There are two big cave complexes near Bau. We visited the Wind Cave back in January 2019. But its sister, the Fairy Cave, was shut for ages, first for renovations and then for the pandemic. Now it's open, with a spiffing new access stairway.


A sign outside tells you that this cave is older than its counterparts in Niah or Mulu...

Whereas Wind Cave mostly consists of passageways, today's subterranean experience started with a huge cavern.


Large openings to the outside world have allowed vegetation to grow, and there are some impressive stalactites and stalagmites. The contrasting light -- bright opening versus dark cave -- creates some amazing effects.












There were only three other visitors while we were there, their voices echoing strangely. From way up in the back of the cave, in the twilight zone, comes a constant stream of little silvery squeaks, as though a thousand tiny teddy bears are being simultaneously squeezed. In the foreground you hear the drip-drip-drip of water.


After you've done all the stairways that take you around the cavern, you can tackle the "dark trail". You really need a torch for this bit, and you can do some interesting flashlight pics. But if you stop mid-way and turn the lights out, it's pitch black and utterly silent.




Then there's a twist in the path, and a natural light source becomes visible. It's a slit in the side of the mountain, and you reach it via a series of metal stepladder-type arrangements.

It was somewhat surreal emerging from the darkness into a world full of sunlight and birdsong. We chatted for a while to the warden on duty up there (one of whose jobs is to make sure you don't proceed to the summit of the mountain without a permit and a guide), and then re-entered the gloom to retrace our steps.





Excellent visit. Truly, if you want to feel really, really small, and really, really transient, visit an ancient cave...

For lunch we hoovered up some "fast food" in Bau. (Fast food, in Sarawak, as I'm sure I've explained already, consists of an array of pre-cooked dishes from which you choose what you want. There are always lots of excellent veggie options, and if you skip the rice, it's pretty low carb. Which leaves you headroom for ice cream later... Yes, I know that's not how it's supposed to work...)


A post-lunch walk around Bau offered a couple of new views:



And finally... Today's ice cream came from the Kuching branch of Coffee Code, the Sarawakian coffee chain that we enjoyed patronizing on our recent road trip.