiring day, but seeing the bats fly out of Deer Cave was definitely one of the highlights of our Mulu trip.